powered by people toolkit: thrive teesside

7/30/2019 Powered by People Toolkit: Thrive Teesside

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Church Action on Poverty (CAP) and Oxfam firststarted working in Thornaby, Stockton-on-Tees,in November 2004. Thrive Teesside was createdin January 2007, and is now an award-winning,independent organisation, working inpartnership with CAP.

Thrive aim to get the voice of people on themargins of society directly to decision-makers,and effect real transformative change inTeesside. They work to build the economic andsocial resilience of local households andcommunities.

Projects are focussed across Middlesbrough and

Stockton, and include Ragworth, Thornaby,

Newtown, North Ormesby and Brambles Farm, areas

which rank amongst the top ten per cent most

deprived nationally.

The regions traditional political and social networks

have been hit hard by the decline in heavy industry,

and an increase in unemployment.

Thrive Teessides work is based on two approaches;by building relationships with the most excluded

households, they identify the issues that keep them

trapped in poverty.

In addition, broad-based community organising gives

people skills and confidence, enabling them to work

together to call for change.

Thrive Teesside has been unique in getting debt

customers not just to manage their finances,

but also to tackle the companies which contribute

to the problem.

Through tough negotiations and campaigning work,

Thrive Teesside have enabled a group of women

from marginalised, low-income households to

fundamentally change the practices of a sector

which in 2011 made profits of over 45 million.

Their achievement in persuading the countrys three

biggest high interest, hire purchase companies to

sign up to a consumer charter has helped almost

325,000 customers across the country.

Through their ground-breaking partnership with theCentre for Responsible Credit, Thrive Teesside

continue to negotiate with the sector for lower

interest rates and better credit sharing practices.

Durham University have teamed up with Thrive

Teesside to research fuel poverty, and further

understand the impact of debt and how to fight it.

Thrive Teesside has been nationally recognised; one

of their members won the Sheila McKechnie

Foundation Take Action 2011 award for her

campaigning work.

Thrive Teesside aim to build on their success,develop more leaders from the community, and

create a truly sustainable future for the organisation.

Thrive TeessideThornaby Methodist Church, Stanstead WayThornaby TS17 9DZ

Telephone: 01642 769 570Email: [email protected]: www.thrive-teesside.org.ukFacebook: facebook.com/thrivestocktonTwitter: @ThriveTeesside

THRIVE Teesside

Greg Brown, Lead Organiser of Thrive Teesside


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High-interest LendingBuy As You View have actually lowered their interest rates. Theyve alsostarted the ball rolling about sharing information on credit ratings. Its

had a knock-on effect, and the others have joined in. So it is working.

In 2010, the Thrive community group, angry atthe way high interest, hire purchase companieswere forcing many local people into debt to buybasic goods, decided to take action.

Since then, their award-winning campaign haspersuaded the sector to make significantimprovements to the way they do business,

improving the lives of 325,000 low-incomecustomers.

Bright House, Buy As You View and Perfect Home

made profits of around 45 million last year; but

charge almost double high street prices and interest

rates of up to fifty per cent for furniture and basic

goods like washing machines and TVs.

Despite these high costs, the companies target

low-income households who are dependent on

benefits, already in debt or struggling for cash.

The Office of Fair Trading states that more than athird of customers who use these rent-to-own

(RTO) outlets are dependent on the sector for credit.

Bad credit histories mean that many of their

customers are often unable to access bank loans,

credit cards, or even bank accounts, and have

nowhere else to go to buy essential goods.

Thrive, in partnership with Church Action on

Poverty, activated hundreds of people to send

emails to the chief executives of the three

companies, demanding that they lower their costsand improve their practices.

The group arranged a series of meetings in London,

and invited Bright House, Buy As You View and

Perfect Home, as well as politicians, the Office of

Fair Trading, and the Citizens Advice Bureau.

They teamed up with the Centre for Responsible

Credit to help them during the negotiations, and

secured funding for the campaign from the Friends

Provident Foundation.

