It is a big aspiration! Kind Currency will help close the disadvantaged gap and help reduce the poverty rate
“Poverty is not a social problem and therefore there is no demand or need to try and resolve poverty'” was a statement recently put to me.
Initially this upset me. I’m an empath and I’ve faced hardship and I also support and know people’ families and children who are living in poverty. I know the affect poverty has on the lives of our fellow humans. I appreciate poverty is a universal term and our understanding of poverty is value based and how we measure it is questionable. I understand poverty in the UK looks completely different to disadvantaged communities the world over. But fundamentally poverty is an unkind life and I believe as a community we can level up society to help others live a kinder life.
So’ what drives this big aspiration to help reduce UK poverty and why I feel socially responsible to create an opportunity for change?
Poverty is when your resources are below your basic minimum needs. Basic needs are housing’ heating’ water’ food’ clothing’ hygiene’ and health.
Pre-pandemic there were 14.4 million people classed as living in poverty in the UK’ the postCovid figure is estimated to be 15 million’ that equates to one in every four people. 31% of all children are living in poverty in the UK.
What may surprise you’ is that 75% of those children live in working households. Poverty does not equal uneconomical. Herein lies the problem in the UK’ we have working people in the UK living in poverty.
*So’ to those with the mindset’ that ‘they’ need to help themselves. They are. For instance’ my local foodbank is managed by a lady who works in the care system; she’s giving to society on both counts but we are leaving her to live a life of poverty. Working people in poverty are in jobs that are low paid. Low paid to an extent that people are unable to meet their basic needs and not just theirs’ their childs needs too. As the pandemic taught us’ many of these low paid jobs provide us ALL with our essential basic needs!
Low paid jobs are one of the creators of poverty’ insecure jobs are another’ as well as unemployment. Low level skills and education’ health problems’ a life-event’ single-parent households’ ethnic minorities’ and discrimination are all contributors to poverty. These drivers are the same barriers to preventing poverty and are also a consequence of poverty. It’s a cycle of poverty. Those living in poverty tend to suffer more health issues especially chronic illness and find education’ quality employment and opportunities inaccessible.
But we can stop the cycle’ we can deliver a change. But need to want to. And I do. Why wouldn’t I? We can create opportunities to help people remove their barriers and attain a better quality of life. It’s the simple equation of one human helping another because they can.
Kind Currency will create a fund which will support and reward individuals who are classed as disadvantaged’ those individuals that we absolutely depend on as a society’ the volunteers’ the charity’ essential and care workers; those that provide us with our basic needs’ those delivering kindness every day through their actions’ our community champions. They deserve that kindness paid forward in gratitude.
We will provide access to services and opportunities’ resources and equipment covering health and wellbeing’ education and training’ personal and business development and employment.
In delivering opportunity for change we’ll also be challenging for bigger change; challenging the government decision on the living wage; making it possible for businesses to pay the living wage; improving access to services and investing in disadvantaged children.
It is a big aspiration but coming together as a community through Kind Currency makes it achievable. Help us help others. You can get involved in the community as a business and/or as a consumer’ coming together to make kinder lifestyle choices to close the disadvantaged gap and reduce poverty.