Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024 to 2027

To ensure the voices of local people experiencing poverty have informed our strategy and action plan we have adopted a partnership approach. This has included for example:   

• anti-poverty organisation Thrive leading on the recruitment and support to Peer Led Researchers to carry out six in depth interviews
• feedback from Thrive Facing Futures project (around 50 lighter touch interviews with members of the community)
• direct conversations with residents with lived experience (Positive Living Group) to understand their experiences and also to seek their involvement in the development of the strategy (what it would look like, how we can bring the strategy to life, how we encourage those with lived experience to help develop solutions and their ongoing role in monitoring the impact of the strategy)
• feedback from 500 surveys undertaken as part of the Project Harmony (residents in the Stockton Town Centre wards)
• the Residents Survey feedback where over 1400 replies were also considered 
• feedback from more than 30 Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council staff, as the majority are residents of the borough
• feedback from a range of local partnerships, including for example Infinity and our network of 7 Community Partnerships, Multi-Agency network, Refugee and Asylum Seekers Forum, amongst many others
• feedback from 80 anti-poverty questionnaires with individuals and groups, including residents accessing the Borough's Community Spaces and groups such as Starfish, Red Balloons, Refugee Futures and Bright Minds Big Futures
• feedback from Anti-Poverty Delivery Group members who actively sought and gathered the views of individuals they support