29/10/2009 - County meets poverty pledge promise

Six months after setting out a strategy for tackling the economic downturn and improving opportunities and quality of life for everyone in Cumbria, the county council’s three-year plan is making a difference.

Launched in the spring, the Council Plan 2009-12 identified how to tackle inequalities in health, wealth and opportunity across Cumbria and showed how the county council aims to deal with poverty and the devastating impacts it can have on our communities.

Now, half a year down the line, the plan is playing a key role in improving the lives of Cumbrians from pensioners to children all over the county from Barrow to Longtown and St Bees to Brough.

* Our anti-poverty strategy has seen council tax increases remain low (2.5per cent was the lowest since council tax was introduced in 1993).

* We said we would reintroduce school clothing grants and since June 7,344 schoolchildren have received grants.

* We vowed to increase the uptake of free school meals and 7,415 school meal grants have been made this year compared to 6,798 last year.

* We said we would increase debt advice and so far 1800 people have received advice from the Citizens advice Bureau thanks to council funding 

* We said we would support the creation of more credit unions across the county and we are on track to increase membership of credit unions by a third to provide safe and reliable for people with money worries

Council leader Jim Buchannan said: "Six months into the Council Plan we are seeing evidence of major improvements. Within an increasingly difficult financial context we will work hard to continue these improvements and give people a better quality of life.’

‘We are trying to help Cumbrians through the recession. We are seeing real improvements such as starting the construction of CNDR, through to helping smaller companies by paying them more promptly. From ensuring our children are given the support and assistance they need to realise their potential, through to continuing our work to support elderly –the work set out in our plan is starting to make a difference across the county and we will continue it."

Deputy Leader of the Council Stewart Young said: "The priorities we highlighted in the plan have helped cushion the blow of the economic recession and the people of Cumbria are really feeling its benefits such as the school clothing grants and an increased uptake of free school meals.

"We will now be looking to build on the major strides we’ve made so far this year to make further improvements as we progress through the plan."

The council’s Cabinet will consider a review of its six month council plan at it’s meeting on 3 November. To view the full report visit www.cumbria.gov.uk/eLibrary/Content/Internet/536/40113104653.pdf

ENDS

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