My journey so far...

Mat outside Poached Creative's office at Bootstrap, Dalston

By Mat Amp

My journey with Poached Creative started several months ago, as the result of a conversation with my case-worker at St Mungo’s.

I was living in supported housing and was looking at various ways to reconnect with the world, both socially and professionally, in recovery from substance abuse issues that had eventually left me homeless.

I was informed of a free journalism training course being run by Poached Creative, a social enterprise, who were working in partnership with The Pavement, the free pocket sized magazine for people who are homeless.  

At the time I was throwing myself at just about everything to see what stuck in a ‘try everthing commit to nothing’ approach to life and I have to admit that my initial reaction wasn’t that positive. To be honest I thought it would be a waste of time, especially as the weekly seminars meant an hour tube/train ride across London from Brixton to Hackney and back.

But I put my concerns aside and set off for the first session with absolutely no expectations. I say that but I must have held on to some because I was surprised by just about everything that followed.

The sessions were set around a large oval table which helped us all relax and open up, promoting the kind of positive and constructive atmosphere that was so important as a canvas for the highly informative lectures that followed. One seminar on storytelling and the practical session that came a week later, ‘writing your own story’, was an epiphany to me. It was during that session in Hackney library writing about my experiences living in a homeless hostel over the past few years that I rediscovered my deep love of writing, a desire that had deserted me during those few bleak years living at the margins of society.

The final session on interviewing techniques was outstanding, the icing on what had been a pretty tasty cake of an experience. I was going to miss it. 

Or was I? Well the simple answer to question was no. When Poached Creative held out its collective hand with the offer of volunteer work at their new offices at Bootstrap, I bit it off.

The Human Right Act gets a stay of execution

By Yousif Farah

Amnesty International

Prior to the recent General Elections the Conservatives had pledged to replace “The Human Rights Act” with a Bill of Rights and Responsibilities. However, there seemed to be no mention of it in the Queen’s Speech, at the opening of Parliament on Wednesday.

It is not the first time the Conservatives have attempted to push their bill through: there was a similar attempt during the last coalition Government but it was blocked by the Liberal Democrats.

The Conservatives, who won the election with a 12 seat majority, would have struggled to get the bill through the Commons and Lords as both SNP and Labour and whoever remained from the Liberal Democrats would have voted against it. Furthermore, some of the party’s own back benchers, many of whom are in the judiciary, are opposed to the measure.

However, some senior party figures seem adamant that it is only a matter of time, and that the Bill will be delivered sooner or later.  Liz Truss, the Conservative environmental secretary says:

“Absolutely the plans are going to be delivered at some point because it was a clear manifesto pledge “

Meanwhile, human right groups expressed a level of caution following the development. Kate Allen, Amnesty International Director in the UK, said she remained “very worried”. Whereas, Liberty director Shami Chakrabati called it heartening but added:

“There is a long struggle ahead but time is the friend of freedom”

The Human Rights Act received Royal Assent on 9 November 1998 and came into force in England on 2 October 2000. It was introduced to bring The European Convention on Human Rights closer to home through incorporating into UK law the rights contained in the convention.

Among the rights contained in the convention: the right to life, prohibition of torture and inhumane treatment, protection against slavery, the right to a fair trial and the right to free speech and protest.

The European Convention on Human Rights is an international treaty aimed at protecting human rights and fundamental freedoms in Europe. It was drafted in 1950 and came into force on 3 September 1953. The UK was the first country to ratify the treaty.

Over the years since the introduction of the act many cases were decided through the implementation of the HRA. An illustration of the application of the act could be found in S and Marper v United Kingdom, where the UK courts ruled that it was legal to retain fingerprints, cellar samples and DNA profiles of individuals who have not been convicted of an offence.  Strasbourg held the approach to be disproportionate as well as an infringement of the person’s right to a private life contrary to Article 8 of the convention.

