(1) Children and Food Poverty -
To consider the following Notice of Motion, which has been submitted by Cllr Gaynor Austin pursuant to Standing Order 9 (1):
“This Council thanks volunteers and organisations who stepped up over the half-term period to help feed children in the Borough.
This Council resolves to support these volunteers and organisations, if necessary, in order to ensure that all local children are fed, whether term-time or not. This Council recognises the COVID-19 pandemic has increased levels of food poverty and food insecurity within the Borough.
This Council believes:
· all Rushmoor residents should have access to sufficient safe, nutritious food;
· local councils can and must play a key role in tackling food poverty.
This Council therefore commits to:
· nominate a Cabinet Member to have specific responsibility for reducing food poverty and insecurity in Rushmoor;
· work to increase the take-up of Free School Meals;
· urge the Government to enshrine its existing commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 (eradicating hunger by 2030) in legislation;
· ask the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to investigate the extent and causes of hunger in Rushmoor and make recommendations to tackle it;
· work with HCC and other partners to develop and implement a comprehensive and sustainable Food Access Plan which would look to eliminate food poverty in Rushmoor through the formalisation of an inclusive local Food Partnership.”
(2) Citizens Advice Rushmoor –
To consider the following Notice of Motion, which has been submitted by Cllr C.J. Stewart pursuant to Standing Order 9 (1):
“This Council congratulates Citizens Advice Rushmoor for eighty years of service and support to the residents of Aldershot and Farnborough since the establishment of the first Citizens Advice branch in Aldershot in 1940.
Additionally, this Council affirms its commitment to this long and close partnership with Citizens Advice Rushmoor, and puts on the record its thanks for the advice, support and advocacy given and available to all residents including members of our armed forces in the Borough.”
Minutes:
The Council
was asked to consider two Motions which had been submitted in accordance with
the provisions of Standing Order 9 (1).
(1) Children and Food Poverty
It was MOVED by Cllr Gaynor Austin and SECONDED by Cllr Christine
Guinness - That
“This Council thanks volunteers and organisations who stepped up over the half-term period to help feed children in the Borough.
This Council resolves to support these volunteers and organisations, if necessary, in order to ensure that all local children are fed, whether term-time or not. This Council recognises the COVID-19 pandemic has increased levels of food poverty and food insecurity within the Borough.
This Council believes:
· all Rushmoor residents should have access to sufficient safe, nutritious food;
· local councils can and must play a key role in tackling food poverty.
This Council therefore commits to:
· nominate a Cabinet Member to have specific responsibility for reducing food poverty and insecurity in Rushmoor;
· work to increase the take-up of Free School Meals;
· urge the Government to enshrine its existing commitment to UN Sustainable Development Goal 2 (eradicating hunger by 2030) in legislation;
· ask the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to investigate the extent and causes of hunger in Rushmoor and make recommendations to tackle it;
· work with HCC and other partners to develop and implement a comprehensive and sustainable Food Access Plan which would look to eliminate food poverty in Rushmoor through the formalisation of an inclusive local Food Partnership.”
Speaking in
support of her Motion, Cllr Gaynor Austin paid tribute to all the volunteers
and businesses in Rushmoor who had been so quick to
step forward and respond to Marcus Rashford’s call to feed children, normally
in receipt of free school meals, over recent school holiday periods when no
free school meals had been available.
Cllr Austin was of the opinion that, in what was a comparatively
affluent society, nobody should have to rely on vouchers or charity for food
and that everyone should be able to access basic requirements for life,
including safe and nutritious food.
Cllr Austin
acknowledged that much work had been done in conjunction with other organisations and charities over the previous 6 – 12
months, but she felt that much of this had been scattergun in approach and that
the Council did not yet know the whole extent of food poverty in the
Borough. Cllr Austin wanted the
Overview and Scrutiny Committee to take on this work and to make
recommendations for a food action plan to eliminate food poverty in the
Borough. Cllr Austin stressed that the issue was not just about food banks, it
was about the people who did not have access to public funds, those who worked
but were in work poverty and the long-term measures required to combat food
poverty and how to monitor the effectiveness of such actions. Cllr Austin then called on Members to support
the Motion.
In
seconding the Motion, Cllr Christine Guinness referred to the pride she felt
for the Rushmoor community who had joined together to
make and deliver packed lunches to feed the Borough’s children in need during
the recent school holiday period. Cllr
Guinness stated that, according to the Trussell Trust, two million people had
used food banks in 2019. She felt that
food poverty was an on-going issue and that the Borough’s residents affected
should know that there was support available.
