Legendary Community Club

Learning is an essential need Recent public narratives around asylum-seeking have focused on mostly men arriving by small boats and staying in Home Office commissioned hotels. However, what is the experience of the children and fa...

The reality for children and families living in deep poverty while receiving Home Office Asylum Support gets little attention. My article for @cpaguk.bsky.social Poverty Journal - 'Learning is an essential need' - looks at what this means for children's education cpag.org.uk/news/learnin...

🗣️'This isn’t just a cost of living crisis... food insecurity has become chronic for many families'

Vic Harper CEO of The Bread & Butter Thing says growing numbers of working people are struggling to afford food.

Read more: ➡️ bit.ly/4ozVF5j
#CostOfLivingCrisis

We’ll use these findings to push for a Cash First approach when Lewisham delivers its Crisis & Resilience Fund in 2026.
📊 Full data & graphics in our Linktree in bio. 4/4

This is part of our Cash First Trial, building on our 2021 pilot.
In June 2025, 30 participants received cash support for 4 weeks, testing 3 different payment methods. Trial results will be released mid-October. 3/4

🔹 88% don’t have enough money for food
🔹 74% skipped meals because they couldn’t afford to eat
🔹 21% went a full day without eating in the previous week
🔹 54% prefer support via bank transfer 2/4

Lewisham’s Food Insecurity Crisis.
The only food insecurity data for the borough is out now, and it shows how urgent the situation is 1/4 @ifanuk.bsky.social @sabinegoodwin.bsky.social

🚨 BREAKING: The government's bill to cut disabled people's social security is still proceeding, but with all cuts to PIP now set to be REMOVED. 🧵

Because cash gives people the freedom to meet their own needs — and it works. 3/3

This wasn’t just about handing out money.
We co-designed the trial, paid people for their insight, and tested 3 different payment methods to see what really works.

We will use our findings to push for cash-first support through funds like the new Crisis & Resilience Fund. 2/3

📣 What did we actually do?
Our Cash First trial ran for 4 weeks.
30 people received direct cash support — shaped by community voices, not top-down decisions. 1/3
@sabinegoodwin.bsky.social @ifanuk.bsky.social

This isn’t about testing people — it’s about testing systems.

We’re asking: Which method of payment will be preferred and why?

Because cash isn’t just for crises — it’s about dignity, autonomy, and the power to choose. 4/4

We’re using Participatory Action Research and community psychology principles — methods that prioritise lived experience, equity, and real-change.

This isn’t just data collection. It’s about shifting power. 3/4

This trial builds on our 2021 pilot — but it’s not a repeat.

We’ve co-designed the research with the 999 club, past participants, and local voices.
Everyone involved is paid for their time and insight. This is with, not on, communities. 2/4

We’ve been talking about our #CashFirst trial — now we’re digging into the why.

Week 3 of 4: 30 people receiving direct cash, co-designed with communities, rooted in trust & dignity.

Cash in a crisis isn’t radical — it’s necessary. @ifanuk.bsky.social @sabinegoodwin.bsky.social 1/4

A BIG win from today's spending review...

A new Crisis and Resilience Fund will give local authorities guaranteed long-term funding to support people on low incomes in their communities.

This will help stop short-term crisis from pushing people to food banks. A game changer 👏

Quote card with JRF chief exec Paul Kissack saying "Today's spending review had some welcome first steps on housing, child poverty and crisis support for the poorest people. These need to be backed by decisive action at the budget to improve living standards directly, along with stopping the cuts to disability benefits and delivering a strong child poverty strategy."

Earlier today, we heard the Chancellor @RachelReevesMP
set out details of the government's multi-year spending review.

She said it would 'ensure that renewal is felt in people's everyday lives'. 🔽

1/5

At first glance, how far has the government taken action in the Spending Review to reduce hunger & hardship?

1. Great news of a new multi year Crisis and Resilience fund to replace Household Support Fund. Just as @trusselluk.bsky.social has been calling for!
...1/4

Disability benefit cuts will have 'catastrophic impact' on mentally ill people

The government's plans to cut disability benefits such as PIP will have a “catastrophic impact” on people’s finances and mental health.

We are in Week 2 of 4 of our Cash First trial – 30 participants are receiving direct cash payments.
Building on findings from our 2021 pilot, this research helps us understand what method of payment works — and why

@ifanuk.bsky.social @sabinegoodwin.bsky.social #CashFirst

We’re live!

The Cash First Trial starts today.

@ifanuk.bsky.social @sabinegoodwin.bsky.social

No 10 delays child poverty strategy with tens of thousands more facing hardship Exclusive: Flagship policy put back until at least autumn amid fears cost of removing two-child benefit cap will outweigh political benefit

"If this government is serious in its commitment to the nation’s children, it can’t keep waiting for the stars to align before taking action. It must urgently invest in children and their families, starting with scrapping the two-child limit.” @cpaguk.bsky.social www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

Keir Starmer promised to end food bank Britain. What happened? Food bank volunteers are having to face facts, writes Sabine Goodwin, director of the Independent Food Aid Network.

'Food bank volunteers might not be able to go on strike, but they can imagine a better future. And they can continue to urge the government to stick to its manifesto promise to end the ‘moral scar on our society’ that has swept them up in its wake.' @bigissue.com

www.bigissue.com/opinion/keir...

Here’s a snapshot from our 2021 Cash First pilot. We found cash gave people flexibility, choice and room to experiment, helping ease the psychological impact of poverty. Now, as we move into the Cash First Trial, we’re testing which payment method works best and why.

We’re excited to launch the next phase of Cash First- A Participatory Action Research (PAR) project tackling food insecurity in Lewisham with direct cash support.
Designed with the community, with the aim to drive policy change. @sabinegoodwin.bsky.social @ifanuk.bsky.social