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Cost of Living Crisis

19/5/2022

There seems to be an avalanche of bad news about the cost of living at the moment, with even the Bank of England Governor calling food price rises 'apocalyptic'.

Here at Compassion Acts we saw the 'early warning signs' of this several months ago. Although the war in Ukraine has added to the severity of the food supply situation, it is a problem that has been coming for some time. Inflationary pressures on food prices and the worrying international news have reduced the amount of donations since the beginning of the year.

We have also seen an increase in Foodbank use (39% increase in April 22 compared with April 2021) and in the numbers coming forward for our Debt Advice, Fuel Bank and Benefits Advice.

"Its necessary for us to be realistic" says Richard Owens, CEO of the charity "the pressures on us in coming months are going to be intense and we need to plan. We will be here for people for their debts, benefits and food emergencies and especially we now have 5 Food Pantries across the area so our food supplies need to match demand. We intend to be smarter in how we manage food supplies and it is likely to include some bulk purchases and corporate partnerships."

Considering the gravity of the situation, staff, trustees and volunteers met this week for a Food Supplies Workshop, looking at how things are currently and what needs to change if we are to address the issue. Some of the suggestions:

to encourage our donors to order from their online supermarket and arrange delivery to us here. Contact us to arrange the best time for dropoff.
to engage with our churches and large employers to identify a single affordable item to bring in for collection each week in June this year for our Midsummer Campaign.

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Impact Report 2021

27/4/2022

A video exploring some of what we achieved as a charity in 2021 and also looking forward.

With thanks to our friends at The Community Church for this film.

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Ukraine Welcome Centre

25/4/2022

Overview
Compassion Acts will be acting as a coordinator for various strands of support from the voluntary and faith sector in our area. Ensuring that any provision is mindful of safeguarding policies and procedures and that donations and other activities are auditable under a registered charity number 1172948. We are partnering with Sefton CVS, Sefton Council, Sefton Carers Centre, Free Clothes Store at Lakeside Church, Living Well Sefton and other partners are coming on board all the time.
There will be strong collaboration with the Ukraine Welcome Centre, South Sefton and people in North Sefton are at liberty to access the services from the Centre in Blundelsands alongside our own if it meets their needs.

Are you a host in North Sefton?
It would be really useful if you could email us on hello@compassionacts.uk . Please tell us where you are geographically and at what stage of matching you are at. We can then invite you to events and keep in touch with you.

Drop In Session
Starting on Thursday 28th April 2022 from 2pm to 4pm for hosts, guests and potential supporters at Victoria Centre. (Free car park and accessible by public transport.)
Free and fast wifi for contacting home, IT equipment, refreshments, benefits advice, vouchers, contact with agencies, food and toiletry bags, free clothes store

Other support and developments in phase 2
There are many ways in which the project can be expanded to include language classes, social events, skills courses, group support for hosts, trauma counselling and more However the priority at the moment is to launch in a single venue that the guests can get used to and build their confidence. We can then expand to other venues, including in the Ainsdale/Woodvale/Formby area as we appreciate that journey times are a factor.

How can you help?
If you are a church, community group, business or family who want to help then that is most appreciated. At this stage we are listening to the guests to find out what foods and other items they most need. We are sure you will understand that this is far better than handing out unsuitable items.
We will make public appeals for specific items for these welcome bags as soon as these conversations have happened. Watch our social media and that of our partners for more information.
International Aid Trust continue to collect much needed items for Ukraine itself (and neighbouring refugee centres in Poland etc) and these can be dropped at Lakeside Church between Tues & Fri 9-4.
Volunteers are welcomed for the Ukraine Welcome Centre. Our volunteer application form can be found on www.compassionacts.uk
If you feel you have some ideas for providing some support or activities for our Ukrainian guests then do not hesitate to summarise your offer and email Toni on hello@compassionacts.uk

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Easter Greetings

17/4/2022

I'd like to take this opportunity to wish all our staff, trustees, volunteers, partner agencies and supporters a very Happy Easter.

I've been thinking a bit about how central the garden is to the Easter story. For followers of Jesus this has been the most holy week of the year. Holy not as in super-spiritual and other worldly. More like a because the central drama of the betrayal, trial, cruxifiction and burial of Jesus is like that of a loved one, a friend and a mentor. Very human. It was in Gethsemene, that real tears were shed and Calvary that real blood was spilt. Its impossible to not reflect on the trials and tribulations in our own families and the world. Many of us have wrestled with grief and agony that is almost impossible to bear. Its torture, we say. And yet like a garden springing into life after its visual 'death' in winter, if we have eyes to see then victories are happening - however gradual at first.

As a charity we are so blessed to be involved with helping people with the little victories in their lives. Progress, rather than some artificial 'perfection'.

Early on the Sunday it was again in a garden that this was all put right. Where people were met in their grief and anguish by the risen Christ - but not as they knew him before as a Nazarene wandering preacher getting into trouble with the establishment, now in a new way available for anyone who needs Him.

