Poverty is a political choice.
On Day 2 of Challenge Poverty Week, First Minister John Swinney MSP heard first-hand from people with lived experience of life on low incomes.
Terry McTernan from Paisley, Gordon Jamieson from Dundee, Lydia Gitamvu from Glasgow, Kirsty Ngala from near Huntly, and Angie Bird from Argyll highlighted some of the ways they believe things can be made better. Discussions focused on barriers to work, cuts to public services, stigma and prejudice, and the need to strengthen our social security system.
We wanted to highlight this fantastic film for Challenge Poverty Week, produced by volunteers at the Station House Media Unit (shmu).
In it, Angie and Freya brilliantly highlight the injustices that make women more likely to be pushed into poverty - especially a social security system that doesn't give people a stable foundation to build a decent life for themselves and their households.
They also shine a light on the way that prejudice and finger-pointing takes its toll on people's self-esteem and mental wellbeing.
Poverty Alliance members Morton in the Community are the charitable trust that works alongside Greenock's famous Morton Football Club.
They run several community programmes across sport, education, employability, and health - and during Challenge Poverty Week they've been asking participants to donate to a club food bank collection.
All the donations will go to Inverclyde Food Bank to help ensure supplies available for local people who are facing destitution due to not getting enough from work to meet the bills, and inadequate support from our shared social security system.
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