J+ Voices: Short Report #3
Have you ever wondered how people who come to your social action projects really feel as they walk through the door? We all hope we are welcoming, and we work hard to try to remove any shame or embarrassment, but are there ways in which we are unwittingly causing people to feel uncomfortable?
If you’ve ever wanted to know what people coming to your projects really think, you might be interested in Jubilee+ Voices.
Jubilee+ Voices is an advisory group made up of people living on the lowest incomes. The purpose of the group is to hear about people’s experiences of church-based social action and regular church activities, so that we can listen, learn and share lessons with churches across the UK.
These voices matter, and our hope is that those who have lived with the impact of poverty will shape our work at Jubilee+ and the work of local churches, so that together we break some barriers and bring change.
Our third advisory group recently gathered in Bracknell and, at the bottom of this post, you can download a short report summarising their feedback and recommendations.
One theme that emerged from discussions together (which we're giving plenty of thought to!) is how Voice groups could be replicated at a local level. Over the past year we've seen up close how empowering it is to create a setting where people's voices and viewpoints can be heard, and how - by integrating these insights - our social action projects could be more effective tools for change.
Other suggestions from participants included the importance of focussing on young people at risk of deprivation, and better communicating specific support available (which relates to another recommendation for more joint-working between churches and denominations).
Finally, the group was keen to encourage churches and leaders to meaningfully connect with the work of 31:8 (a Christian safeguarding charity) as well as Restored UK so that they are ready and able to effectively support survivors of domestic abuse.
To read more key findings please feel free to download the short report below.
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Rosie Hopley, who leads Jubilee+ Voices, will be writing a more lengthy final report summarising her findings over the summer period. This is due for release in early Autumn 2023.
