Up Front
More than 40,000 Southwark residents claim Universal Credit Almost 42,000 Southwark residents were claiming Universal Credit in August and two fifths of this number were in work, according to new government figures.
Scissors of Oz founder launches storytelling programme Founder of Scissors of Oz, Oz Izzet, has launched a programme to empower people through hair – “If in despair, brush your hair”, a storytelling programme for women.
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he idea started prior to the COVID-19 pandemic, when Oz applied for funding to create workshops for women in the Southwark’s Women’s Hub to talk about their heritage, experiences of any hair-related trauma, hair care and self-care strategies. The aim of the programme was to empower people and to improve wellbeing, healthy mental health and confidence through grooming.
The programme would see 30 participants come together through five sessions of three hours each, to be empowered
through their experiences of hair, re-developing the idea of beauty. Through discussion, creative writing and establishing practical tips, participants would establish their own feel-good strategies to maintain their sense of wellbeing and mental health. Funding for the programme was received from The Culture Seeds. However, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, this did not permit the workshops to take place in the Southwark Women’s Hub, which provides support to women in the area, and the workshop had to be modified to continue to spread the word about the kind of work that Scissors of Oz do. The new idea involved one-toones with women in the Scissors of Oz premises, allowing them to have open conversations in a safe place and connect with others – creating a community
and wellbeing space where they can come and feel amazing and relaxed. Influencer Shahira was the first to be involved and the conversation was recorded with the hope and vision that it would be shown to a wider outreach of people and audiences, helping to encourage self-care and empowerment in sharing stories around hair care and grooming. Oz Izzet, founder of Scissors of Oz, said: “Launching this programme means a great deal to me; I wanted to give back to the amazing women at the Southwark’s Women’s Hub and create a safe space for them to share their experiences together. In doing this, we aid and promote the importance of self-care, have open conversations about stigma, heal together and empower each other through hair.”
The latest data also shows that the furlough scheme was still supporting more than 8,000 people in the borough a month before it was scrapped. Marking London Challenge Poverty Week, local London Assembly Member, Marina Ahmad AM, is calling on ministers to strengthen the safety net and increase the minimum wage to support the lowest income households this winter. Ms Ahmad is raising concerns that alongside the cut to the £20 weekly uplift in Universal Credit payments and the end to the furlough scheme, energy bills and food prices are increasing. Recent figures from the Office of National Statistics (ONS) also revealed that last year, the least well-off households in the capital spent, on average 60%, of their income on private rent. At the start of the pandemic, the government increased Local Housing Allowance to cover the bottom 30% of rents. However, Ms Ahmad said ministers must boost this further to encompass up to 50% of local rent levels, to prevent more families from falling into arrears to private landlords. Local London Assembly member, Marina Ahmad AM, said: “I am really concerned that it is going to be a very difficult winter for many lowincome and vulnerable households in Southwark, who could struggle to afford to put the heating on, or put enough food on the table. “Thousands in our community have been hit by the cut to Universal Credit and the end of the furlough scheme. On top of this, we are facing increasing energy bills and food prices. “The government simply must do more to stop people from falling below the poverty line. “The safety net needs to be strengthened, with the Universal Credit uplift reinstated and Local Housing Allowance increased to cover average rents. “Our economic recovery cannot be built upon so many in our community being levelled down.”
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