Thrive created a hard-hitting YouTube video, Rip OffTV, which satirised the sectors practices, and

protested outside branches of those companies who

had refused to come to the negotiations.

BBC North East made a documentary about the

campaign, and The Sunday People newspaper

interviewed local people about their debt experiences.

The hard work paid off. Since the first meeting in

May 2011, Thrive have managed to get all three

companies to sign up to an improved customer

charter which commits them to limit their default

charges, refer debt-ridden customers to

independent advisers, ensure that their goods are

competitively priced, and better handle complaints.

Buy as You View have even lowered their interest

rates; instead of a 49.9 per cent flat rate, regular

payers now see their rates drop to 39.9 per cent,

while those who use direct debits pay 29.9 per cent.

Thrives success has been widely recognised. In 2011,

they won the Voluntary Organisations Network

North East award for best campaign. They are now

working to try to persuade the rest of the RTO

sector to sign up to the charter. They also want

companies to start sharing credit data, enabling

customers to access lower interest, mainstream,forms of credit.

The campaign continues.

How much does it cost?Many of the goods that the RTO sector sell are priced higheven before the interest kicks in. Add on hidden extras andinterest rates of up to 50 per cent, and RTO customers end uppaying almost three times the retail cost or more.

(Source: Brighthouse, PerfectHome, Buy As You View)

Acer Gold 15 laptopCurrys.co.uk = 409.90

Brighthouse = 1,142.96[579.64 + Interest + OptionalService Cover (104 paymentsof 10.99)]

Beko washing machineAppliancesOnline = 250BuyAsYouView = 661.44[379.99 + Interest (156payments of 4.24)]

Panasonic 32" LED TVAmazon.co.uk = 380

PerfectHome = 778.44[541.99 + interest (156payments of 4.99)]

Nevada leather sofafurnituredirectltd = 320PerfectHome = 1,393.60[870.99 + interest (208weekly payments of 6.70)]


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DONNA ALLISON, MONEY MENTOR

Mum-of-five Donna Allison, 27, of Thornaby,is a member of Thrive. Taking out doorstep loansand using buy-as-you-rent companies had lefther with large debts. But with Thrives help,Donna has now managed to pay off most ofher loans.

Donna is now a money mentor for the Thornabycommunity.

Everyone I know has doorstep lenders family,

friends. They also use Buy As You View and Perfect

Homes. You dont have the money to save when

youve got children or youre on benefits so you go

to these places. But then youre paying a thousand

pounds for a second-hand washer.

Our fridge freezer is reconditioned. But it will still

cost us just under a grand.

I had bailiffs coming to the door, and red letters all

the time. I was scared to answer the phone. I was

getting depressed. They threatened to come and take

my goods from me if I didnt pay. I was frightened.

Youd get loan sharks in my neighbourhood coming

to your door. You fall into it. They seem to target

Christmas time, when they know people struggle.

So youre going to take that money just to give your

kids a good Christmas. Id say on a hundred pounds

loan, you're paying about 190 back, if not more.

It was with Thrive that I built up the confidence and

managed to slowly get out of debt. I would take out

loans to get by for the kids for Christmas; last year

was my first debt-free Christmas. Ive nearly paid allmy loan sharks off.

They keep asking me if I would like another loan.

Now Im strong, and say no. I've started looking on

second-hand pages on Facebook, and on Freecycle.

If I need something, before Id be the type to just go

out and spend, and not think about where the

money is going.

I feel much better in myself. Ive got more money to

spend on the children. Im saving. And all the money

that Ive given to those loan sharks Im putting into atin. Im not adding onto my debt. The money I get is

my own money, its not a loan sharks. Its my own.

Ive wanted to give something back, and now Im

doing a money mentoring scheme. I go to peoples

houses to tell them my experience. How Ive

managed to get myself out of debt with the help of

Thrive. And hopefully help others.