And now in our society, for those often without a Christian faith now, or just the traces of it, the prospect of a 4 day weekend and expectation of better weather ahead is on many peoples' minds. Perhaps as a totally understandable welcome relief from the stress of the cost of living crisis and unrelenting destruction of precious human lives in Ukraine!

The garden of tears and the agony (at times) has not gone away and is a fundamental truth we cannot escape. However there is good news. There's a popular meme/saying that all will be ok in the end and if it is not yet ok, then its not the end. That could be our Easter reflection for this coming Springtime.

Its the first time in a while that both Passover and Ramadan have shared this season so to our colleagues and friends in those traditions may you also experience peace and togetherness in your families at this special time.

Every good wish,
Richard
..............................
Richard Owens
CEO

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Thank you Allan!

4/4/2022

We would like to take this opportunity to express our sincere gratitude to Allan Salisbury MBE for his two years’ service as Chair of our Board of Trustees and previously as Executive Director in our earlier years. During this time the charity has faced many challenges but has continued to go from strength to strength under Allan’s governance.

Allan will remain on our board but the role of Chair will pass to Dr Dympna Edwards. Dympna brings a wealth of experience not only from the charity sector but from the public sector, having previously worked as a Director of Public Health and a Local Authority Assistant Director. Dympna has been instrumental in setting up our Formby Food Pantry and is well known locally as a trustee of Formby Pool Trust, Formby Befriending Scheme and Churches Together in Formby, Altcar & Hightown. We wish her all the best in her new role!

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Birkdale Pantry Official Opening

3/3/2022

Tuesday marked the official opening of our fifth branch of Southport Food Pantry, based at Liverpool Road Methodist Church in Birkdale.

The Pantry was officially opened by Mayor of Sefton Cllr Clare Carragher who commented it was her first visit to a Food Pantry and was “really impressed” by the scale of the project and its obvious sense of kindness and support.

Also in attendance were funders the LFC Foundation and other local leaders.

Already a friendly group of members have started attending the Birkdale Food Pantry each Wednesday morning. A woman in her 50’s with a complex family situation, praises the project saying “The staff are all so helpful and make us feel welcome. If you are in this position do not hesitate to become a Pantry member because its all about making your own choices and looking after yourself better”.

Southport Food Pantry is a weekly food club where members can shop at significantly discounted rates. Prioritising dignity and choice, our aim is to support people who may be ‘just about managing’ or at risk of struggling financially. In addition to savings on food and other essentials, members are offered help with wider issues they might be facing such as with benefits or debt, as well as signposting to other specialist services. There is also a social aspect, as members are given an opportunity to catch up with each other and with volunteers over a hot drink.

In addition to the new Birkdale location, there are pantries in Banks, High Park, Southport Town Centre and Formby.

Anyone interested in joining Southport Food Pantry at any of its locations can contact Compassion Acts on 01704 264505 or visit compassionacts.uk/pantry

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The Weary World Rejoices

22/12/2021

Credit:Zach Lucero, Unsplash

In the increasingly popular carol, O Holy Night, there is a line that has been resonating with me as we prepare for our second 'pandemic Christmas'....."The thrill of hope, the weary world rejoices"

"Exhausted", is how most people respond when asked how are you doing nowadays.

Weary of the lockdowns, the injustices, the double standards, bereavements, the insecurity and uncertainty.

Weary that in 2021, despite our best efforts to maximise income for people through our benefit/debt advice there is still need for emergency Foodbank use in our society.

However........

When I think of our staff and volunteers and the sacrifices they have made this year, my weary heart rejoices a little.
When I think of the new areas we are working in - the counselling, next steps, the work in schools and with families in the holidays, then my weary heart is beginning to recover.
When I think of the extra mile we have been able to go with people my heart rejoices a little : sorting out fuel emergencies or through the new weekly Food Pantries we have set up in 2021; then my weary heart is expectant of better things to come.
The 'thrill of hope' is what I see in the faces of the people who have received our Christmas hampers this week or the emergency cases of homelessness or with domestic violence survivors.

We can do these things only because of our donors. You are amazing people of HOPE. Its one of the defences we have against overwhelming weariness. There are too many to thank personally, but this year hundreds of individuals and organisations who have been so generous. It is our funding relationships with schools, businesses and trusts, that has enabled us to put in place an ambitious strategy to not just treat the symptoms of poverty- but to work on its causes too.

This year has seen us move to our own premises which is very exciting and we expect to welcome even more of you into this space for workshops, courses and events in 2022. The New Year will see some new preventative projects announced and of course we will continue to meet the needs of people as they arise.

For those of us of Christian faith there is the chance to once again connect with the amazing truth that God dignifies the human condition so much that God became 'flesh' and Christ was born not in an exalted place, but in the poverty and chaos of a 'weary world'. Thank you to the churches who host one of our projects or support us in another way.

