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The
title Punished by Poverty in the North East? was
provocative and stimulated excellent presentations.
Jenny Spivey,
Northern Region Chairman, welcomed delegates and introduced Baroness
Margaret Prosser of Battersea, OBE, Chair of the first
session, who described her own rise through the trade
unions. She
was then Chair of the Women’s National Commission.
The first speaker, Pauline
Beaumont, Chief Executive of Culture North East, gave an
overview of the North East today, stressing that education
was the key to success.
The Revd David
Peel, of the Cedarwood Trust, talked about his long
commitment to the Meadow Well area, giving some hard hitting
facts about bringing up a child on £67 a fortnight.
Why must it cost so much more to supply energy via an
electric or gas meter to those in need of comfort, than to
the affluent who pay by direct debit?
The second session was chaired by Hilary
Gilbertson MBE, a farmer and JP with much experience of
the courts. She
introduced the Assistant Chief Constable, Michael
Banks, who stressed that poverty does not mean
criminality but that all too often criminality had its roots
in poverty, unemployment, debt and homelessness.
Judge Judith
Moir, gave us statistics which were truly shocking
including the fact that on average a woman is attacked in
her home thirty five times before she seeks help.
Elaine Lumley, who has worked for twenty two years in the probation
service, described how the criminal justice service impacts
on victims and witnesses.
She wanted the public to become more aware of the
work of the system which contributes to making the community
a safer place to live and work.
As the President, Amy Gibbs, said later in her vote of
thanks, NCW always invites workers at the ‘sharp end’ to
contribute. The
third session was chaired by Lord
Tom Burlinson, DL.
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He had begun his career as a panel
beater and footballer, later becoming Deputy General
Secretary of the General Municipal and Boilermaker’s
Union
. He
introduced two head teachers, illustrating on one hand
poverty of experience and on the other poverty of
expectation. Dame
Mary MacDonald, swept us along, talking about her own
childhood which had given her an understanding of the
problems that her pupils face today.
Her compassion and enthusiasm have turned a failing
school into one of the best in the country.
Carole
Connelly, from
Upper Teesdale
and what must be the smallest school in the country, showed
us as her opening slide, a “cottage” in a vast green
space which is the school for thirteen children.
A remark by a schools inspector that ‘the children
in this school were unaware that
Britain
was a multi-cultural society’ sparked a remarkable chain
of events leading to international links and teacher
exchanges with many European countries.
Stephanie Hunter, a co-ordinator of Children’s Services
working in
Darlington
, brought with her two ‘looked after’ lads and a display
of inspiring art work done by young people.
The boys were also involved with making a film of the
conference. The
two boys impressed us all when they spoke to the whole
conference about how it felt to be leaving care at sixteen
and starting life on their own.
Would they get jobs they could keep?
Would they find homes and be able to keep them?
Would they have friends? Would
they always be moving on?
Who would they relate to?
Punished by Poverty in the
North East?
What do you think?
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