Another illustration is the 2009 A v United Kingdom case, a case in which it was decided that the detaining of 11 non-national terror suspects was legitimate. The European Court of Human Rights deemed the judgment both disproportionate and discriminatory and in breach of Article 5 of the convention which emphasises the right to liberty.

Amnesty International is launching a campaign to preserve the Human Rights Act. If you agree that the current Act should be retained please visit.

International M.E Awareness - Day 12 May

By Sana Amos

On 12 May people across the globe are taking part in events for International M.E. awareness day, to help create a greater understanding of the impact the illness has on individual lives. M.E. is a chronic, debilitating condition which has a wide range of symptoms that can vary in type and intensity.

The condition is still widely misunderstood,as for many years controversy surrounded the question of whether it was a physical or mental illness.It is now classified by the World Health Organisation as a neurological condition.

Speaking about the controversy surrounding M.E. Tony Britton, Publicity Manager at the ME Association, said: “This illness is genuine, it's neurological, it affects 250,000 children and adults in the UK, and for the vast majority it's definitely not 'all in the mind'. A large amount of research is taking place round the world nowadays in the hopes of finding new treatments and a cure, but we're not there yet.”

He added: “While we're doing that, we still have to convince the sceptics, and there are many of them, that M.E. is not a mental disorder.” 

As a person who suffers from M.E. I understand the struggle and frustration that comes with this illness. It was hard enough to personally accept that I have this condition, as much it was to get the health professionals to understand that I was not “just tired or stressed”. For the past three years it has impacted and changed every aspect of my life.

This is why it is great that various organisations and individuals are using the day to make themselves heard, including two organisations that have provided me with immense support. The ME Association are launching a new report to show how existing therapies do not necessarily work and Action For ME is publishing case studies to highlight the impact the illness has on individuals lives.

To find out more about International M.E. Awareness Day and how you can get involved visit the May 12th Facebook page.

Depression, the stigma and the reality

Photo: Zeevveez/Flickr

By Yousif Farah

This week is Depression Awareness Week, a week to reflect upon our approach towards mental illness. One in four of us is likely to develop a mental illness at some stage of our lives.

The week aims to raise both awareness and funds to end the loneliness and isolation of depression, and the stigma surrounding it through highlighting what it means to live with the illness.

At Poached Creative mental health is central to our work. As well as working with many local and nationwide mental health bodies and charities including the NHS and Hackney youth charity Off Centre, we have trained many people who have suffered from depression through our Big Issue Online Journalism Course. Many of them have defeated their depression and moved on with their lives - now they are invaluable assets to us here at Poached.

Angela Williams, Deputy Director at Poached says:

“I began my training with Poached Creative when it started in 2009. I was going through some dark times with my depression, training with Poached gave me the confidence, a purpose and a “leg up” to work in a creative environment. Through more people speaking out about mental illness, we can push away the stigma and show that people from all walks of life can be affected, but also treated with dignity and respect.”

Depression - a brief history
It wasn't until the fifties that depression, also known as Major Depressive Disorder by medical care professionals, was linked to a chemical imbalance in the brain.

Prior to that, mental health patients were locked in asylums and treated through basic methods which included sedation, baths and even electrical shocks. At the time, many people dismissed depression as a weakness in the patient’s personality or willpower.

1959 saw the introduction of the landmark Mental Health Act, followed up by advances in psychiatry and drug treatment, and greater emphasis on human rights accompanied by advances in social science and institutionalisation theory. 

More recently, steps have been taken in terms of addressing the issue in the UK.

In the 2010 Equality Act a mental health illness is recognised as a disability if it has a long-term effect on the patient’s normal day-to-day life.

Mental health in the media
Mental health, and depression in particular, are topics often neglected in the mainstream media, overshadowed by coverage of other physical illnesses. 

Public figures such as Alastair Cambell have contributed to a better understanding of mental health issues.

Sadly, some people still ridicule mental illness and those affected by it.

This is what television personality Katie Hopkins had to say to patients suffering from depression:

"To be diagnosed as depressed is the holy grail of illness for many. The ultimate passport to self-obsession. Get a grip, people".