During
debate, Members referred to Marcus Rashford’s campaign for a food poverty task
force, a petition for which had received over one million signatures supporting
such action. Reference was also made to
the Council’s Hardship Fund and the need to ensure that enough funding for this
was budgeted for to support families in need during the on-going difficult
times as a result of the coronavirus pandemic.
During discussion, an Amendment was MOVED by Cllr A.R. Newell and
SECONDED by Cllr K.H. Muschamp – That
“This
Council acknowledges the role of Hampshire County Council, volunteers,
supermarkets and local businesses in providing food packages for children
during the half-term period.
Furthermore,
this Council notes the steps being taken in the coming months to ensure that
support can be provided to local residents in Rushmoor
with the greatest need, including:
·
the
Supporting Communities Strategy and Action Plan to tackle deprivation and
inequalities in Rushmoor;
·
the
progression of a plan to establish a Rushmoor Food
Partnership to provide a community store;
·
Hampshire
County Council’s Food Voucher Scheme to support vulnerable children, young
people and families during the Christmas holidays; and
·
Hampshire
County Council’s Discretionary Grant Fund for Schools to support families
facing financial hardship.”
Cllr Newell
referred to projects that were being put in place to work with partners to
tackle the effects of poverty and deprivation under the priority areas of young
people and resilience, mental and physical health, economic hardship and
connecting communities and reducing isolation.
During
debate on the Amendment, the view was expressed that the examination of food
poverty issues needed to be extended to include heating, income, jobs and a
whole range of other issues and how the Council needed to respond to people in
need of help as a result of the effects of the pandemic and unemployment
figures set to rise.
In
seconding the Amendment, Cllr Muschamp referred to some of the funding proposals
being proposed by Hampshire County Council to provide support to organisations to deliver services to those in need of
help.
After
further debate, the Amendment was put to the meeting. There voted FOR: 24; AGAINST: 0; ABSTAIN: 11
and the Amendment was declared CARRIED.
During
further debate, it was MOVED by Cllr K. Dibble and SECONDED by Cllr A.H.
Crawford that the Substantive Motion be amended by adding the following bullet
points from the original Motion to the Substantive Motion:
“This Council
therefore commits to:
·
nominate
a Cabinet Member to have specific responsibility for reducing food poverty and
insecurity in Rushmoor;
·
work
to increase the take-up of Free School Meals;
·
ask
the Overview and Scrutiny Committee to investigate the extent and causes of
hunger at Rushmoor and make recommendations to tackle
it;
·
work
with HCC and other partners to develop and implement a comprehensive and
sustainable Food Access Plan which would look to eliminate food poverty in Rushmoor through the formalisation
of an inclusive local Food Partnership.”
The
Amendment to the substantive motion was put to the meeting. There voted FOR: 9; AGAINST: 25; ABSTAIN: 1
and the Amendment was DECLARED LOST.
The
Substantive Motion was put to the meeting.
There voted FOR: 32; AGAINST:0; ABSTAIN: 1 and the Substantive Motion
was DECLARED CARRIED nem con and it was
RESOLVED:
That this Council acknowledges the role of
Hampshire County Council, volunteers, supermarkets and local businesses in
providing food packages for children during the half-term period.
Furthermore,
this Council notes the steps being taken in the coming months to ensure that
support can be provided to local residents in Rushmoor
with the greatest need, including:
·
the
Supporting Communities Strategy and Action Plan to tackle deprivation and
inequalities in Rushmoor;
·
the
progression of a plan to establish a Rushmoor Food
Partnership to provide a community store;
·
Hampshire
County Council’s Food Voucher Scheme to support vulnerable children, young
people and families during the Christmas holidays; and
·
Hampshire
County Council’s Discretionary Grant Fund for Schools to support families
facing financial hardship.”
(2)
Citizens Advice Rushmoor
It was MOVED by Cllr C.J. Stewart and SECONDED by Cllr
Veronica Graham-Green – That
“This Council congratulates Citizens Advice Rushmoor for eighty years of service and support to the
residents of Aldershot and Farnborough since the
establishment of the first Citizens Advice branch in Aldershot
in 1940.
Additionally, this Council affirms its commitment to
this long and close partnership with Citizens Advice Rushmoor,
and puts on record its thanks for the advice, support and advocacy given and
available to all residents including members of our armed forces in the
Borough.”
