Challenging poverty locally

CHALLENGE Poverty Week will be marked in Dumfries and Galloway. The council, in partnership with the region-wide Dumfries and Galloway Poverty and Inequalities Partnership, will be supporting Challenge Poverty Week 2025, a national campaign led by Poverty Alliance Scotland to raise awareness and promote action to tackle poverty. It starts today and runs to Sunday and aims to raise a unified voice against poverty and promote a fairer, more equal Scotland; build awareness of and support for effective solutions to poverty; change the public conversation around poverty and reduce the stigma of living on a low income. Throughout the week, Dumfries and Galloway Council and its partners will share a programme of videos and information aligned with the campaign’s key daily themes. They are Social Security; Fair work; Investing in life’s essentials; Investing in communities; warm homes, green travel and safe climate. Council leader Stephen Thompson said: "Challenge Poverty Week is an opportunity to reaffirm our commitment to tackling poverty and inequalities across Dumfries and Galloway. "We are supporting a range of initiatives that help people increase their incomes, reduce essential costs and live with dignity, using targeted investment and partnership working. “We are focused on delivering practical help where it is needed most, including emergency energy payments, holiday food support, school uniform provision and transport assistance." A range of projects are in place locally addressing poverty and inequalities across the region. This includes the Emergency Energy Payment Assistance Programme, providing fuel vouchers and support to tackle fuel poverty; Support for Holiday Food Fund payments for children and families during school holidays; the Fareshare Project; school uniform collection points; and the Taxi Card Scheme.