Cost of living crisis summit to be held in Peterborough

A cost of living crisis summit to help tackle the cost of living in Peterborough is to be held online next week (September 6).

The summit will be hosted by Peterborough Council for Voluntary Service (PCVS) as part of their ‘Recovery Project’ funded by The National Lottery Community Fund.

It will bring together PCVS, Peterborough, Utility Aid and other residents, partners, and voluntary organisations to discuss ways that they can further support residents in need this winter.

The summit comes as the cost of virtually everything we buy in everyday life has increased and further exposed the deep financial inequalities that have continued for Peterborough’s residents.

The data on the cost of living in Peterborough is stark. It shows that nearly half of universal claimants in Peterborough were are in work. Similarly, more than a third of children in Peterborough live in households on less than 60% of the median wage after housing costs.

PCVS has said that the current pressures on household finances due to inflation are likely to exacerbate this situation. Therefore, the need for a summit addressing the situation across Peterborough is greater than ever.

To help deliver the summit, Stuart Haw, PCVS Community Health Manager and Ester Baffa-Isaacs, Cohesion and Social Mobility Manager from Peterborough City Council as part of the City Councils Safer Peterborough Partnership have been working together to scope out the issues affecting local people.

They have brought local community leaders and statutory services together within the partnership to understand issues, what provisions are available and what gaps need to be addressed further.

Stuart said: “I want to encourage our members from the Charity and Voluntary Sector and members of the public to see this summit as a vital way to stay informed about what the challenges are for communities within the cost of living crisis. We are doing our best to understand these challenges and to respond by identifying the support that is available.

"This summit aims to provide tangible outputs so that communities can keep up with the rising cost of living.”

Esther added: “With the levels of deprivation and in-with poverty within the city, the Cost of Living summit is a vital stepping stone in coordinating our citywide response to these”.

The Cost of Living Summit will take place online on September 6 at 10am, if you wish to find out more or wish to book your place visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/cost-of-

living-summit-tickets-400382965227.