Churches go online to turn the spotlight on poverty

Churches in Paisley have a new online tool that allows anyone to see at a glance what their area looks like in terms of poverty.

All you have to do is enter a postcode.

Available through the ‘church finder’ on the Church of Scotland website, the tool is intended to help congregations understand and support their local communities.

It is based on the Scottish Government’s Index of Multiple Deprivation for 2016, and highlights a range of poverty figures connected to health, income, crime, education, employment, housing and access to amenities.

Rev Bob Mallinson, convener of the Kirk’s Priority Areas committee, said: “This is a great tool for any congregation who is serious about breaking down the divide between church and community and finding ways to be with local people – especially at the hardest edges.”

Anyone who uses he tool and enters the Paisley PA postcode will see a list of the churches in the area.

These include the ancient Paisley Abbey in the town centre, and St Ninian’s church in Ferguslie Park.

In a bid to make the statistics user friendly, the tool imagines the Paisley Abbey area as a village of 100 people.

In that case, it reveals nine would be income deprived and receive certain benefits or tax credits, compared to 14 in the entire Greenock & Paisley Presbytery area and 11 in Scotland.

Twenty- two would have been prescribed drugs for anxiety, depression or psychosis in the last year, compared to 19 in Greenock & Paisley Presbytery and 17 in Scotland.

There would have been 5.6 recorded crimes of violence, sexual offences, domestic housebreaking, vandalism, and drugs offences.

In Greenock & Paisley Presbytery there would be 3.4 and 2.4 in Scotland.

Three would be living in a household with no central heating, compared to two in Greenock & Paisley Presbytery and two in Scotland.

And it would take for minutes to drive to a retail centre and nine minutes to get there by public transport.

Out of 100 people of working age 17 would be out of work or unable to work and receive certain benefits.

This is compared to 13 in Greenock & Paisley Presbytery and nine in Scotland.

In the St Ninian’s Church area, where poverty is widespread, the statistics show that 29 people out of 100 would be income-deprived and receive certain benefits or tax credits.

A total of 21 would have been prescribed drugs for anxiety, depression or psychosis in the last year.

There would have been 10.2 recorded crimes of violence, sexual offences, domestic housebreaking, vandalism, drugs offences, and common assault.

Three would be living in a household with no central heating, and it would take four minutes to drive to a retail centre and 14 minutes to get there by public transport.

Out of 100 people of working age 25 would be out of work or unable to work and receive certain benefits.

Mr Mallinson says the tool can be used to start a discussion in kirk sessions and community gatherings and to encourage people to come together and agree on the best ways to meet local needs and aspirations.

Shirley Grieve, the Church of Scotland’s priority areas secretary, said priority areas congregations are challenging poverty in their communities every day.

“We encourage anyone who is interested in challenging poverty to contact us as our team is committed to working with anyone who is engaged in anti-poverty work,” she said.

“We want to share the learning and experience we have gained with the wider church.”

Vi s i t h t t p s : / / c o s . churchofscotland. org. uk/ church_ finder/ to use the tool.