Skip to main content

New commission launched to tackle poverty in Cambridgeshire

09 October 2024

A new commission involving organisations from across Cambridgeshire has been launched to tackle poverty in the county.

The Cambridgeshire Poverty Strategy Commission will work independently to deliver recommendations to partners across the county to support people who are currently in or at risk of poverty.

It will bring together a group of independent commissioners who have extensive professional experience supporting residents. They will:

  • look at data and evidence relating to poverty in Cambridgeshire and how the system currently responds to this
  • hear from residents who have personally experienced poverty
  • produce a series of recommendations for local organisations to consider as an approach to recognising and tackling poverty

The commission was launched on Tuesday 8 October at Huntingdon Commemoration Hall, where the 11 commissioners were introduced. Also present were representatives from Cambridgeshire County Council, the five city and district councils, and the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority, the Integrated Care Board (ICB) and voluntary organisations including Hunts Forum and Cambridge Council for Voluntary Services.

In recent months, partners across the public and voluntary sectors formed a delivery group to lead the recruitment of commissioners and provide guidance and direction. Further engagement with a wider group of partners and the public helped to gather initial ideas for areas for consideration by the commission.

The commission will meet regularly and determine what it will focus on within the timescales. It will deliver a report in early 2025 which will include a review of the evidence submitted and a set of recommendations.

Nick Blencowe and Anna Constantas will lead the commission as co-chairs. Nick started his career in health club management in London, before moving to Cambridgeshire and starting work with Citizens Advice Rural Cambridgeshire in 2012. Anna has lectured in social policy on family and community policies, and on public sector management. She formed a voluntary organisation for young people in Cambridge and was a board member of the local housing association CHS Group for nine years.

Cllr Lucy Nethsingha, Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council said: “Poverty affects us all – either through personal experience or through the impact on those around us, family, friends and communities. No single organisation can tackle poverty alone, so I am delighted that the County Council has used its convening powers to bring together colleagues from across the County to look at how we can work together in a system wide effort. However, it is important that the commission works independently, and I look forward to seeing their work and hearing how we can all recognise and tackle poverty across Cambridgeshire to make it a fairer and more caring place to live.”

Co-chairs Nick Blencowe and Anna Constantas added: “It is a pleasure and a challenge to be part of Cambridgeshire Poverty Strategy Commission, working alongside many talented and knowledgeable colleagues from the local community. Together, we will work to develop realistic options that not only address the immediate needs of those living in poverty but also focus on the structural and systemic changes required for long-term, sustainable progress.

“Poverty is an issue that touches many aspects of our day to day lives, from access to education and healthcare, to employment opportunities, digital exclusion, rural isolation and housing stability. Our work will focus on options that foster economic equity, promote social inclusion, and ensure that every individual has the opportunity to thrive, regardless of their background or circumstances.

“We are all really keen to take part in the project and are aware of the responsibilities this entails. Our independence and opportunities to collaborate, together with the ability to engage with partners and the Lived Experience materials will provide us with a serious platform - a platform from which to make recommendations that are genuinely impactful.”