I know that I can make a change because Ive got

the experience. I think people tend to listen more

when they know you've been through it. Its good to

give something positive back and help others. G

I know that I can make a

change because Ive gotthe experience. And Ithink people tend tolisten more when theyknow youve beenthrough it.


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One of the frustrations from both sides of the table

is how difficult that is. Theres no specific legislation

to allow it to happen the OFT have only made

recommendations and guidelines. But it has made

the OFT see there that there is a groundswell both

from consumers and businesses.

It is a piece of PR. Youd be a liar to say otherwise.

But thats not been the driver. Weve seen that this

has been good for us; its helped us improve.Its changed the way we do things.

I would say to community organisers; try a gentle

approach first. Its worth doing creative approaches

like Thrive. Be tenacious. And I would say to the

businesses; engage. There is nothing to lose.

We are absolutely prepared to make more changes

in the future. G

GRAHAM CLARKE, CHIEF EXECUTIVEOF BUY AS YOU VIEW

Graham Clarke discusses why he decided toengage with Thrive; and why other companieshave nothing to fear from community organising.

Whats worked has been people getting round the

table and talking. I think there needs to be

willingness on both sides of the table to do

something. Its amazing how perceptions change our

view of things.

In April 2010, I started getting some emails. As a

human being, no matter how resilient and tough you

are, it hurts when someone has a pot shot at you.

Ive always been a firm believer in communication.

Thrive were always going to get a receptive

response; it was a little bit prickly at first. They made

a spoof film, which looking back I have to say was

quite funny; but it was all designed to provoke.

They threw a lot of rocks at me. The danger is, do

you just sit back and not respond? Certainly in my

corporate life that was always seen as the best way

to approach. I don't buy that. I was able to show that

a lot of the things Thrive were frustrated with we

were in the process of changing.

The model currently works like insurance; good

payers subsidise bad payers. You pay the samewhether youre a bad customer, or youve been a

customer for 40 years.

I want to be able to reward good payers. That isnt

some soft hearted approach; this is business. I want

to keep good customers. As a consequence of that

we are one of the first companies in the sector to

offer differential pricing. My existing customers pay

a lower APR than new customers. We still have a

high APR; but its a high cost to collect. The company

never used to do direct debits.

The Office of Fair Trading (OFT) had made some

recommendations about data sharing; but from that

recommendation there was very little that had been

done. Coming together with Thrive was a catalyst to

get round the table and start moving towards that.

We are now designing a consumer charter that we

are signing up to and we are all in the process of

working out how data can be shared.

We are absolutelyprepared to make more

changes in the future.


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People were listening tome. A nana, a mother, anormal everyday person.Not somebody whos gotairs and graces. It waselectrifying.

The second time we went, Brighthouse wasnt there.

So we decided that we would petition Brighthouse.

We stood outside the Stockton store with

cardboard cut-outs of microwaves, and I stood in acardboard cut-out of a washing machine. And next

time theyve come to the table.

When I walked out, the third time we went to

London, I was like a bouncy ball. Because people

were listening to me. A nana, a mother, a normal

everyday person. Not somebody whos got airs and

graces. I couldnt stop talking about it, it was so

electrifying to think that I was actually helping,

not just me, but other people in the same situation

Im in.

Im trying to help those coming up behind me. If its

just one person then Ive achieved a lifetimes

ambition. Then theyre not going to be in debt like

Ive been in debt.

Buy As You View have actually lowered their

interest rates. Theyve also started the ball rolling

about sharing information on credit ratings. Its all

been a knock-on effect where the others have joined

in. So it is working. It does work. The common man

does have a right and if they speak loud enough

theyve got to be heard.

If Id have realised that doing this sort of thing

would have empowered me and others, then I would

have done it a long time ago. G

MAUREEN HAGAN, THRIVE MEMBER

In 2008, grandmother-of-ten Maureen, 58, lefther partner and moved into unfurnished privateaccommodation. As a full-time guardian for two

teenage granddaughters, she had no savings andwas reliant on benefits.

