DFFF Update July 2023 - March 2024

We haven’t posted on the blog in a while, but that doesn’t mean we haven’t been busy!! We could write pages and pages of all the things we’ve been up to for the past 9 months, but we thought we would just give you some highlights…

A couple of highlights from autumn/winter last year were:

• Several members led a interactive session which explored the key issues that trap people in poverty and how Covid and the Cost of Living Crisis has disproportionately impacted people already in this situation. They presented this session to the St Pauls Cathedral Poverty Forum which brought together different faith communities to discuss how the Cost of Living has been impacting our community and the roles that faith communities can play.

• We co-hosted the second annual Fairness Leadership Panel. This conference helped the Fairness Leadership Panel share key issues the Panel has focused on over the past year and hear from a cross section of sectors about current issues and concerns. This helps the Panel as they set priorities for the year ahead.
  

At the 2023 conference there were representatives from local communities; the Council; NHS and Public Health; Police; Leisure and Culture; further education; Scottish Government; third sector organisations; housing; neighbouring Councils; Faith communities; the Arts. We were also joined by representatives from 3 national poverty and inequality research and policy institutes - Joseph Rowntree Foundation, The Scottish Poverty and Inequality Research Unit, Poverty Alliance; and also the national funder, The Robertson Trust.

A couple highlights from the past 3 months:

• We have been fighting for a fairer debt recovery process in Dundee. We have heard from the community that:

• Cost of Living as pushed more people into debt,

• Working out payment plans is really confusing and frustrating,

• Historic debt is making it that much harder to afford current debts and things like food, fuel, bills.
  

DFFF have been working with the Council’s Head of Customer Services & I.T., the Senior Manager of Council Advice Services, & the Service Manager for Customer Services/Corporate Debt on how the Council can improve its debt recovery systems.  DFFF have asked 9 things of them. The above manager and leads have agreed to put a working plan and timeline together incorporating all 9 asks.

• We’re also excited that the Fairness Leadership Panel has decided on 3 areas of focus for the next year: Housing, Mental Health & Isolation, and Support for Third Sector Staff & Volunteers. We came to these themes on the back of the project visits from last year and discussions from the Conference.
  

This will be another exciting year ahead for both Dundee Fighting For Fairness and for the Fairness Leadership Panel so watch this space.