inclusive

Stoke-on-Trent is made up of many small communities. Some are defined geographically and cluster around the original six towns. Others are defined by ethnic origin, race, faith, ill health or disability.

While, as an organisation and individuals, we have sought to celebrate the diverse communities of this City we are all too aware of the way in which poverty, social exclusion and prejudice can emphasise and widen the divisions between these many communities.

It is entirely in keeping with our mission to alleviate poverty, for us to use advice work to address the divisions between our communities, and to turn barriers into bridges.

It is clear that much of the scape-goating of minority communities and the prejudice that is felt towards them is the result of the poverty, social exclusion and hopelessness experienced by many within the majority community. It is, therefore, vital we are able to address their very real needs for advice and help to alleviate their poverty if we are to successfully bridge the City’s diverse communities.

Dynamic, cohesive and successful communities require people to work together free from pre-occupations with material poverty, oppression or the social effects of poor health. The development of such communities is essential to our city, but it is doomed to failure until everybody has access to advice workers who can ensure that they are not excluded from the process by ignorance of their rights and responsibilities or by an inability to express their needs.