For everyone, of any faith or none, however you 'do' Christmas - I trust that there can be a moment somewhere in the festivities where we can draw a line under the weariness of a pretty tough year, and find some strength to start a kinder more humane New Year.

That is certainly my wish for you all as we, together, journey though this 'weary world'.

To all our staff, volunteers, trustees, donors, supporters, referral partners, service users, clients and members : may I wish you a very Happy Christmas.

Keep safe and keep in touch with us in the New Year.

Richard Owens
Chief Executive, Compassion Acts

Reg. Charity 1172948

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Living Wage Week

15/11/2021

This week is Living Wage Week. Compassion Acts are proud to be a Living Wage Employer; one of almost 9000 employers in the UK to be accredited by the Living Wage Foundation.

The Living Wage campaign is an independent movement of businesses, organisations and people who believe a hard day’s work deserves a fair day’s pay. Employers choose to pay the Real Living Wage on a voluntary basis and it provides an ethical benchmark for responsible pay.

The campaign for a Living Wage was launched by members of London Citizens in 2001. Parents in East London found that despite working on two or more minimum wage jobs they were struggling to make ends meet, and were left with no time for community and family life. This is also a trend we see borne out in our local area. The campaign is an example of how civil society, businesses and organisations can work together to tackle in-work poverty. It enjoys cross party support with public backing from successive Metropolitan Mayors and MPs across the UK, including First Ministers in Wales and Scotland.

The ‘Real Living Wage’ is independently calculated based on what employees and their families need to live. This is why it’s higher than the government minimum wage, somewhat confusingly rebranded as the ‘National Living Wage’. Employers voluntarily choose to pay it - changing people’s lives right now. It applies to all workers over 18 - recognising that young people have the same living costs as everyone else.

Compassion Acts Chief Executive Richard Owens comments “Our greatest asset as a small charity is our workforce. Colleagues who go above and beyond each week to help our service users. We are also committed to reducing poverty in society as a whole here in the Southport area, where many people struggle on below average wages. One of the ways that will be done is through increasing financial security- a Real Living Wage is part of that. So as a local employer too, we can do our bit.”

The campaign for a real Living Wage has now delivered more than £1.5billion in extra wages to workers since it began in 2001 and has lifted over 260,000 people out of in-work poverty.

Find out more and become a Living Wage employer today - Living Wage Foundation | For the real cost of living

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Tesco Community Grant

5/11/2021

We are thrilled to have been awarded £1000 from the Tesco Community Grant for our Formby Food Pantry. Shoppers in the Formby Tesco voted for our project alongside two others in the area. Our Pantries are run by volunteers and rely on donations to stock the shelves.

Our Pantry Co-Ordinator, Vicki, says "It's amazing the support received by Tesco and it's shoppers !! We are so excited to expand the charity into the Formby area and this donation enables us to reach the wider community. Thank you so much."

Lead volunteer, Dympna, adds "It is great news about the Tesco grant. I know that there is a lot of goodwill towards the pantry locally."

Formby Food Pantry, which is in partnership with Churches Together in Formby, Altcar & Hightown, is for anyone who is just about managing financially. For just £5 per week, members get to choose from a range of products and get at least £20 worth of food and other essentials. Anyone who is not sure whether Food Pantry might be for them is encouraged to get in touch. Here's what some existing members have to say to us about the Pantry...

"Honestly the Food Pantry is helping so much."

"Thank you all. You have been so supportive and friendly."

find out more or refer into our pantries

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Christmas Hamper Appeal 2021

1/11/2021

Today we launch our Christmas Hamper Appeal for 2021, which aims to support those in our local communities who may be struggling over the festive period.

Members of the public, local businesses and organisations are invited to fill a hamper with festive treats and gifts. These will then be passed on to individuals and families known to us through our foodbanks, food pantries and other projects.

Our Chief Executive, Richard, says “We are so looking forward to being able to bring some Christmas cheer to our clients at the end of what’s been a very difficult year. And we know how generous the people of Southport and the surrounding areas can be, especially around this time.”

Boxes can be collected from Victoria Centre on Sussex Road from November 1st. There is an optional donation of £1 to contribute towards the cost of the boxes themselves, which are also kindly sponsored by Southport Rotary Club. The boxes will come with a list of items, so we can ensure everyone receives a similar hamper.

The deadline for returning filled hampers is Friday 10th December. This is to allow enough time for them to be checked and distributed in time for Christmas. For all enquiries or to arrange collection of a box, please contact office@compassionacts.uk or 01704 264505.

Thank you so much in advance for your support and generosity!

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it takes more than food to end poverty.

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READ

Cost of Living Crisis

Impact Report 2021

Ukraine Welcome Centre

Easter Greetings

Thank you Allan!

Birkdale Pantry Official Opening

The Weary World Rejoices

Living Wage Week

Tesco Community Grant

Christmas Hamper Appeal 2021

it takes more than food to end poverty.

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READ

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