Thrive went out onto the streets of Stockton engaging with the community on the effects of poverty.
Tracey Herrington, project manager at Thrive, said: “We want to raise awareness that there is an issue with poverty in the community. The voluntary sector is having to meet the needs of people who are struggling to get by through government cuts. We also want to raise awareness of all the injustice of sanctions and unfair PIP assessments.”
Walk Against Poverty – Thoughts from a walker
“I will walk 5000 miles and I will-“ oh wait wrong thing. I will walk 7 miles over the space of 7 hours for Poverty on a sunny day to raise awareness for the cause through Billingham, Norton, Stockton and Thornaby. If you know of Teesside’s 36 bus route you will know that the bus alone is quite the ride but to walk it with banners & plaques is even more of an accomplishment. Especially when you think of the physical ailments most of us carry with our everyday lives, Arthritis of the feet or legs being a slight issue and yet despite that we did the walk. We can be proud of ourselves for that alone.
But the most important thing was the awareness, many times we raised a beep or had inquisitive people asking if we were raising money but once we assured them of the truth they were even more sympathetic to our cause and congratulated us on our initiative.”
