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.

Conquering debt for Debt Awareness Week

By Michelle Stannard

Many of us are affected by debt each year, our staff and trainees included, and that's why we're supporting UK debt charity Step Change and their latest 7 days, 7 ways email programme to mark Debt Awareness Week.

Starting today, their free 7 days, 7 ways email programme will provide you with a week of bite-sized support and advice, encouraging you to take steps to deal with your debt sooner rather than later.  

To contribute to promoting Debt Awareness Week, we've asked our team at Poached Creative for their top tips for managing debt. Here are our top 5.

1. Firstly don't panic if you're in debt because there are lots of solutions to help you get out of that situation including debt counselling and free debt advisory services. Your local Citizen's Advice Bureau will work with you to find the best solution to fit your situation and to help you set up a repayment plan that you can afford. You can also talk to free advisory services such as The Money Advice Service who will be able to provide you with advice and guidance to help you improve your finances. 

If you are currently on or are considering taking on a Debt Management Plan, this shouldn't be costing you any extra money to run. There are plenty of free support services that will be able to set you one up for free, if they feel that it's the best option for you. That way every single penny of what you pay towards your debts is going towards paying them off, and not paying unnecessary fees.

2. If you decide that you want to take out a loan then avoid loan companies such as Wonga who have high interest rates. We'd recommend finding your local Credit Union as they're a community savings and loans provider who have low interest rates, offer affordable repayments and they encourage you to save money.    

3. Avoid taking out store credit or store credit cards. The repayments add up and the interest rates are ridiculously high.

4. If you've got any old games that you no longer play, clothes you no longer wear and/or DVDs you no longer watch then why not give them a new home by selling them on websites such as Music Magpie, local Facebook buy and sell groups or to you local CeX. This is a good way to de-clutter and to make some extra money to help pay for necessities. 

5. Keep a record of your incomings and outgoings. A spreadsheet is the easiest way to do this. It's a really helpful for you to keep on top of your spending, and to help you to work out what you could be saving money on and what excess cash you have each month.

This will also be very helpful if you talk to a debt advisory organisation, and will help them to work out what you can afford to pay back towards your debts each month.

Links to useful organisations:

Step Change

The UK's leading debt charity who offer free tailored advice and practical solutions to help you manage debt and make a fresh start.

Website: http://www.stepchange.org/ Telephone: 0800 138 1111 

The Money Advice Service

Offering free and impartial money advice to help improve your finances. Support is available in person, over the telephone and online.

Website: https://www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/en Telephone: 0300 500 5000

Citizen's Advice Bureau

Providing advice on debt, housing and other areas where support and advice is needed. You can drop-in to your local centre at available drop-in times or book an appointment to speak to somebody face to face. To find your nearest centre visit their website 

Website: http://www.citizensadvice.org.uk/

Credit Union

Community savings and loans provider with low interest rates. They also offer bank accounts. Find your nearest Credit Union on the website below.

Website: http://www.findyourcreditunion.co.uk/home

Show your support for Debt Awareness Week by sharing our blog and signing up for the Step Change 7 days, 7 ways email programme. It's one week, make it count!

March For Homes on 31 January

by Yousef Farah

March For Homes

Londoners will march on City Hall on 31 January 2015 to express their anguish and frustration with the ongoing housing crisis in the capital. 

The marchers are expected to voice their demands to the Mayor, including:

• the need for tougher regulations to control spiralling rent prices which have been increasing by 13% per annum since 2010

• also the building of new affordable council houses rather than demolishing the ones which already exist to replace them with expensive private developments

• rent cuts as opposed to benefit cuts

• the need for decent pay and conditions for housing and care workers as well as calling for the abolition of the controversial bedroom tax.

Defend Council Housing, the South London People’s Assembly and Unite Housing Workers are behind the march.

Glyn Robbins of Defend Council Housing wrote in the Morning Star on 10 January:

“Nothing affects people’s daily lives more than housing. It’s hard to have a decent life without a decent home. But there is a chasm between the level of public concern and the ability, or willingness, of our political system to solve the housing crisis.”

                                                

At Poached Creative, we support the aims of the March for Homes. Many of our trainees and staff have been affected by the housing crisis and we recognise the urgent need for a solution.

Lately our colleague John Watts participated and reported on a similar march, in solidarity with 93 families from the New Era Estate in Hoxton. They were battling against eviction by $11bn US investor Westbrook Partners.

Fortunately, months of protests and campaigns paid off. The new owner was announced as Dolphin Living part of the Dolphin Square Foundation, a charity dedicated to providing affordable homes for low and middle income Londoners.

The campaign received high level of publicity and was an eye opener to the public who are starting to realise that unless a permanent solution is found to our fragile and vulnerable housing state of affairs, the problem will continue and expand. Ultimately it is us and future generations who will suffer the consequences of unaffordable housing.

To find out more about the march visit the march official webpage.

Two rallies, one cause

by John Watts

In this centenary of the Great War, rallies held at head office of St Mungo’s Broadway on the last day of the charity workers seven day strike and the New Era Estate Residents outside Westbrook Partners offices at the end of 2014 can be seen as minor events. But what will history say? 

Coalition Chancellor Osborne at London’s Royal Albert Hall had declared hostilities earlier: “You have to get out there and put the business argument. Because plenty of pressure groups, plenty of trade unions and plenty of charities will put the counter view. It is a difficult decision to put your head above the parapet, but that is the only way we are going to win this argument.”

The management of St Mungo's Broadway and Westbrook took him at his word and stuck their heads above the parapet. St Mungo's Broadway, following a recent merger, imposed changes to staff terms, with "retrospective consultation", announced their intention to stop negotiating with Unite union, cuts to pay and conditions including a £5,000 pay cut for new employees, and a £30,000 pay rise for the CEO.

