By the Addressing Poverty with Lived Experience (APLE) Collective – #endpoverty #idep @aplecollective.

Despite the current turmoil and political upheaval of our time, we — the Addressing Poverty with Lived Experience (APLE) Collective —continue to be a force united in affecting change in communities that experience disadvantage and poverty. Across the UK, far too many people are left marginalised by local and national decision-makers. Matters that affect the most vulnerable in our society are made without their input. This leads to poorer decisions and systems, such as in Universal Credit, where claimants’ insights and experiences could have foreseen and prevented many of the most glaring problems. More fundamentally, it contributes to continued social disharmony, failing to harness the expertise of people who truly understand poverty and can help to tackle it.

“Wherever men and women are condemned to live in extreme poverty, human rights are violated. To come together to ensure that these rights be respected is our solemn duty.”

The International Day for the Eradication of Poverty (17th October) is a platform for people living in poverty to speak out about their lives and struggles and to invite others to join them in the fight to end poverty. In the words of Seamus, a member of the APLE collective: “It’s our day. We can say what we have in our hearts without shame, without embarrassment.”

“When you live in poverty people don’t care what you have to say. They see you as a lay-about and not wanting to do stuff but that’s not true. That’s why 17th October is a good thing, we can speak out for everyone in poverty. I think poverty needs a voice because people in poverty are not heard because of the views of others trying to keep us down.”

— Tammy, a member of ATD Fourth World UK (founding member of APLE)

We are a growing national collective of individuals who experience poverty. On the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, 17th October, we invite everyone to join our campaign and to stand with us in a visible show of solidarity, to promote the fantastic work that’s going on to raise awareness and build solutions to eradicate poverty at both a national and local level.

We believe that the solution to poverty everywhere is to work in partnership with people who have lived experience of poverty. APLE aims to create a sustainable grassroots network across the UK to raise awareness of poverty, reduce stigma and work together with others to eradicate it. Let us know about what you are doing in your area with people who have lived experiences of poverty and join our social media takeover by using #endpoverty #idep @aplecollective.