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Kristina Glenn |
Report reveals ‘the dirty secret of our café society’
Rich live next to some of the worst poverty in western Europe
A POVERTY report has revealed the stark truth behind Islington’s leafy, café-culture image.
Invisible Islington – The Dirty Secret of Café Society uncovers the grim reality of life for many people in a borough which to the media is the home of lawyers, journalists and politicians.
The report, by Cripplegate Foundation, was launched on Tuesday, with the warning: “If you think Islington is all air-kissing, cocaine-snorting, gym-going, Guardian-reading, latté-slurping, organic, free-range, GM-free munching fashionistas, think again. It’s worse than that. Much, much worse than that.”
Chris Hobbes, grant officer for the charity which aims to tackle poverty in Islington, said: “Round the corner from the Georgian terraces is some of the worst poverty in western Europe. The rich and the poor live cheek by jowl, but they might as well live on different planets.”
Islington is the sixth most deprived local authority area in Britain and has the lowest male life expectancy in London. Nearly 75 per cent of the borough’s population live in poor streets and neighbourhoods and almost half of its children are from families dependent on benefits.
The report, issued this week, takes an in-depth look at the problems facing 29 individuals hit by poverty over the space of six months.
Cripplegate, which is still making use of money endowed to it in 1500, spends £1.7million a year on local voluntary groups.
It hopes to launch new programmes, based on the findings of the report, which will help address the feeling of debt, isolation and poor health experienced by the “invisible” underculture.
The charity’s director, Kristina Glenn, said: “I love living and working in Islington but there’s a whole bit of Islington that’s invisible and that’s why we’ve called this report Invisible Islington. Until we start changing things, Islington will remain a very harsh place to live in.
“We know Islington’s reputation as a fashionable, popular place to live but one of the most startling issues is that life expectancy for men is the lowest in London. Would you expect that in Upper Street?”
She added: “Rather than just look at the statistics we wanted to look at what that means for people in Islington. We found people in Islington were living in the credit crunch before it was a fashionable term.”
Ms Glenn said the report highlights three key factors:
• Debt – “Nearly everyone we spoke to was in debt.”
• Isolation – “We’re talking about people who go to the doctor or the shop once a week and then shut their doors. It’s truly shocking that people are so cut off. We’re living in a fantastic place with opportunities that people don’t see are for them.”
• Health – “If there was one thing they could change in their life it was their health. It really blighted everything, jobs, friendships.”
Ms Glenn added: “We’re a very small trust. We haven’t got much money. We’re looking at practical things we can do, small bread-and-butter things that can change lives. We’re looking at getting isolated people volunteering.
“We run small groups for gardening, sports, youth groups, arts. They are not your usual volunteers with pearls and twin sets, they are ordinary Islington people.
“We will develop a scheme to employ local people to knock on doors, leafleting beforehand, asking if there’s anything we can help with. Helping them with the things you assume everyone would know but they don’t. It’s not just about policy, it’s about practical ways of helping.” |
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