A hard-hitting film, showcasing poverty in Ventnor, has been aired for the first time, sparking discussion on how the town can help its most at-need residents.
Commissioned by Ventnor Town Council (VTC) and made by local filmmaker David George of Utility Films, Family Voice tells of the experiences of users of the town’s community foodbank, baby box and food and fuel vouchers.
Ventnor mayor, Cllr Steph Toogood said a lot was heard about poverty nationally but on Monday night they were focusing on Ventnor and what it could do to help the situation.
She said:
“Wherever you look there are problems and we do need to up our game.”
Tony McCarthy, VTC’s community development officer, said through the film they were trying to listen to people in poverty, capturing the views of those who were marginalised and ground down by poverty.
In the films, the words of Ventnor residents were spoken by actors and their names changed.
One woman said she always had financial worries on her mind, having to make a choice between paying for food, electricity or gas and without enough money in the bank to pay all three.
Another said with the way things were at the moment, people are just going to be pushed further and further into poverty and there was no levelling up, it was just levelling down.
A father said as a family they have stuck together as they could not rely on services anymore and it was demoralising to have to use the foodbank as he wants to pay his way. He said it feels the rich are getting richer and the poor are getting poorer.
Rachel Thomson, community centre manager at Pan Together, was present at the showing and praised VTC for shining a much-needed anonymised spotlight on families and households in poverty.
She said sadly the tales were all too familiar with people in desperate need, through no fault of their own, having to ask for help from local crisis support services.
“It is a damning indictment on society that people have to face such crises on a daily basis as the cost of living crisis bites hard and deep,” she said.
Following the film, groups discussed ways the council could help, including better signposting to services, warm banks, local mental health support, budgeting classes and sponsorship for families.
The town council will now take away all suggestions and feedback from the meeting and see if any can be implemented.
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