CHURCHESTOGETHERNEWPORTPAGNELL Letter From e Minister I feel the need to say both "hello" and "thanks". Since moving to Newport Pagnell I have to say the welcome from all quarters has been great. Apart from the weather there has been nothing to be worry about as Jill and I have settled in. The dog (Doo-Da h , a collie cross) has felt she has landed in paradise with the common as her back garden. Yes, I do take full responsibility for the name so if you need any help naming things perhaps I am not the man! As a child I was brought up in a politically active house. This meant debating everything in the news. Indeed news programmes were sacrosanct, no talking till they were over. The local MP was a friend and this life long affiliation meant that the current one visited my father in hospital and came to the funeral.Having had such a political education I have keenly followed certain subjects throughout my life. The dreadful realisation of my growing years is that many debates and battles which seem to have been won many years ago have to be debated and foughtfor again. As individuals and as a society learning is as much about relearning rather than just building on past foundations. I think these matters apply to the debate about poverty in our current "age of austerity". Anyone who has read George Orwell's 'Road to Wigan Pier' and 'Down and out in London and Paris' will be struck by identical debates occurring during the pre world war 2 recession, sometimes A t 5 West Street Moulton Northampto Designers d installe s of driveways, paths and patios like to give one sample from last December. I accompanied a registered Heroin addict to a health interview. These generally are conducted in the hope of moving people from the sickness benefit ESA to the job seeking JSA. (Interesting they pay the same amount.) I know this person well and am unconvinced of the wisdom and expense of such an interview. What the person needs is a rehabilitation course and encouragement and support to get through such! The interview is perfunctory and impersonal. During this we come to the area of self-harm. This person does not eat. I have tried every which way to bring back their appetite to no avail. This apparently cannot be regarded as self-harm and is not recorded. The addict is very stressed by the whole process. On taking the person home they wanted to be dropped at Tesco to steal a bottle of whisky to drown their sorrows. The next day the police are chasing me for the whereabouts of this person. The addict is found close to death as a result of an overdose. I get to see this person later and we debrief the event. It was just the stress and inhumanity that pushed them over the edge. There are many more stories, but suffice it to say we can and must do better. Everyone is precious and made in God's image. Society can be judged by its treatment of the least the last and the lost. Kitchens Bathrooms Electrical Carpentry Decorating All Aspects of Building Work Engineers - Gas Safe Part 'P' Electricians - N IC Qualified Tradesman Tree care Stoves supplied and fitted Project Management Coordination Peartree House, 21 London Road, Bozeat NN29 7LZ Tel:01933665930 Mobile:07804981801 email: vllma.irvlng@btinternet.com promulgated by the same newspapers whom seem least compassionate today. Orwell contrasts different church responses too; some distinctly unhelpful. For examples tramps being forced to worship as a "price" for their meal. As is often remarked history repeats itself, it has to, no one listens. So what are we think today about issues of poverty and benefits in Britain today? Firstly I would want to say the overwhelming breadth of scripture commands action to relieve poverty. This inspired the cricketer-bishop David Shepherd to write a book; 'Bias to the Poor'. A simple read of Isaiah 58 informs us Christian worship is meaningless unless accompanied by the compassion for and action on behalf of the poor. Hundreds of other references could be marshalled behind this view. Secondly, I believe that is very easy to be ill informed and to have swallowed myths about the current situation. Fo unately there are some excellent sources of more independent information. The Joint Public Issue Team, an ecumenical venture has some excellent articles on line. My third point is based on a large body of practical experience. This is my understanding that the administration of our benefit system is not fit for purpose. The number of mistakes being made and the lack of human dignity allowed for are below standards that all of us would desire. This is not a criticism of staff, more a comment on the current management and the lack of resources allocated to the task. I would mm Jack Walker Bozeat Building Services - Do sti and om c lwok rienced in laying all tyes o s rfa s r ! undertak n Contact Dave: 72 Phonebox Magazine