How the Hope Centre in Northampton has coped through pandemic...and how it is adapting for the future

As the country marks national Challenge Poverty Week England and Wales, October 12-18, 2020, Northampton-based charity and social enterprise, The Northampton Hope Centre, has reflected on the impact of poverty and how they helped those on little or no income during lockdown alongside the ongoing impact of Covid.

Challenge Poverty Week is an opportunity for organisations to raise awareness against poverty not just across Northampton but as a united voice across the country. Campaigners say action must be taken to loosen the grip of poverty on people’s lives.

Robin Burgess, CEO of The Hope Centre Northampton, said: "Sadly poverty does not discriminate and the Coronavirus has changed society and the lives of many people with added demands on their income and mental health.

"It illustrates further that many financial and family situations are fragile and anyone can suddenly be in a situation where they need additional support.”

The coronavirus pandemic has shown that, amid the uncertainty and the turmoil, communities came together with a renewed neighbourly kindness, Mr Burgess said. However, the pandemic also brought into stark relief the inequalities in our society and intensified them. People on low incomes and in disadvantaged areas, and people in ethnic groups who were already suffering from social and economic injustice, were disproportionately affected, he added.

Many people across Northampton have been impacted by Covid, increasing the reliance on foodbanks.

Mr Burgess said growing numbers are struggling to pay the bills, put food on the table and take part in society. It’s clear that poverty is damaging the lives and restricting the opportunities of too many people across England and Wales.

Hope Centre Northampton has been giving out food parcels to 500 people a week through its Hope Food Club programme and distributing many more meals to homeless people who are currently housed in hotels, temporary housing or still on the streets.

Covid has changed lives alongside our society and The Northampton Hope Centre has quickly and effectively adapted their service model. Increasing food provision, distributing it in different ways and developing a programme called Living4Learning, which will soon be officially launched to help people help themselves gain skills and employment.

Robin added: "The last six months certainly have been a time of change and increased strain on our service at Hope and I am immensely proud at how we as a charity and town have pulled together and supported the people of Northampton.

“We pride ourselves on being a community charity servicing the people of this great town and our Northampton family have certainly helped us through this rough time. But it isn’t over. The Hope Centre is now looking to the future by evolving our service and support network to further help the growing numbers impacted by poverty.”

As well as its own service delivery to vulnerable people, Hope is now supporting a much wider range of people in need through co-ordinating, with funding from central government, allocated by the county council, allocations of funding for food aid and support charities.

To help Hope you can donate at justgiving.com/campaign/helphope or please contact 01604 214300 or email [email protected] to donate time or food and toiletries.