Get Fair: together against poverty

The UK-wide Get Fair campaign has an ambitious aim: to end poverty in the UK within a generation. Mind is proud to be a part of the coalition, which kicked off with a parliamentary launch in spring 2008, to improve the quality of life for everyone in the UK.

Why Get Fair?
Get Fair is not Make Poverty History UK. It is not aiming to get millions of people wearing wrist bands, or fill Edinburgh, Birmingham or Westminster with 150,000 banner-waving activists, and it doesn't have Bob Geldof in the wings to organise another Hyde Park extravaganza.

The organisations and supporters of Get Fair want a just and fair society, free from poverty in all its forms. The campaign wants to challenge poverty in the UK and positively change public attitudes. Recent research by the Joseph Rowntree Foundation found that ‘the public is a long way from supporting an anti-UK poverty agenda. They are not aware of the problem and do not believe that it is a legitimate issue’.

The campaign is calling on all political parties to commit to concrete measures to ensure decent, adequate incomes, fair access to services, affordable homes and decent neighbourhoods for young and old, for those who are disabled or not and for those who are single or have families. The campaign will run over the next year to ensure priority is given to tackling poverty in all its forms.

Timetable of events
The campaign will focus on activity in the run up to the next general election, which will take place in 2009-10. This approach will achieve maximum profile and engagement with supporters, civil society groups and the wider public, and include:

September 2008 - Spotlight on Poverty: Media launch of campaign nationally and opening of dialogue with MPs and party manifestos locally

4 October 2008 - Keep the Promise, End Child Poverty rally in London

February 2009 - Action week: ‘Poverty Monologues’ telling the real life stories of how poverty impacts on the lives of people across UK

Spring 2009 - Lobby and rally event (provisional) supplemented by on-going activities

Events, campaign actions and media stunts with partner organisations throughout year

Regular bulletins and e-actions for individual campaigners

How you can get involved
For further information on how you can help Get Fair or to register for updates about the campaign visit www.getfair.org.uk  or e-mail info@getfair.org.uk

You can also download a leaflet about Get Fair that will also allow you to register your support. You can download the leaflet here (PDF document).