Although she was able to find some second-handfurniture, Maureen had to turn to Perfect Homeand Buy as You View to purchase a new sofa, bed,washer and cooker.

At the beginning I joined Thrive to get me out of

four walls. I just carried on because it was something

to do. Then we started talking about the bad boys of

doorstep lending.

But where else do you go when youve got no

money to buy the goods with? Theres nowhere else

for a person with a bad credit rating or no credit

rating to go. Because they won't have you.

My main issue was to give us a credit rating. And

they've got to publicise that rating to other

companies to know that we are good payers.

First of all we contacted a multi-million pound

company to come and listen to us. We never

thought they would. But they did. And that was Buy

As You View. Graham Clarke (Chief Executive) camefrom Wales over to Teesside to meet with us. I just

couldn't believe that somebody would want to

come and meet normal people. But he did.

We were going down to London, to Dean House at

the back of Westminster Cathedral, which was a

place Id never thought Id see. There was Ministers,

there was the top man of the Citizens Advice

Bureau. PerfectHome was there. We just couldnt get

Brighthouse to the table. I thought, I'm just a spare

cog in this wheel. And then people started asking me

questions. I was absolutely shaking that people likethis were asking me questions.

The common man doeshave a right and if theyspeak loud enoughthey've got to be heard.


6/8

As part of the Governments policy of dispersingasylum seekers across the UK, the North East hasseen a large increase in the number of asylumseekers. Over 3,300 had moved to the area bythe end of 2006. In summer last year, Stocktonwas home to almost a quarter of the regionsasylum seekers.

In 2010, Thrive started receiving allegations that

asylum seekers were being mistreated by their

landlord.

Tenants alleged that houses had inadequate cooking

and sleeping facilities; they they were being

intimidated and told they would be reported to the

UK Border Agency (UKBA) if they complained; and

that the landlord was visiting houses without the

agreed 24 hours notice. Different faith and cultural

needs were reportedly being ignored.

With Thrives help, Diaspora Action and SupportUnited Kingdom (DASUK) was formed by two

Zimbabwean asylum seekers to address the issues.

In November 2010, DASUK organised a meeting,

which was attended by over 100 asylum seekers and

members of Stocktons voluntary and community

sector, as well as the towns mayor. Asylum seekers

told their stories; one former local councillor was so

moved, she agreed to become a partner and mentor

for DASUK.

Together with their new supporters, DASUKcontacted UKBA, who had contracted G4S to

provide asylum seeker services for the area, and

Jomast, who had been subcontracted by G4S to

provide housing, to ask them to attend a meeting to

discuss DASUKs concerns.

The meeting was held in April 2011; UKBA attended,

as did Migrant Helpline, a G4S partner, and the

Regional Refugee Forum.

Since then, DASUK have held several private

meetings with UKBA and G4S. They have been in

communication with Jomast. DASUK representativesnow also attend the local multi-agency forum on

asylum issues.

Although DASUK has yet to see concrete

improvements to the housing situation, negotiations

have been initiated, and are ongoing.

KUDZAI RUSERE, CO-FOUNDER, DIASPORA ACTIONAND SUPPORT UNITED KINGDOM (DASUK)

Kudzai Rusere, 46, is a Zimbabwean national.

The former Harare Polytechnic administrator, aleading light of the then anti-Mugabe Movement

for Democratic Change (MDC), fled her Hararehome in 2002 after receiving death threats,leaving her two daughters behind. She has notseen them since.

She is chairperson of the Middlesbrough branchof the MDC.

The housing provider wasn't actually adhering to

the contract or to the obligations of the

contract; so he took advantage of the people to

manipulate them.

They tried to threaten them and dehumanisethem, telling them that they should be grateful

theyve got a roof over their head because theyre

coming from Africa.

