This week has been a rather strange week for me. The days have passed extremely quickly for some unknown reason. Thursday arrived very quickly. 

We were hoping for better weather, but as usual it was freezing cold. There always seems to be a breeze coming round the corner and from within the Jobcentre. Maybe it’s emanating from the hate that the DWP have of us helping people outside. They’ve certainly made that very clear over the years. 

The food parcels arrived on time and there was already a queue forming. This is getting very regular now. I posted on Facebook that they had arrived and then they had left straight away. 

Had a chat with some of the folk that we see regularly. It’s important that we keep up to date with how they are. No one looked happy today, but thats very understandable. 

It was non stop. A constant stream of advice, signposting and handing out leaflets. Anyone that stands with us can attest for how busy it gets. 

We helped with bus fare for a couple that had to go to an urgent appointment in a different town. How on earth can officials ask people to attend meetings when they have no means of getting there? Not many seem to have any comprehension of this. 

There were many complaints of how awful the system is, but how glad that they are that we are outside helping. We’ve been speaking to one chap every week for three years now. 

We’ve completed our draft of our survival guide leaflet, which we are hoping to get printed asap. This will prove to be invaluable as it’s a step by step guide which is exactly what people need. Thanks to Roy one of our members for helping with this, I think I’ve driven him mad! 

Spoke to a lady that is escaping domestic violence. She’s really going through it, but is accessing the help that she needs to get through this. She knows where to find me if she needs me. 

Spoke to a family very briefly who have not long arrived in this country. Lovely people and they had good representation. I wish them all the best with their new life’s, and the best of luck! 

Some bad news, a lady that we have been helping for a long time has been taken ill and many thanks to a comrade for visiting her today. I will be spending the day with her tomorrow to try and persuade her to get the help that she needs. This has really upset both myself and the team. We will be keeping a close eye on her. 

As for me, well I’m trying to keep my head above water. I’m sure all readers will totally understand this. 

Just because I and others campaign doesn’t mean that we are well off. We aren’t and I have more bad weeks than good weeks. For example I’m on the emergency electric, and once that goes well it’s gone. So it might take a while to get back to you.

Big sigh of relief this week in reaction to the government doing a u turn on the self employed tax decision. Now I’m worried about where they will decided to take the money from. 

Massive shout out to the anti fracking campaigners at Preston New Road near Blackpool. After Lancashire County council ruling that they weren’t allowing fracking in their area, the government simply overruled it and went ahead. As a result they are campaigning hard and putting everything at risk to do this. I stand in awe. 

Big shoutout to the amazing Pauline that gives us the food parcels as part of the we shall overcome campaign. We really appreciate it and we really need them. We often go out and buy extra and like I’ve mentioned before, we fund other things if they occur. 

The saddest sight of today was a gentleman that happened to be walking past us as we stood outside the Jobcentre. He was dressed in raggedy ill fitting clothes. Hair unkempt, with two walking sticks, an arm sling tossed onto his back because he was struggling to hold his other walking stick and a bag. He looked like he had stepped straight out of a Charles Dickens book. He didn’t want to talk, he shuffled off to his destination. 

He just summed up how badly the Tory Government are treating the poorest and most vulnerable in this country. They’ll stop at nothing to punish these people, just because they can and they see them as an easy target.

I’m sure that this is not an unusual sight for my readers, however it doesn’t make it unworthy to write about either. 

I will be spending tomorrow visiting and helping  a lady whom we have been helping that is very ill. Maybe Saturday also. Who knows. All I know along with comrades is that she needs lots of help. 

Please donate if you possibly can. It’s not easy campaigning and we are making a difference. We feed, empower and enable people to survive the awful DWP system. We have save life’s, and this is not an understatement. We are a person’s first port of call when they are feeling awful, stressed and sometimes suicidal. We are hands on, and deal with issues as and when they happen. I’m also struggling also, but you all know that.  Many thanks to those that have already. Thank you!

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