Together Southwark launched at Canada Water

To Canada Water Library (interior shot below) for the inaugural meeting of Together Southwark, a new partnership between the Church Urban Fund and the Diocese of Southwark.

Clergy of the most socially deprived parishes in the Diocese had been invited to this first public meeting.

The CUF website explains:

"If you are born into poverty you are a lot more likely to stay and live in poverty and to die younger. Today in Southwark:

• Nearly half of the parishes in the diocese are among the most deprived in England. Only seven other dioceses in England have a higher proportion of deprived parishes. 
• Parishes in Southwark suffer from very high levels of pensioner poverty, with 32% ranked among the worst parishes in England.
• In the most deprived parishes in Southwark almost half of children are born into poverty.
• A boy born in the poorest parish in Southwark will live 11 fewer years than a boy born in the richest parish.
• Men and women living in the borough of Southwark also suffer from a high rate of long-term, limiting illnesses, affecting their employment prospects. Women in the borough are far more likely to be unemployed, with 26% having no educational qualifications.

Together Southwark is a joint venture between the Diocese of Southwark and the Church Urban Fund that
promotes mission, ministry and practical action to tackle poverty across South London and East Surrey.

Together Southwark focuses on identifying ways of working that empowers the poorest individuals and families in the parishes. We want to ensure that they are able to build stable and healthy lifestyles that overcome the debilitating effects of poverty.

Together Southwark seeks to raise:

• financial support for projects in parishes that are tackling the effects of poverty and transforming the lives of the poorest and most marginalised.
• awareness of work that is being undertaken across the diocese and to encourage the development of new work when appropriate, so that every church in Southwark is involved in tackling poverty through giving time, money, action and prayer. 

The work of Together Southwark is underpinned by the gospel imperative of working with the poor to build a just and righteous society where every individual is empowered to reach the highest level of personal fulfilment."

Canada Water Library