Passing the baton

New group will take forward the work of fairness commission

A NEW group will see people from communities in Dundee work towards making the city fairer.

The Dundee Fairness Commission looked at the issues of inequality and poverty facing people in the city.

Now a group made up of people with personal experiences of poverty and others in senior positions within the city will take over. Together, they will speak out to improve Dundee.

Chairman of the fairness commission, Jimmy Black, led the handing over ceremony at City Square to the new community commissioners.

Mr Black said: “This signals the start of a new stage in the fairness conversation, one that will involve people from local communities influencing change through their experiences and ideas.

“The people who made a lasting impression on the fairness commission were homeless, unemployed, disabled, or family carers.

“I’m delighted the new group will be led by people with real life experience.

“I urge them to ensure Fairness commission chairman Jimmy Black the city delivers on all the recommendations we made.

Their stories are too powerful for decision-makers to ignore.”

The process will be facilitated by Faith in Community Dundee, in partnership with Dundee City Council and the social justice and regeneration division of the Scottish Government.

Gavin Jenkins, a community commissioner on the new group, said: “It’s good because it’s making a bridge between people who are being sanctioned and the people doing the sanctioning.

“There’s a chance for communication to happen, for decisionmakers to understand the impact of their decisions.”

The Dundee Partnership and Scottish Government are jointly funding the project.

During 2015 to 2016, the fairness commission produced a report with 56 key recommendations for change.

At the same time the Scottish Government conducted consultations as to what would make the country fairer and produced its own report.

Pictured is Jimmy Black with some of the community commissioners.