Good Local Economics
Geraldine Blake is chief executive of Community Links, a charity that has worked in one of the most deprived areas of the country – Newham in east London – for over thirty years. She talks to Clare Goff about responding to change.
HOW HAVE AUSTERITY AND WELFARE REFORM AFFECTED THE COMMUNITIES YOU WORK WITH?
The picture is just so awful. It’s like a tidal wave of need and people have little understanding of what will happen. We’re seeing unemployment shooting up, people have much more complex problems, and are much more distressed. They’ve been thrown off benefits or are getting further into debt and there are more working people experiencing problems. People are increasingly concerned for their future and this is happening at the same time as there are cuts to legal aid and to other services as councils make huge savings. We are struggling to meet the increased demand for our advice services and we can see that things will get worse with the welfare reform that will hit in April. When new systems are introduced assumptions are made. They say for example that ‘people will be able to look online’, but this is one of the most diverse places in world. There are high levels of illiteracy and lots of different languages. And when the chancellor talks about taking another £10bn out of the system you think, ‘from where?’. Community Links is now, for the first time in its history, giving out food vouchers and sending people to the local food bank. That’s the level of desperation.
There’s a new restaurant in Colchester. Called ‘The Glasshouse Brasserie’, it occupies a modern, light and spacious building on the edge of Colchester’s former Roman port. This part of town is called The Hythe and has for many years been the scene of a running battle between developers, residents, landowners and the local council.