Her remarks caused a public outrage. Katie Hopkins is known for making controversial statements so it's hard to know whether she has been educated of the realities of depression, or whether she views mental illness through subjective light.

The reality of life for a depressed person is bleak: performing daily tasks which a mentally stable person normally takes for granted such as reading a book, talking to a friend or even getting out of bed represents a challenge.

When the demons of depression take over the patient’s life, they can become emotionally destabilised or disconnected and end up isolating themselves. The more severe the symptoms, the more isolated the person becomes, and unless treated the depression is likely to have a devastating impact on someone’s career, relationships or even own life.

Fortunately, organisations like the Depression Alliance, who are behind Depression Awareness Week, have information and help available on their website.

Find out more about Depression Awareness Week and how you can get involved.

Working together to create jobs for young people

By  Rooney John

Young people are nearly three times more likely to be unemployed than the rest of the population, according to the Office for National Statistics.

Over the past five years, Poached Creative and Mediorite have been helping to address this problem in Hackney, by providing the skills, support and guidance young people need to start their journey into employment.

Without qualifications, professional networks, skills, experience, support and guidance, many young people lack the confidence they need to find meaningful work and fall into a cycle of increasing isolation.

Even with great skills, many young people can find it hard to move into the world of work. We have recently come across several social enterprises and initiatives that offer practical solutions to youth unemployment here in our home borough of Hackney. Here are few:  

• Create Jobs helps young people from East London find a career in Arts and the Creative Industries. They make it easier for employers in the Arts and Creative Industries to take on young East Londoners by shortlisting the candidates, offering support and advice and through helping them to access incentives.

• Bootstrap provides training and employment opportunities to people aged 18-24 and who are interested in setting their own business through providing them expert support.

• Task Squad matches young people that have voluntary experience with organisations looking to fill short term paid employment.
  
• Hackney 100 is providing paid work placements for young people in creative Hackney businesses.

Samantha Sparrow, Director at Task Squads says:

 “Most young people who come to us have really bad CVs that don’t explain the great skills that they actually have, so as well as providing work opportunities we help them develop great CVs that really showcase what they have achieved.”

"Young people bring a particular set of skills to the workplace and are incredibly motivated people when they get given the opportunity to work.”

At Poached Creative and Mediorite we will continue to work with organisations dedicated to finding a solution to youth unemployment, training and mentoring young creatives to help them build their futures.

Fair Pay

By Yousif Farah

Last week saw the launch of the Fair Pay Fortnight, which is an awareness fortnight sponsored by TUC. The fortnight is held to raise awareness about the cost of living crisis in the country, mainly caused by the imbalanced policies regarding pay rise verses rocketing prices.

In the past five years general commodities’ prices have gone up by almost 20% whereas, pay rises for the majority of the public have only increased by a modest 3%.

Government officials blame the lag between pay rise and inflation on the recent economic turmoil. However, in research carried out by Landman Economics, who provide Government organisations and think tanks with consultancy services, it was established that for every 1% increase in public sector pay rounds, £675 million of extra value is injected into the economy and around 14,000 full-time jobs are created. 

Francis O’Grady head of the TUC says:

“The simple truth is that many employers can afford to pay more. For large companies in sectors such as food production, banking, construction and software/computing - which employ over 1 million low- wage workers - paying all staff the living wage would mean an increase of less than 0.5 per cent of the total wage bill.”

Another topic which is expected to be highlighted in the campaign is zero hour contracts, which are spreading rapidly, according to the Office Of National Statistics 3.4 million of the UK workforce are on such contracts and 1.3m where no hours were worked. A zero hour contract is a contract with no guarantee of hours, only those benefits protected by law, such as holiday leave, are guaranteed.

The irony is that many of the organisations implicated in zero hours contracts, or those who are falling short of paying their employees a fair living wage, are mega organisations such as Sports Direct and McDonalds who both have 90% of their workforce working under zero hour contracts.

