Church Action on Poverty works to put gospel values into practice:

We believe in freedom from oppression, equality, hope for a better and a fairer world

We are all made in the image of God and therefore all people are of intrinsic equal value; we believe in inclusivity, respect and care for others, and responsibility

We affirm people’s inherent power to generate solutions to the problems they face; to have their own voice, ownership and power, and a right to learning

We believe in naming, fighting and challenging injustice, being prophetic, and speaking truth to power

We believe in establishing trust, and valuing people’s unique contribution and voice

We believe in going the extra mile; long-term commitment to communities, seeing it through and seeing change happen

Our vision, as a Christian organisation, is that the UK can and must be transformed into a country where everyone can live a full life, free from poverty.

Poverty is an outrage against humanity. It robs people of dignity, freedom and hope, of power over their own lives. We believe that our vision – an end to poverty in the UK – can become a reality.

How we make change happen

WE AIM TO...

• Build a social movement. To realise our vision, we must transform social attitudes and public policies. Only a powerful social movement, drawn together around a common cause, can do this.
• Work with the real experts. People who live with poverty on a daily basis must be at the forefront of the movement. Solutions to poverty will only work if they are rooted in the knowledge and expertise of those who understand it best.
• Speak truth to power. A movement to end poverty has to speak out against injustice. It must also build broad support for action by Government, business and others to tackle the root causes of poverty in the UK.
• Mobilise the power of civil society. To build a broad movement, we work with all kinds of partners, develop effective coalitions, and equip people to work together for change.
• Use the media to tell stories.To build broader public support, we have to mobilise the power of the media. Our most powerful advocates are people with stories to tell. The most powerful stories point to long-term solutions rooted in compassion and justice.
• Help churches be catalysts for change. Churches have a key role to play, by affirming the gospel imperatives to give priority to the poorest and most marginalised in society, and by working to transform unjust structures.