I am delighted to be here today as Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland at the launch of Give Me Five: The Child Benefit Top-Up campaign.
I don’t know whether to be angry or sad that as part of a wealthy and prosperous nation we are here to campaign to enable our children to live in a fairer and more just society, and to grow up without poverty.
Poverty exists in Scotland and it affects all of us – children, families, society and the economy. It is a political, social and moral imperative that that we act now to implement solutions that will change not only the present but also the future.
The Give Me Five campaign is asking the Scottish Government to use its new powers to add £5 every week on to the Child Benefit received for every child in Scotland.
There is no lack of money, food or love in Scotland – but there is a lack of desire to share the wealth that we have more equitably, and it is our children that are paying the price of this choice. By ignoring the weak and vulnerable – in our lives and in our communities – we are failing to tackle this inequality.
One in four children in Scotland experiences the anguish and stress that comes from the inability to pay for nutritious meals, clothing or school trips. Families on low incomes struggle as they try to do their best for their children. This one measure would boost family income and improve the life chances of children – with the potential to lift 30,000 children out of poverty.
What the Church believes
God is the great comforter, the friend to those in need. The Church of Scotland also believes in a God of justice: a God who speaks out for the disadvantaged and the left behind and the ignored and the voiceless.
God, in the pages of the Bible, through the challenges of the prophets, and through the teaching of Jesus, encourages Christians to act for justice as well as to show compassion and live generously. Jesus brought children into the heart of His teaching and experience.
The Church of Scotland, along with its ecumenical and other faith partners, will continue to work to eradicate the causes as well as the symptoms of poverty.
What the Church is doing
The Church of Scotland is committed to the physical and spiritual wellbeing of the people of Scotland.
The Church and Society Council of the Church launched a consultation in 2015 asking people how they would build a fairer, more equal and more just vision of Scotland. Over 10,000 people responded from across the country, and the responses form the basis of what the council now works to achieve. One of the clear themes to emerge from this process was the desire to invest in young people and it is committed to do this in many ways.
The Church has an established history of investing in young people through formal structures such as Scotland’s education system. Through the National Youth Assembly, the Church seeks to give a platform and a voice to 17-25 year olds.
At a local level, church congregations deliver youth groups and Sunday schools, and the Church’s ‘Go For It’ fund which was set up to fund change in church and community nationally – supports many projects working with young people.
Churches across Scotland have helped out in their communities by providing space and volunteers for foodbanks and breakfast clubs over the summer.
St Columba Church of Scotland in Ayr delivered lunch for 250 children over the recent six week summer holiday. During term time, nearly all of these children are entitled to free school meals, and when they are out of school, their families struggle to find the money to fund these extra meals. Volunteers from the church partnered with South Ayrshire Council, and local businesses to provide for the need identified within their community.
This lunch project is just one of many ways churches are working year round to support children and young people in some of Scotland’s poorest communities - offering food banks, community meals and breakfast clubs that are increasingly being relied on.
Another example would be the Shed Project on the Isle of Lewis – set up by Martin’s Memorial Church of Scotland in the town of Stornoway. The team there rebuilt a shed and remodelled it into a safe space specifically for young people in the local community. The volunteers organise games nights, create a fun environment for socialising, and a place where young people can be themselves and not be judged for who they are or what they have.
Churches, charities and communities do a fantastic job in trying to alleviate this poverty crisis, but they will never reach every child in need - and they cannot provide a sustainable solution. Emergency food aid is not a long-term solution to hunger. Our nation needs to ask itself a hard question – have we now accepted as the norm that food banks are now an inescapable part of our society’s structure? Is this what we think is acceptable for a rising proportion of children, and their families. In a culture of austerity, is it the poorest that are paying a disproportionate price? For those who will say that this is the Church meddling in party politics, I would say it is so much more than that: it is the Church speaking out for those who are or struggling to get by. It is what the Church does.
This kind of poverty can only be addressed by increasing the amount of money that those who struggle most have to spend. Our Social Security system must recognise the dignity of individuals and the needs that they face, and work alongside those that are affected to make sure this is being done in the most just and fair way. We want everyone to be able to participate in society and for no one to be left out.
What could £5 extra a week per child in Scotland really do to make a difference? This equates to seven breakfasts of cereal, milk, fruit juice and a banana over two months, a good quality winter coat, or being able to take part in a school trip or an out-of-school activity each week. For many families, the cost of living is rising faster than their incomes so this extra money would be significant.
Child poverty rates are increasing in Scotland and across the UK. In Scotland, latest figures show that 260,000 children are in poverty today. This is not a problem identified in another country or in another time period – this is Scotland in 2017.
Unless action is taken, the situation will get worse – it will certainly not get better. Tackling child poverty will become an exercise in managing the problem, rather than having the time or resources to look for a solution.
We want the Scottish Government to act and to be more ambitious in dealing with the causes of child poverty. They have the power to make a difference. They, and we, must not fail our young people. This is not only an investment in the future of our children; it is action that is necessary now.
During my moderatorial year my theme is based around the idea of hospitality, and around the saying, “When in a position of privilege, it is better to build a longer table than a higher wall.” Tables are flat places around which people can meet and discuss, so I will also be picking up on a project from a few years back when one of my predecessors encouraged the ‘respectful dialogue’ campaign at the time of the Independence Referendum. Could we, the people of Scotland, invite our politicians from Westminster, Holyrood, and regional government to meet with us around our tables to talk to them about the issue of child poverty? I hope to be able to do this, amongst other things, with the leaders of the Scottish political parties, but I have a feeling as much if not more might be achieved if our local communities engage with local MSPs.
I am greatly encouraged by the support that the Give Me Five campaign has already gained from leaders of faith communities and third sector organisations across Scotland - uniting with a common aim to provide for our children and young people. Using the powers that already exist, the Scottish Government, with the people of Scotland, can effect a change for the better, and we must take this message forward so that our young people know that they are valuable enough to invest in. They are part of the flourishing communities that we want to create. The time to act is now.