Compassion Acts
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Local Voices

An introduction to our campaign

The cost of living crisis is having an impact on all of us. With higher costs for food, energy, rent, mortgage to name a few essential bills, people across the UK are feeling the biggest squeeze on incomes in a generation.

For those already struggling financially, the cost of living crisis means having to make difficult choices. These are just a few stories people have shared with us:

Heating our home, not on means tested benefits so as we both have severe health conditions we need heating on more.

Anonymous

Price of food has massively increased making it difficult to provide full months worth of food. Money coming in is not enough with rise in bills to see us through the month. This is even just for basics.

Amy

I’m a single parent to 3 children, one with ADHD/ASD and requires a lot of attention. I work but due to personal health and my daughter, I can’t work any more hours. I have nothing left after bills. I miss some bills some months to pay for food and live.

Anonymous

I am struggling to live off UC money. This is my 4th visit to the foodbank.

Anonymous

Fuel and food costs so are so high, I can’t afford food and am now in debt. There’s no help towards costs, lease or mortgage.

It’s impossible to survive.

We decided enough is enough! And so, Local Voices was born. A passionate group determined to be the voice of change for our community. We are real people with real stories.

Our mission: To capture local voices through listening to our neighbours. To demand solutions that work for everyone by challenging decisions that impact negatively on our lives. To build a Local Voices movement that calls for fairness and accountability for all of us across our community.

Local Voices is a project with funding from the Trussell Trust and sits within Compassion Acts charity here in Southport.

What's next?

We are engaging with our local community here in North Sefton and across the border in West Lancashire to capture the stories (the ‘Voice’) of our neighbours. We are doing this by:

  • Hosting Community Conversations for our neighbours to tell us about their sacrifices and experiences during the cost of living crisis.
  • Visiting foodbanks, pantries and community markets and asking those in significant financial hardship about their experiences.
  • Campaigning for change through lobbying Councillors and MP’s and using various approaches such as ‘Craftivism’ (campaigning using creative media) bringing life to our Local Voices.
  • Building a network of Campaign Partners to help us host Community Conversations and promote Local Voices across media channels.
  • Working on issues that will make a change for the better across our community, especially for those who are in financial hardship.
  • Asking for your help: Together we can make our Local Voices heard, acknowledged, and taken seriously.

How can I help?

If you are passionate about driving change and want to use your Voice as a force for good, there are various ways you can help:

  • Become a Community Champion Volunteer and bring your time and skills to the various campaigning activities.
  • Become a Campaign Partner. Your organisation can help us to promote Local Voices and host Community Conversations.
  • Share your story about how the cost of living is impacting you.
    • You can send us your written story.
    • Join up to one of our Community Conversations.
    • Join one of the Community Conversation Craft sessions. Expressing your Voice through art & craft – click here to see our upcoming events.
  • Donate to our efforts.

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