Property firm Westbrook Partners bought the New Era Estate in Hoxton, home to 92 families with a 70 years history of affordable housing. House prices across London rose by 20% in that year with wages drastically failing to keep pace, and then Westbrook announced a massive TREBLE rent increase! The seven-day strike at St Mungo's Broadway had massive support from its workers, charities, clients, local councils and the labour movement as a whole. The threat of further industrial action, and the solidarity expressed for it, made St Mungo's Broadway management decide that it had stuck its head over the parapet long enough.

The rally by the New Era Estate residents and the handing in of the petition to Downing Street, attracted massive media attention helped by certain celebrities voicing their support for their cause, and the fact that 300,000 Londoners had signed the petition.

Westbrook, desperate to duck, sold out to Dolphin Square Foundation, a housing charity committed to, “a rent policy that is demonstrably fair and that decides rents on the basis of Londoners’ earnings rather than market values”.

Housing is on the front line of poverty in Britain, and London in particular. The charities know that Osborne’s ‘business argument’ is the root cause of the increased need for their services. The victories of St Mungo's Broadway workers and New Era Estate residents may be historical aberrations, or they just might be the beginning when these ‘vested interests’ turn the ‘business argument’ on to its hollow hypocritical head.

“HOMES FOR PLEBS!” The rallying cry rang out in front of Downing Street, and least we forget, for the time being is also home to Chancellor Osbourne, I wonder if he heard it?

Homeslessness organisations get a boost from Poached

by Yousif Farah

It’s been a busy year for Poached in 2014, not least because we’ve been able to work with a number of homelessness organisations through our collaborative projects.

Our latest collaboration will see us join forces with the Pavement magazine. The Pavement was founded in 2005 as a registered charity in response to the increasing need of a publication focused on homelessness and directed at those affected by it.

The magazine is concise and informative. It could be described as a rough sleeper’s A to Z, providing the reader with a list of day centres, soup kitchens and places to gather advice and assistance regarding housing.  It also has features on health, legal advice and an insider’s view of life in hostels. It also covers the journalistic aspects of homelessness through comprehensive coverage of the news from the streets, often dealing with topics neglected by the mainstream press.

Even though the publication relies on volunteers, they are highly trained and experienced journalists and homeless sector professionals, also among the volunteers are some of the country’s best cartoonists (many of them Private Eye contributors). Some of our own Big Issue online journalism trainees have contributed articles to The Pavement in recent months.

The Pavement is well established in London, Scotland and the West Midlands, with over 4,000 copies distributed to over 70 hostels, day centres, homeless surgeries, soup-runs and libraries in London alone.

Its sole purpose is to support people at times of crisis, aiming to make life that bit easier for homeless people through providing them with information that can both help reduce short-term hardship, as well as enable them to guide their own future. The Pavement relies entirely on donations by public, to donate or read more visit The Pavement.

As well as working with the Pavement, we got a welcome and rather unusual offer of support from the world of music.

When blues artists Mete Ege got in touch with Poached offering to donate the proceeds of his new single Ghosts of London to support our Big Issue online journalism training programme, we were thrilled to accept this unexpected yet generous offer! The song draws from Mete’s own experience of sleeping rough in the capital: “Knowing that the money from the sales will be used to train homeless people feels right. Everyone deserves a chance to break the vicious cycle.”

Finally, in October, we helped to promote a comedy gig to raise funds for the Hackney Winter Night Shelter, which provides rough sleepers in the borough with a bed for the night, a hot meal and a warm smile.  Headlined by Stewart Lee and compered by Daniel Kitson, A Belter for the Shelter was a huge success and our writer Martin was there to review it. 

Human Rights Day: a history

By Yousif Farah

Image from www.wfto.com 

As many countries mark a century since the start of World War I, we are all too aware that conflict comes at a cost. Not only in terms of the grave loss of human lives and the prolonged agony and suffering inflicted indiscriminately upon entire nations, but also the level of depravity shown by distorted human nature and the atrocities and cruelties committed against innocent people was on a different scale.

They were shocking enough to urge a world leaders meeting in Washington DC and a follow-up summit in San Francisco. The UN Charter included seven references to human rights and the significance of reserving these rights. This evolved into what we know today as the UDHR (Universal Declaration of Human Rights). The declaration was conceived on 10 December 1948, and from 1950, Human Rights Day was marked to commemorate this milestone.

UDHR played a persuasive role by inspiring more than 60 human rights instruments, constituting an international standard of human rights. The declaration is also accredited for the modern approach of codifying human rights ideas down into laws, including the European Convention on Human Rights.

This is mirrored in the UK through the Human Rights Act, which came into force on 2 October 2002. With all the infringements of human rights and the violations of liberties taking place around us, it has become increasingly important to recognise that day and the events which led to it, as from history one draws lessons for the present and the future.

The day is normally marked both by high-level political conferences and meetings and by cultural events and exhibitions dealing with human rights issues. In addition, it is traditionally on 10 December that the five-yearly United Nations Prize in the Field of Human Rights and Nobel Peace Prize are awarded.

Locally, at Poached Creative we have worked with charities and social enterprises assisting victims of social injustice. One of our first projects over five years ago involved work on a website for a healing community in north London – Room to Heal – for refugees who had suffered trauma through conflict and torture.

In an ideal world, we would have no need for Human Rights Day, but through exposing the atrocities and righting human wrongs, we slowly build a path for peace and understanding and recognising human rights will become part of our moral identity.