Asylum Seeker HousingI thought I was voiceless. And I felt disempowered. So when I met Thriveit really made a difference. Now I can take anything. I can take that

mountain. I feel so strong; so, so strong.


7/8

Seven women were given four pots to cook in.

These women have got children. How do you use

four pots amongst seven women? Its not feasible.

They started intimidating people when they

complained. It was terrible, to be honest with you.

The journey to having the meeting was a bit

challenging. With community organising, youve got

to get it from the community. And make sure that

the community can present their issues.

Eventually we built up the momentum with the

help of Thrive. And when the big man knows hes

going to be attacked, he tries to divide and rule. He

said, lets negotiate now, last minute, just a day or

two before the big meeting.

But there was nothing to negotiate about. They had

already refused three times to come to the meeting.

There were about forty to fifty asylum seekers

there. We had to represent our cases and our

experiences. We had testimonies from the people

who had been abused by the system and all the

problems that wed encountered.

Soon after the meeting, they went round doing

things that they used not to do; painting and buying

equipment for the houses. They sort of changed,

although not to the great extent that we wanted.

Now they know the problems that weve had and Ithink it will be taken on board.

Thrive doesnt actually do anything for you; they

empower you and they give you the direction and

the information.

Thrive really helped us. I thought I was voiceless.

And I felt disempowered. So when I met Thrive it

really made a difference. Now I can take anything.

Now I can take that mountain. I feel so strong, so,

so strong.

It has helped me to build my confidence, and to

really realise the potential that's in me. The currentsystem, it sort of takes the power from you. But

power is the ability to cause changes, wherever you

are; thats power. So I feel very powerful now, to

be honest. G

SUZANNE FLETCHER, MENTOR & PARTNER,DASUK

Suzanne Fletcher MBE, 67, is a respected formerlocal councillor in Stockton. After attending aDASUK-organised event in November 2010,and hearing co-founder Richard Mahlahla speak,she vowed to help the group.

Since then she has supported DASUK indeveloping documentation, negotiation andcommunication skills.

I was shocked. Ive heard lots of things in my life,

but to think this was actually happening in my own

community, I sat there with my mouth open.

My reaction was that somethings got to be doneand Im going to help to do it.

It has helped me buildmy confidence, and toreally realise thepotential thats in me.

Power is the ability tocause changes, whereveryou are; thats power.

They tried to threatenthem and dehumanisethem, telling them thatthey should be gratefultheyve got a roof over

their head because theyrecoming from Africa.

Richard Mahlahla:

Co-Founder, Diaspora

Action And Support

United Kingdom


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In ten or twenty yearstime, some of thesepeople weve beenworking with will beleading the whole

community, not just theirown. And I think it willbe different and betterbecause of that.

We had a meeting with people from DASUK. They

were wonderful people, and brave, to be talking

about it when their own position was so insecure in

this country.

I think theres two strands: one is helping them

tease out what the issues are you can do something

about, and what you cant. The other strand is how

we relate to the different organisations that we

approach.

When we were organising the meeting that we

had in April, we had a number of rehearsals. We

spent quite some time working out who was going

to say what.

Its made what Ive always wanted to do to workwith and for people much more possible. Because

it was a completely different, non-political setting.

Which made it much better.

Ive learnt what Ive always known that the asylum

seekers have got so much about them, such huge

dignity. All theyve ever asked for is to be treated

with dignity and respect. The more Ive got to know

them the more Ive come to respect who they are.

Everybody moving forward together is a really

important thing. I thought I would have had this

sorted out by the end of December last year.

Youre taking people with you and you walk slowerif everybody is going at the same pace.

We can use community organising for everything

when these good people are settled citizens and

theyve got jobs and are really part of the community.

They know how to organise, they know how to put

the case, they know the power of personal

testimony, they know how to use people power.

In ten or twenty years time, some of these

people weve been working with will be leading the

whole community, not just their own community.And I think it will be different and better because

of that. G

DASUK mentor Suzanne Fletcher with Richard Mahlahla

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