Pub chain Weatherspoon, Burger King, Starbucks and many other big names including The Church of England, have also been heavily criticised in the mainstream media and accused of sending mixed messages. See the In My Shoes blog on the same topic.

Mr Justin Welby, head of the Church of England, had called on employers to be responsible and pay their fair share of tax as well as pay their employees a fair living wage. Mr Welby admitted that it is embarrassing for the church to be found to be not paying the living wage. However, he puts it down to the complex Administrative nature of the Establishment.

“The Church remains committed to all parishes, cathedrals and dioceses paying the rate as soon as possible. But due to the make-up of the Church of England - the fact that each church and cathedral is a separate charity - this had to happen gradually.”

Such organisations are leading in their fields and should surely be leading by example, providing a guide to smaller and emerging businesses and also sending a message that employees are the backbone of any business and should be treated accordingly.

At Poached Creative and in many social enterprise organisations, despite our limited resources, we always aim to create suitable and fair working conditions for our employees, that includes paying them a living wage.

Last spring we received an award for our commitment to pay the London Living Wage at the Hackney Citizen Mayoral Assembly.

Jessica Smith director at Poached Creative says:

“The cost of living in Hackney is rising and we would like to see more businesses in the borough supporting their employees with fair pay and good employment conditions.

“Helping unemployed and disadvantaged people into employment is what Poached is all about and we have always aimed to be a model of good employment practice. The London Living Wage accreditation is public recognition of our commitment to our employees and our community.” 

To find out more about the living wage campaign visit The Living Wage Foundation or to take part in the fortnight visit Fair Pay Fortnight.

Be different this Valentine's Day - make a difference

By Martin Kitara

Valentine’s Day is upon us. This year, we’ve set out to inspire you smug loved-up couples to go on dates that make a difference. You can make a difference by finding a local social enterprise in your area.

You can help a good cause on this bittersweet holiday by volunteering your time, donating to your or your sweetheart's favourite cause, or by talking about your favourite social enterprise on social media and encouraging friends to support their cause. 

If you are planning a quiet night in, Hidden Art an award winning social enterprise has some quirky homewares and innovative gift solutions for you and your partner. Hidden Art offers unique and exclusive design-led products from a network of designers working out of East London.

Why not sponsor a Vineyard? Forty Hall Vineyard is London's only commercial-scale vineyard, with big ambitions to produce and sell organic white and sparkling wine to benefit the local community by providing health and well-being projects. 

If you’re planning a night out why not try The Brigade Bar and Grill or The Waterhouse Restaurant.  Both have great menus for Valentine’s Day. The eateries are social enterprises that work to help disadvantaged people develop skills to empower and improve their lives. 

London has a lot of social enterprise eateries to choose from that are centered on helping others. Why not check out if SEUK’s social enterprise directory that can help you find a social enterprise near you? They’re all definitely worth trying.

For singletons, there might not be romance in your lives but don’t allow that to get you down. We understand that even for the happiest of singletons Valentine’s Day can be a nightmare, with reminders of love and romance hard to avoid. We also know there have been years when some of you have felt like fleeing the country around this period. It’s the stress you see. We understand.

You can check out Two Finger's Brewing Co's  range of craft beers. The brewery donates all its profits to Prostate Cancer UK.

If you don’t have anybody to spoil this Valentine’s Day, why not take it as an opportunity to spoil yourself and your friends? You can join in and make a difference too by supporting your cause or social enterprise.

Or, perhaps you and your friends could spend the evening treating yourselves to a bit of pampering, cook yourself a nice meal or have a relaxing bath with candles and a glass of champagne. Clarity which has been enabling blind and disabled people to gain the skills and confidence makes some great pampering products.

With no one else’s feelings to consider, you’re free to spend the day doing whatever you want and to make it a special day just for you. Even better you and your friends can have a get together?

Whatever you decide to do, we hope you enjoy yourself, take inspiration from a local social enterprise and do some good for society.