Have you struggled with money? Ever experienced tough times or had to decide between heating and eating? Have you ever thought ‘why is it so hard to get help, to get answers, to find a way through the system?’

Hull’s Poverty Truth Commission are looking for people to take part in a 2-year project that brings together:

• People who know what poverty is like (Community Commissioners)
• People who are in positions of authority and decision-makers (Civic/Business Commissioners)

Together, these people are supported to meet, talk, learn, listen and find solutions that will make life easier for everyone in Hull who knows what it is like to struggle against poverty.

We have already held one of these Commissions, and you can find out how it went by watching the video below.

Is it for me?

If you have time to spare and want your voice to be heard, then we’d like to hear from you. You don’t need any special skills or knowledge, you just have to be prepared to talk about your experiences, and want things to be different – we will help you every step of the way. It’s not a one-off meeting, as we know that real change does not happen quickly. So you have to be prepared to come to meetings about once every two weeks to begin with, then about once a month. The whole project lasts about 18 months to 2 years.

What help do I get?

Every time you come to a meeting, we will pay for your transport, make sure there are good things to eat, and make sure you are safe and comfortable. If you are finding things difficult, we will be a listening ear. We cannot pay you to attend, but we can cover reasonable costs like having a carer to accompany you, or paying for taxis. If there are events you want to go to, or training you want to do that will help in your role, we can consider this.

What do people who have already done it think?

Our Community Commissioners from the first round of the project said:

• ‘I realised I have still got a voice’
• ‘People listened’
• ‘I made friends’
• ‘I felt like I was part of something’

What happens?

We start out by meeting in small groups, just Community Commissioners. We get to know each other, we talk and listen and drink cups of tea and eat biscuits. Then we start meeting with people who want to be Civic or Business Commissioners – this might be the Leader of Hull City Council, a manager from the Job Centre or the Chief Executive of a local company. We talk about the things that make poverty worse and decide together on what we want to focus on locally. Then we start planning a launch event, and you will get to be involved in that any way you want – by speaking, making a poem or a piece of art, or just listening.

After that, we get down to making change – talking about what could be better and agreeing how to tackle it together.

If you would like to chat to someone to find out more, please call our Lead Facilitator Sarah Hicks on 07548763853 or email her on [email protected]