The View From Wales
by Ian Mather
APNC Chair | UKCAP Vice Chair
November 2008
Over the last year the APNC (Anti-Poverty Network Cymru) has held a number of meetings to discuss the issues surrounding the eradication of poverty.
These meetings were held in Rhyl and were led by grass-root members from all over Wales. Rhyl has also been the site of a number of networking sessions aimed at bringing people from all over Wales together to share their experiences and give unity to their voice.
In February a focus group concerned with rural poverty in Wales was held, the results were sent to the Welsh Assembly Government for their Rural Poverty Development Committee.
The APNC then joined forces with Together Creating Communities for a meeting with the Welsh Assembly Government regarding the living wage. This meeting was successful and resulted in a further meeting where over half of the Assembly Members signed up to the Living Wage Campaign.
The APNC has continued to improve its links with the Welsh Assembly Government; this has resulted in strong lines of communication opening up between the WAG and the APNC. This is most apparent in the APNC’s involvement in two WAG consultations, firstly regarding Communities First and the second concerning Child Poverty.
The year has been rounded off with the APNC AGM followed by a successful Community Conference. This conference included a number of exceptional speakers from a number of varied organizations such as the Illegal Money Lending Unit, Together Creating Communities, Rhyl City-Strategy’s, UKCAP, Refugee Wales (whom the APNC continue to work in conjunction with via holding a poverty conference in Cardiff together), Sustainable Livelihoods and OXFAM. The delegates at the conference were also able to quiz Huw Lewis AM for Merthyr Tydfil, and who leads the WAG Child Poverty Strategy. Entertainment was provided by the drummers from the Love Africa performance group.
The participatory theme was upheld via workshops covering issues surrounding Migrant and Refugee integration, the Living Wage and participatory budgeting, making ends meet, sustainable livelihoods, and illegal money lending. These topics stimulated really debate and provided a great environment for people to share there own experiences and support.
Harry Cartmill
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