christmas is coming, poor families, christmas and credit

treliac

SingleSue wrote: »

Oh my, I am so embarrassed now...I thought Lemonjelly was female!

Oh no, the occasional bit of male raunchiness let the cat out the bag.

I've now got to start reading his posts with a male voice in my mind and not a female one.....

:rotfl: The mental picture!

wageslave

I agree with the previous poster who felt that credit unions aren't as user friendly as they could be. They are a fantastic idea but they just aren't reaching their target audience.

The provvy goes door to door, credit unions should be doing the same. Or at the very least setting up a table in the corner shop or pub or whatever a couple of nights a week.

People should be taught how to live frugally. I would have compulsory classes for those on benefits teaching them how to make a pot of soup and the myriad cleaning properties of vinegar.

These are the things our mothers and grandmothers would have taught us before society became so fragmented.

You can lament over a situation or you can do something positive about it. It wont solve the problems of people living on that estate and others like it but it might help just a little.

And when you have sod all, a little help can go a long, long way

kabayiri

To echo what WageSlave says, I was asked to support a friend by attending their children's communion at the weekend. Now I confess to being one of those lapsed churchgoers.

Anyway, it was a bit long but a pleasant surprise, aided no doubt by a very eloquent bishop.

Afterwards, mulling around in the entrance way, you can't help but be struck by just how much social support activity was going on. Varied collections were ongoing, from wildlife support, to some kind of Mums Union.

It's made me want to get involved more. It is a bit of a shame it is a little wrapped up in the whole religious package, which might alienate some.

Oh, the government will bail out banks to the tune of billions, but I'm afraid it will be us who will have to bail out our communities.

PasturesNew

SingleSue wrote: »

Oh my, I am so embarrassed now...I thought Lemonjelly was female!

I've now got to start reading his posts with a male voice in my mind and not a female one.....

So did I!
Blimey ... it's all change here isn't it.

lostinrates

kabayiri wrote: »

It's made me want to get involved more. It is a bit of a shame it is a little wrapped up in the whole religious package, which might alienate some.
.

It doesn't have to. Like many villages our points of reference as a village are the church and church hall, and the pub. We have never felt unwelcome in the church, the ''big church'' in the biggest village in the parish does a catholic and at one point also a polish catholic mass one day a week or fortnight, and whole host of people only go for the events being lapsed, agnostic or aethiest. It seems to me the churches and officiates locally know its not the few people who go very sunday who are the promise of their survival, nor the entire substance of the communities. On the occasion I go I am welcome to receive blessing, and people are always pleased to see DH who very, very occasionally goes and takes one instrument or another to play along with a hymn. The church brings in business for the local B and Bs and pubs for weddings etc too...so gives back a bit too.

wageslave

My Ma and umpteen of my aunts are never off their bliddy knees, clicking away on their rosary beads.

I can't meet one of them in the street without being bullied into going to some kind of bring and by sale for the poor in Africa or some other place half a world away. The council estate half a mile up the road gets completely ignored.

If you could utilise that generation to tout the credit union round the doors and to teach Tracey and Wayne how to feed themselves on fourpence, you'd do more to alleviate child poverty in this country than a dozen government run schemes.

lostinrates

wageslave wrote: »

.

I can't meet one of them in the street without being bullied into going to some kind of bring and by sale for the poor in Africa or some other place half a world away. The council estate half a mile up the road gets completely ignored.

If you could utilise that generation to tout the credit union round the doors and to teach Tracey and Wayne how to feed themselves on fourpence, you'd do more to alleviate child poverty in this country than a dozen government run schemes.

I think it would also solve other social ills: better communtiy, many eyes on all children so they can have some freedom, bt where and adult will be nearby who knows them, and who knows who kids are not safe near. Then those same kids as teens...have the same beady eye on them, more touh love than protection now.

fc123

tek-monkey wrote: »

Maybe society should stop trying to ram the stereotypical christmas they expect people to have down our throats, then maybe people would feel less pressurised into spending money they don't have on things they don't need?

I wish I could thank that twice.

That's the beginning of the problem...the Provident and the rest are the symptoms.

lostinrates

I bet most people don't know much about the traditional versus stereotypical Christmas anyway. I had trouble convincing children that turkey was not the traditional British Christmas meat in ''the olden days''.

Pobby

I have loads in my extended family. Presents all round, duh! Frankly I have all that I need and really don`t want a daft tee shirt or whatever. My Misses, oh dear, then insists that we have to buy for their partners as well They are young`uns and prolly have a different boy/ girlfriend the next year. Put me foot down and said it`s a tenner each tops, I must be going soft.

Then the phone calls, what does he/ she want for Christmas. It`s already started. As I say I want nothing but end up, being forced into this by saying book vouchers which I end up using on puter books. That`s a waste. Just bought a nigh on 40 quidder off Amazon for about £7.