CLOSURE OF ANTI-POVERTY PROGRAMME COULD HAVE ‘DEVASTATING EFFECTS’
THE prospective closure of anti-poverty programme Communities First could have “devastating” effects, it has been warned. It was announced last month that the scheme, which has 52 clusters across Wales and aims to tackle poverty through a range of programmes available to children and adults, may be wound down.
But social sciences experts and those who have experienced firsthand the changes the initiative has made to their lives say phasing out the “life-changing” initiative could have major implications.
More than £300m has been spent on Communities First since it was launched in 2001 to help people in the most disadvantaged areas of the country.
Mother-of-three Ria Eccleshare, 33, said she went from being a fulltime mum to running her own reflexology business.
“I did the courses free of charge and now I have my own business,” said Ria, from Splott in Cardiff.
“If those courses weren’t available I could never have afforded going on a course. It has changed my life.
“Communities First offer something for everybody and it would be devastating if it wasn’t there any more.
“They offer extra-curricular clubs for children and it worries me if those children didn’t have those opportunities any more.
“In my children’s school they hold a homework club, sports clubs, and activities like cinema trips, which a lot of the children would never get to do otherwise.”
Su Wade, who manages the Communities First STAR Cluster covering Splott, Tremorfa, Adamsdown and Plasnewydd in the capital, said there were strong projects across Cardiff and throughout Wales.
She said they recognised the an- nouncement was a consultation exercise and they were committed to feeding into that consultation.
She added: “We are not averse to change but we want to ensure that what is working well is not lost.
“Services have been cut over the years and five years ago I would never have imagined there would be as much food poverty as there is now.
“It’s about giving people a hand
up, not a hand down, and there are real issues in communities at the moment.
“Community members have been devastated at the news it could go.
“One member told me what we have changes lives and saves lives and that’s very powerful to hear.
“If it goes people will feel the impact of that loss.”
Professors from Cardiff University’s Institute of Health and Well-being (CISHeW) say Communities First provides a lifeline for many people and claim change must be built on the programme’s strong foundations.
Dr Eva Elliott said: “Researchers from Cardiff University’s School of Social Sciences have worked alongside Communities First staff and community members not just to identify solutions to problems but also to make visible the incredible work that goes on under the radar to build confidence and develop skills to meet the demands that people face in these areas.
“While the Communities First programme may not have fulfilled government ministers’ rather over-optimistic ambitions for the eradication of pov- erty, and the experience of the programme across Wales has been uneven, there is much that could be lost.
“Of course the people of Wales deserve much more than a float to keep people’s heads above water and investments in good local jobs which pay at least a living wage should certainly be a key component of any anti-poverty action.
“If we want resilience we need to start with what is already there and we need to develop processes of consultation and engagement that will build the services that truly matter to people struggling with poverty and its effects in their communities.”
A Welsh Government spokesman said: “Although the Communities Secretary has said he is minded to phase out Communities First no final decision has been made.
“We are currently seeking views on this and how to engage, support and strengthen communities, and would urge anybody with an interest to have their say. It is too early to speculate on how any new approach might impact on particular areas.”