A woman cycling through a Scottish town.

People see cycling as a way to save money during the cost-of-living crisis

Mark McIntyre, Media & Communications Officer, Cycling Scotland Read Cycling Scotland’s full 2022 Cycling Attitudes & Behaviours research In early December, Cycling Scotland released our annual Attitudes and Behaviours Towards Cycling in Scotland Report 2022. Now in its fourth wave, this annual research with more than 1,000 people across Scotland, gives us a regular snapshot … Read more

Lydia Murphy of the Poverty Alliance hosing a Rights In Action workshop.

Governments must keep their human rights promises

Lydia MurphyDevelopment Officer, Poverty Alliance At the Poverty Alliance, we believe that poverty is a denial of fundamental human rights. Our Rights in Action project aims to raise awareness of Economic, Social and Cultural Rights and how they can be used as a tool to fight against poverty. Economic, social and cultural rights are those … Read more

Poverty and Inequality Commission Logo

Urgent action needed to help households weather the cost-of-living storm

by Bill Scott, Chair, Poverty and Inequality Commission As Poverty Alliance members well know the UK is currently facing a cost of living crisis that threatens the health and wellbeing of the population. The Poverty & Inequality Commission believes that this crisis needs an emergency response of the same scale and urgency as the COVID-19 … Read more

Guest blog – Sustrans Scotland offers support for active travel in marginalised communities

Sustrans Scotland has launched a support service to help third sector organisations encourage walking, wheeling and cycling in marginalised communities The benefits of walking and cycling for more everyday journeys are well documented – a 2017 study showed that regularly cycling to work reduced the incidence of cancer by 45% and heart disease by 46%.  However, … Read more

An older person at home

Member blog: Time to talk about pensioner poverty

Scotland Policy and Public Affairs Manager at Independent Age, Debbie Horne, sets out why tackling pensioner poverty must be a priority. For months now we’ve seen headlines about the spiraling cost of living, which is having a devastating impact on people’s ability to get by. But as many of us know, struggling to afford essentials … Read more

Poverty is a human rights failure

Rights in Action: Why are we thinking about poverty and human rights? 

At the Poverty Alliance, we have long favoured taking a human rights approach to our anti-poverty work.  Fundamentally, human rights are about ensuring that we are all able to lead dignified lives. Poverty can strip people of their dignity and is a human rights failure, stopping people from being able to access their human rights.  … Read more

PhD opportunity to explore poverty and mental health

The Poverty Alliance is delighted to be collaborating with Strathclyde Centre for Health Policy, Edinburgh Health and Social Care Partnership, The UK Mental Health Foundation and New York University Silver School of Social Work on this PhD opportunity. Poverty and Mental Health The PhD at Strathclyde will examine the role that community based organisations can … Read more

Blog: Anas Sarwar, Leader of Scottish Labour

Challenge Poverty Week has come at a grimly apt time this year, with the shameful cut to Universal Credit kicking in later this week and the most severe cost of living crisis in years looming. This is a stark reminder of how much work there is to do – but it must also be a … Read more

Blog: Lorna Slater, Co-Leader of the Scottish Greens

Challenge Poverty week comes at a time when far too many people are experiencing a perfect storm of austerity and cuts. Fuel prices are surging at the same time as National Insurance costs are increasing, and furlough support is ending. To make matters worse, the UK government is choosing this moment to cut Universal Credit payments by over £1000 a year.  Almost every day I hear from constituents who are feeling stretched. They can see … Read more

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