Challenge Poverty Week 2021, a campaign by the Poverty Alliance, runs between 4th-10th October.

The SCSN is pleased to support Challenge Poverty Week. We believe that tackling poverty is central to building safer communities. We absolutely stand behind the key messages of Challenge Poverty Week, which are:

  • Too many people in our society are locked in the grip of poverty, restricted from playing a full role in society.  
  • But in Scotland, we all agree that poverty can, and must, be solved.  
  • By redesigning our economy to reflect our shared values of justice and compassion, we can unlock poverty’s grip.   
  • Action must be taken to boost people’s incomes, reduce the cost of living, and create the just and green Scotland we all want to see.     

The links between poverty and numerous social problems are clear. Poverty, and especially childhood poverty, increases the likelihood of people falling behind in education, experiencing stress/trauma, developing mental and physical health problems and experiencing issues with substance use and/or addiction.

Poverty and multiple deprivation are also strongly linked with an increased likelihood of anti-social behaviour, violence and other crime – by creating the environmental circumstances that make it less likely people will be able to regulate their emotions and behaviour and limiting their life chances and social capital.

Communities where everyone lives or grows up in such a way that they can lead healthier and happier lives are essential in order to help prevent violent crime, anti-social behaviour, substance use problems and the other social issues which make people feel unsafe. This is why we themed our last newsletter on ‘Poverty and Community Safety’, as well as focussing on poverty in our 2021 Manifesto for the Scottish Parliament elections.

If you missed our last newsletter, you may want to check out the guest articles on ‘Poverty and Community Safety’ by Niven Rennie, Director of the Violence Reduction Unit – and ‘Poverty and Scotland’s Drug Deaths Crisis’ by Austin Smith, Policy Officer at the Scottish Drugs Forum.

You may also want to check out our YouTube interview with SallyAnn Kelly, Chief Executive of the Aberlour Childcare Trust.

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