Ben Robinson, Regional Manager Yorkshire and the Humber
Following the launch of the CSJF’s Yorkshire and the Humber 6 months ago, we have been busy.
Since we fully opened in April, we have been fortunate to visit 57 organisations in person, engage with over 150 organisations and host CSJ Westminster colleagues 13 times in the region; all while clocking up over 1,200 miles to ensure we speak with the whole of Yorkshire and the Humber.
As a result, we are proud that our Yorkshire Alliance of small, outstanding, poverty-fighting organisations has more than doubled from 24 in April to 65 organisations as of September 2023. We are especially pleased that areas such as Scunthorpe, Grimsby, Scarborough, and Wakefield are represented in the CSJ Alliance for the first time.
Organisations across the region have been kind enough to host us for visits to discuss the great work they do, and how we can work in partnership to change things for the most disadvantaged in society.
Highlights from our first 6 months of building our Yorkshire and the Humber Alliance include:
-Our Big Listen Leeds launch event, which allowed over 60 Yorkshire and the Humber based organisations to directly feed into the CSJ’s Social Justice Commission Policy Work.
-Visits to South of the Humber to speak with, among others, East Marsh United in Grimsby and The Forge Project in Scunthorpe. Who are both working so effectively to address cycles of disadvantage and build positive futures for people in their communities.
-Hosting the CSJ’s Westminster Modern Slavery Policy Unit, in Sheffield and Dewsbury, as part of their ongoing work on criminal exploitation in the community. This was an especially eye-opening couple of days, with frontline insights from ten organisations, including some alarming stories and innovative solutions.
-Previous CSJ Award Winners Money Buddies being featured on a Channel 4 News Panel, and sharing the experiences of the people they support, trapped in cycles of economic disadvantaged, alongside MPs and national businesses. Furthermore, we are delighted that The Hinge Centre (Bridlington), will be speaking on a CSJ Panel at this year’s Conservative Party Conference.
-Inviting the brilliant Cat Zero (Hull and Grimsby) and Rush House (Rotherham) to our recent Work and Opportunity Policy Roundtables, in the same week as our Debt Policy Unit were on a separate roundtable with Noah’s Ark Halifax.
– Yorkshire Alliance organisation The Training Cave in Birstall, shared why they feel sport is so important as part of the CSJ’s Gamechanger paper launch.
We have been energized in our first 6 months through speaking with so many fantastic organisations across the region, and channeling insights into real change through the CSJ’s policy work.
