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CEO Blog – Challenge Poverty Week 2025

YMCA Bellshill & Mossend
Oct 1

Affordable Energy and Community Renewal: Why Challenge Poverty Week Matters in Bellshill

Every day at YMCA Bellshill & Mossend, we see the realities of poverty. It isn’t an abstract statistic. It is the parent choosing not to eat so their children can. It is the child who says they can’t join in a trip because there’s no money at home. It is the young person who comes to our foodbank embarrassed but determined to keep their family going.

In North Lanarkshire, over one in four children grow up in poverty. That’s thousands of children and families whose lives are limited not by their ambition, but by a lack of income and opportunity. That’s why Challenge Poverty Week matters – because it shines a light on those realities, while also highlighting solutions that already exist in our communities.

Energy and Dignity

One of the sharpest ways poverty is felt today is through energy bills. Over the last few years, we’ve all seen how rising fuel costs have created impossible choices for families – heating or eating, paying bills or going into debt.

At YMCA Bellshill, we’ve tried to lead by example. Thanks to investment from Scottish Power Energy Networks and local support, we have installed air source heat pumps, new energy-efficient windows, upgraded lighting and solar power. These changes mean our building is warmer, more sustainable, and cheaper to run. That matters, because every pound we save on heating is a pound we can spend on services for our community.

But it also sends a wider message: affordable energy is about dignity. Families shouldn’t need to sit in the cold, or tell children to put on another jumper, simply because they can’t afford their bills. Energy justice means everyone, regardless of income, should be able to heat and light their home.

Listening to Local Voices

This Challenge Poverty Week, we’ve asked our children, young people, families, and women’s group what poverty means to them. Their answers are powerful:

· Our S1–S4 young people said poverty in Bellshill means “no food”, “no heating”, “not feeling safe”, and “being left out”.

· Our women’s group showed how difficult it is to feed a family on a small budget, cooking meals for under £5 and sharing the challenges they face every week.

· Our childcare groups drew pictures of “a good life”, which included simple things like family, friends, toys, and food.

· Our digital group talked about jobs, skills, and how fair pay and opportunity are key to escaping poverty.

These are not abstract ideas – they are lived experiences. They remind us that poverty isn’t only about income. It affects confidence, relationships, opportunities, and mental wellbeing.

Building Communities Where Everyone Belongs

The theme that runs through all of this is belonging. Poverty isolates. It makes people feel less than others, left out of ordinary life. But community can change that.

At YMCA Bellshill, we work hard to make sure everyone feels they belong. From our foodbank and community swap shop, to our youth work, childcare, esports academy, digital groups, and women’s wellbeing programmes – we create spaces where people can feel valued, included, and safe.

We believe this is how we challenge poverty: by tackling immediate hardship, by helping people build skills and confidence, and by calling for wider change so that every person has the same chance to shine.

A Call to Action

Challenge Poverty Week is not just about raising awareness. It is about action. It is about calling on decision makers to ensure:

· A social security system that protects rather than punishes.

· Fair work with fair pay and secure conditions.

· Affordable energy for all.

· Communities where everyone belongs.

As CEO, I am proud of the work our staff, volunteers, and partners do every day. But I also know it is not enough to manage poverty – we must end it. That requires systemic change at national level, alongside strong, resilient communities at local level.

Final Word

This week, you’ll see us share the voices of Bellshill – children’s drawings, young people’s posters, women’s cooking sessions, digital skills, food bank stories, and more. I invite you to listen to them, share them, and join us in saying clearly:

Poverty is not inevitable. Poverty is not acceptable. Together, we can build a fairer Scotland.

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CEO Blog – Challenge Poverty Week 2025

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