MP Mary Glindon column: Actions by the church to tackle ongoing cost of living crisis welcomed

The scale of the crisis is appalling. The proportion of working households in the UK classified as in poverty is higher than ever.

The number of children in poverty in Newcastle is 42% - the highest rate anywhere in Britain. In North Shields it’s more than 50% and still rising.

I am pleased that Church Action on Poverty North East is organising an event for Poverty Action Sunday.

The church can keep the door open and work in partnership with those who are doing the same as they support people during the crisis.

Their event is at St Cuthbert’s Church, Albion Road West, North Shields, this Sunday (February 19) at 3pm for an hour.

It will combine prayer, shared experience, song, prayer, music, and poetry to acknowledge the grim reality of those struggling during this crisis.

We will hear speakers from the Bay Food Bank, Gateshead Poverty Truth Commission, The Baby Bank from St John’s Church of England, Percy Main, North Shields, Shiremoor Savers, Fair Fares, and the refugee campaign group Together We Can. I will also speak.

I am going, as a Christian myself, to support the church’s conviction that poverty destroys people’s deep sense of dignity, agency, and power and to help restore these.

I fully agree with them that when these essential aspects of a person’s humanity are damaged we should address these symptoms and the causes of this sad erosion of too many people’s worth and value.

For more information, please contact Fr Chris Hughes, on 0191 2575 801 or at [email protected]