Speaking
in support of his Motion, Cllr Stewart stated that, through this Motion, he
hoped the Council could acknowledge and pay thanks for the tremendous work of
Citizens Advice Rushmoor, which was celebrating
its 80th anniversary in
2020. Thanks was due for all the work
Citizens Advice Rushmoor had done to support the
residents of the Borough. The Council
also needed to reaffirm its commitment to a continued, long and close
partnership with this incredibly valuable local Service.
Cllr
Stewart advised that the Citizens Advice service in Rushmoor
had begun in the midst of World War II, in September 1940 in Aldershot – the
Home of the British Army. There had been
many changes since then, with the birth of Farnborough Citizens Advice in 1964,
as well as the incorporation of the Heathlands Citizens Advice service in the
early 2000s – set up initially as an outreach service – which was now providing
advice and assistance to users of local mental health services and their carers. Cllr Stewart
advised Members that the team at Rushmoor Citizens
Advice comprised around
30 staff, as well as over 100 volunteers who had helped over 9000 people in
2019 with nearly 30,000 different problems, such as debt, housing, benefit and
employment issues. These volunteers gave their time and expertise which could
be valued in 2019-20 at £700,000.
Cllr Stewart
advised Members of the truly remarkable value and impact of the work of
Citizens Advice Rushmoor. In 2020, the coronavirus pandemic had
necessitated significant changes to the way the Service worked, with a move
away from drop-ins, face-to-face interviews and staff in the office to remote
working, supported by digital and video technology. The speed and effectiveness
of this change had ensured an incredible continuity of service and had
demonstrated the significant capability of the team. In looking forward, Cllr Stewart was
confident that the service would continue to focus on supporting, training and
recruiting volunteers, learning lessons from the pandemic (being more flexible,
increasing access, and helping more people), continuing to collaborate with its
partners and working to reach the most vulnerable in the Borough’s community in
its commitment to putting clients’ needs at the heart of everything it did.
In seconding the
Motion, Cllr Veronica Graham-Green spoke about the origins of a citizens’
advice service in the UK. In 1924, the
Betterton Report on Public Assistance had recommended that advice centres
should be set up to offer members of the public advice to help them with their
problems. By the 1930s the National
Council for Social Service had looked at how to meet the needs of the civilian
population in war time and had concluded that Citizens Advice Bureaux should be
established throughout the country, particularly in the large cities and
industrial areas where social disorganisation could be acute. By 4th September 1939, the day
after Word War II had been declared, there were 200 bureaux situated in London
and the larger cities and towns throughout the country. Advisers dealt with problems relating to the
loss of ration books, homelessness and evacuation and also helped to locate
missing relatives and prisoners of war.
It was noted that debt quickly became a key issue as income reduced due to call-ups.
Members were
advised that, by 1942, there were 1074 bureaux.
After the War, Government funding had been cut which caused a 50%
reduction in branches and this was not restored until 1960. The Rent Act of 1957 had caused a surge in
cases and, by the mid-1960s, 25% of the 1.25 million cases had related to
housing. In later years, key things such
as Consumer Protection, the effects of major recessions and benefit changes
would all contribute to the caseload.
In 1973 the National Association of Citizens Advice Bureaux received a
government development grant to extend its network. In 1999 the first online advice guide was
launched to give people access online 24 hours a day and, in 2002, a government
grant of £20 million enabled the roll-out of e-government services to Citizens
Advice Bureaux service clients. There
was a name change to Citizens Advice in 2003 and in 2012/13 there were more
than two million cases face-to-face or by phone and more than twelve million
online.
Cllr Graham-Green
paid tribute to the stirling work of the late Councillor
Frank Rust who had been a Trustee on the Board of Rushmoor
Citizens Advice. She wished Cllr Nadia
Martin well as she had taken on the role of Trustee on the Board. Cllr Stewart was also a Trustee on the Board
and had been a volunteer while a student.
As part of her work with youth, Cllr Sue Carter was trying to encourage
young people to volunteer.
During discussion,
Members spoke in support of the work of Rushmoor
Citizens Advice and re-affirmed the Council’s commitment to the service. Congratulations were also extended to the
organisation on its 80th anniversary.
The Motion was then
put to the meeting. There voted FOR: 35;
AGAINST: 0; ABSTAINED: 0 and the Motion was DECLARED CARRIED unanimously.