I spent an hour on Friday at Walton Parish Hall at an exhibition that brought together many different local government, private sector and voluntary agencies that work together to help people in and around Aylesbury who can live independently but need some kind of support to do so. Their clients are varied: people with disabilities, or who are mentally ill, young people who are moving out of local authority care or who (for whatever reason) have left their parents’ home, women fleeing domestic violence, people dependent on drugs or alcohol, ex-offenders and rough sleepers.
We live in a relatively rich part of England. But statistical averages for Buckinghamshire or for any of its District Councils hide the poverty and the social problems that exist. It’s the towns, particularly Aylesbury, High Wycombe and Chesham, where you see these problems but they exist too in some of the leafiest, most picturesque villages.
Many of the people who come to these organisations to seek help also come to my constituency surgeries and I worked with Housing Associations, local churches and charities to try to assist constituents who are in difficulty.
I’ve come to the view that we won’t solve these very deep-seated social problems by assuming that the benefits of economic growth will trickle down to the poorest. Nor will we get answers by relying on well-meaning but bureaucratic state action. In my experience, the kind of people and families that most need help often want emotional support and encouragement as much as a giro cheque. And social problems aren’t restricted to office hours. What seems to me to work best is determined practical action by locally-based government and charitable agencies.
On Friday, Buckinghamshire County Council, Aylesbury Vale District Council and the Bucks Primary Care Trust were all there. So were the Bucks Youth Offending Team,the local Connexions and Walton Court’s Healthy Living Centre. Housing Associations included Vale of Aylesbury Housing Trust and Stonham (specialising in housing vulnerable homeless people).Next week, I’m going to have a separate meeting with Hightown Praetorian and Churches Housing Association, which helps people with learning disabilities and those recovering from mental illness.
Among the charities and voluntary organisations there were Oasis (helping drug and alcohol abusers and their families), Addaction, Sanctuary Carr Gomm which provides accommodation with support for people who are mentally ill or have complex needs, Aylesbury Women’s Aid, Space (a supported self-help group), the Aylesbury Homeless Action Group, Life House (giving a home to young women who are pregnant or have a young child), Anchor Staying Put (which helps elderly people stay in their homes through aids and adaptations) and the Vineyard Church which provides donated food, furniture and clothing to people in desperate need.
All the people to whom I spoke were utterly committed to their work. It was ‘do-gooding’ in the very best sense of the term.
