'Life on the Breadline: Christianity, Poverty and Politics in the 21st century'

In the wake of the 2008/9 financial crash, resulting global recession and the 'age of austerity' introduced by the 2010-15 government, poverty in the UK rose more dramatically than in any other G7 nation. The number of people relying on foodbanks to feed their families rose from 25,000 in 2008 to 1,200,000 in early 2017. Between 2010 and 2016 the number of people in the UK earning less than a 'living wage' grew from 3,400,000 to 4,900,000 and the number of people on 'zero hours' contracts grew to 905,000. By early 2017 more than 30% of British children were living in poverty, 25% of the population were living in fuel poverty and rough sleeping had grown to 4,134, double the 2010 figure. Economic poverty is one aspect of more wide-ranging social exclusion. However the project will demonstrate that broader patterns of social exclusion are largely driven by poverty. In the face of this dramatic growth in poverty and inequality third sector and faith-based organisations have been in the vanguard of the ongoing struggle against social exclusion.

Christian communities have been involved in challenging urban poverty since the industrial revolution. However during the 'age of austerity' they have become increasingly important players as a result of their enduring relationships in local communities. Michael Hoelzl and Keith Ward (2008) refer to this as the 'new visibility of religion'. A key arena within which this 'new visibility' has been seen is in relation to rising levels of poverty and social inequality. 'Life on the Breadline: Christianity, Poverty and Politics in the 21st century' is the first interdisciplinary theological analysis of poverty in the UK since the financial crash. It will increase the awareness of the scope and impact of Christian engagement with poverty amongst government policy-makers and within wider society, enrich social policy and research and enable more effective faith-based action on poverty across urban Britain.

This project will analyse the nature, scope, extent and impact of Christian engagement with poverty. Six ethnographic case studies of Christian NGOs will be developed, interviews of 120 regional church leaders in Birmingham, London and Manchester and two National Poverty Consultations with 50+ national church leaders attending will enable the project to generate the most extensive evidence-base to date of Christian engagement with poverty in the UK. Fieldwork will analyse two differing approaches to tackling poverty - 'caring' and 'campaigning' - in order to assess whether the 'age of austerity' has affected the nature and impact of Christian engagement with poverty and the values that underpin it.

The project will develop a critical dialogue between social geography, political sociology, urban studies, the sociology of religion and urban and political theology in order to forge the first evidence-based theological analysis of poverty in the UK since the 2008 financial crash. The project will increase the awareness of the nature, scope and impact of Christian engagement with poverty amongst policy-makers and facilitate the development of new models of theory and theology capable of resourcing third sector engagement with poverty in the 21st century. Through the development of a wide range of outputs including a photographic exhibition, project briefs and report, 3 animated films, an online research portal, a 'Faith and Poverty Activism Network', an online MOOC and training sessions for government policymakers and church leaders, alongside academic journal articles, a co-written book and a major conference the project will impact directly on policymakers, researchers within the social sciences, theology and political science and wider society.

AUDIENCE 1: CHRISTIAN NGOs
1)BEST PRACTICE: The National Poverty Consultation will generate a national Church and poverty database, a network to aid post-project dissemination and an ecumenical anti-poverty charter, which will identify specific actions/impact milestones. A project report analysing the nature and impact of Christian engagement with poverty, providing a practitioners toolkit and identifying implications for practice and strategy will be discussed with national Church leaders. Presenting the report at national/regional Church governing bodies will maximise impact. Collaboration with Church Action on Poverty will enable dissemination to its 10,000 supporters nationwide and its posting on the project web site will broaden impact through online public theology think tanks.
2)TEACHING AND EQUIPING: The Faith & Civic Engagement portal will provide case studies, podcasts and resources that will impact on the educational work of local churches, theological colleges and Christian NGOs. Further key outputs include a photographic exhibition, a MOOC and 3 short animated films. 3 workshops for Christian NGOs/clergy will help participants to develop local theory of change poverty action plans. Articles in national Christian newspapers and media interviews will heighten awareness of the nature of contemporary poverty and examples of Christian activism. The National Consultation on Poverty will equip Church leaders to engage more fully with poverty and media interviews and articles in public-facing magazines/newspapers will raise awareness of the anti-poverty charter.
3)NETWORKING: The Faith, Poverty & Activism Network will provide networking opportunities to foster collaborative anti-poverty action. A mid-project symposium will help practitioners to develop an Action on Poverty best practice charter.

AUDIENCE 2: POLICYMAKERS
1)RESOURCES: Policy briefings on Christian engagement with poverty will be launched at a Westminster meeting hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty and shared with DCLG, Home Office, DfE and DWP policymakers. Briefings will summarise the scope/impact of Christian engagement with poverty and specific ways in which government can learn from examples of good practice identified in the project. The briefings will publicise the Faith and Civic Engagement portal as a new open access resource for policymakers and the project report will identify policy recommendations for government and shadow government Ministers.
2)TRAINING: A workshop hosted by the All Party Parliamentary Group on Poverty will enhance government/shadow Ministers understanding of the nature and impact of Christian engagement with poverty. CPD courses and a MOOC for policy-makers in Birmingham, London & Manchester & for DCLG and Home Office officials will enhance religious literacy.
3)INFORMING POLICY: The presentation of evidence to DCLGC/DWP/Home Office Select Committees and briefing meetings with the Mayor of Manchester, Mayor of London and Leader of Birmingham City Council will identify key issues relating to Christian engagement with poverty, enabling the development of more informed anti-poverty policy.

AUDIENCE 3: WIDER SOCIETY
1)AWARENESS RAISING: The short films will heighten awareness and the use of 'bite-sized' research findings, stills images/video trailers via themed hashtags on social media will aid dissemination. The global profile of Coventry Cathedral will raise the visibility of the photographic exhibition through its 200 member 35 country Community of the Cross of Nails.
2)REFLECTION & ACTION: Videos and photographs will form the basis of awareness raising workshops for Key Stage 4 and University students and the public-facing MOOC. The Faith and Poverty Activism Network will support anti-poverty activists, enable mutual support, sharing good practice and collaborative actions.