The ACT Council of Social Service (ACTCOSS) and VolunteeringACT are co-chairing this year’s Anti-Poverty Weeks (APW) in the ACT, which will for the first time cover a fortnight rather than just one week (in light for the upcoming Voice Referendum). APW will be held from the 15th to the 27th of October 2023. This year there will be a national focus on ending child poverty and the campaign will focus on drawing attention to key priority areas including income support, cost of living, volunteering, and community sector work in the Territory.
Lack of awareness for the scale of child poverty, greater poverty and the ACT housing crisis is a major contributor to lack of action and change.
Poverty exists. Poverty hurts us all. We can all do something about it.
ACT Anti-Poverty Week Events
Hands Across Canberra Annual Charity Giving Lunch
Wednesday 18th Oct
Hands Across Canberra is hosting their Annual Hands Across Canberra Charity Lunch 2023. The fundraising lunch is sponsored by local supporters, and attended by charity partners, with guest speakers and attendance from the Chief Minister.
Gambling Harm Awareness Week 2023 Forum
Thursday 19th Oct 9am-12.45pm
The Gambling and Racing Commission is hosting a forum for Gambling Harm Awareness Week 2023 (which will overlap with APW) to discuss how all stakeholders can ‘Prevent, Empower, Support’ to address gambling harm in the ACT. This free forum will identify practical strategies for all stakeholders to play a role in reducing and preventing gambling harm and highlight the evidence behind them.
2023 Canberra Homeless Connect
Thursday 19th Oct 11am-3pm
Canberra Homeless Connect is an opportunity to see all the services and organisations available. It has the ability to connect those in need with service providers as well as bring the community together to end homelessness. The event is free for guests and no registration is required.
CEO Media Conference
Friday 20th Oct 9am
ACTCOSS and VolunteeringACT are hosting a media conference to officially launch ACT Anti-Poverty Weeks 2023. The media conference will feature community sector leaders from across Canberra, gathering to discuss the causes and consequences of poverty in the ACT. The event will take place in front of the ACT Legislative Assembly and be accompanied by the launch of our Poverty and Inequality Factsheet featuring sobering insights into poverty in the ACT.
Canberra City Salvos Anti-Poverty Week Community Hub & BBQ
Friday 20th Oct 10am-2pm
The Canberra City Salvos are hosting a community hub and free barbecue on Friday 20th October in acknowledgement of Anti-Poverty Week 2023. The event will be held at the corner of Fawkner St and Elouera St in Braddon, and will be an opportunity to meet a bunch of local services and hear about the great work they do supporting our community.
Telstra Tower Lit Up Blue
Friday 20th Oct Evening
Telstra Tower will be lit up in blue on the evening of Thursday 21st October. Telstra Tower will be lit in blue alongside other monuments across Australia during the week to raise awareness and communicate a brighter future of hope particularly for children in poverty.
Anti-Poverty Week Community Table
Wednesday 25th Oct 12pm-2pm
ACTCOSS and VolunteeringACT (Co-Chairs of ACT APW) are hosting a free community lunch at the Food Co-op Shop & Cafe. There will also be representatives from the community and volunteering sector, and opportunities to chat about poverty and inequality, and ways to take action in the ACT! All welcome.
Take action
This Anti-Poverty Week we are calling on our governments to unlock poverty for millions of Australians by raising income support above the poverty line and investing in social housing.
Everyone can play a role in poverty alleviation in our community including by:
- Getting informed and reading our factsheet which will be released at the beginning of APW
- Attending and participating in APW events
- Petitioning politicians to take action and emailing your MP about poverty
- Joining the campaign to Raise the Rate of income support
- Joining the Everybody’s Home campaign to increase social housing
- Donating to a local community organisation
- Finding volunteering opportunities in the ACT
Education Content
Every community, every school in the ACT has children, young people and families enduring financial stress and poverty. This year due to the impacts of COVID, responding to poverty and hardship must take on an even greater priority. The evidence shows that unemployment, under-employment, financial and housing stress and metal health problems are compounded by COVID.
We would appreciate any support promoting APW and sharing it with children and school communities:
Teaching resources are available online – ten lessons from Years 3 to 10 have been developed which map across the Australian curriculum and have been published on the Cool Australia online platform. You can find them here: Teaching Resources – Anti-Poverty Week. We are hoping teachers will use them in Term 4, especially during Anti-Poverty Weeks.
Contact
For further information or if you have any questions, please contact [email protected]
This year the 2023 ACT Anti-Poverty Week Organisers gratefully received a grant from the ACT Government to support APW activities.