Blog Posts

Black Lives Matter- APLE Collective

As a national collective of people with lived experience of poverty and organisations which support them, we stand together with others to acknowledge that racism is here in the UK and raise our voices to say, it is not acceptable to believe that some human beings are worth less than others.  We stand against racism in any form.  Understanding a problem from the outside, speaking on behalf of others – without the reality and wisdom of Read more…

By aplecollective, ago
woman having a video call

A Personal Reflection on The digital divide and how it affects us all (Expert Citizens)

I was asked to write about my thoughts on digital exclusion and you would think I would immediately think of all the lockdown stuff and how so many people are being left out of this whole ‘new normal’ world. Instead my first thoughts were more aligned to how much this has always been a major problem than needed addressing. For years it has been expected that everyone on Universal Credit, people that sometimes struggle to Read more…

By aplecollective, ago
grayscale photography of crying woman

Digital Exclusion: Feeling Anxious, Under Pressure, and Bored- ATD Fourth World

Under lockdown, most people are using the internet more than ever before. For those who cannot afford the devices and wifi that could connect them, the digital divide feels wider than ever. The BBC notes that only 47 per cent of people on a low income have broadband internet at home. Both the BBC and The Guardian credit the APLE Collective for its advocacy on this issue. To read more:

By aplecollective, ago

‘The New Normal’ – Hartlepool Action Lab

‘The New Normal’ – a statement many of us will now relate to Zoom calls instead of team meetings, FaceTime instead of family gatherings and phone calls instead of a drink in the pub with friends.  Since the Coronavirus outbreak and subsequent lockdown, it has turned our worlds upside down, with many people being utterly grateful for their access to technology, using it as a lifeline to connect to the outside world. However, for those Read more…

By aplecollective, ago

It’s not the Coronavirus I’m worried about – It’s falling behind at school. (Poverty Truth Community)

We all know what young people are thinking and feeling and worrying about just now, right?  We remember what it was like to be at school – we can guess, we can imagine?  Right?  This week The Poverty Truth Community caught up with 8 young people in Glasgow aged 11-16 and decided to make sure we do.  Talking the digital divide, school, glockenspiels and guilt; the main thing they told us is this  – just Read more…

By aplecollective, ago

APLE Collectve mention in BBC article- Coronavirus: Eight things that have kept us going in lockdown

The APLE Collective have been mentioned in an article on the BBC website. “Coronavirus has forced people around the world to change the way they live their lives. In Britain we have been spending most of our time at home, attempting to educate our own children and leaving the house only for essential reasons. What has kept us going? Here are eight things British people have been doing to cope with life in lockdown.” To Read more…

By aplecollective, ago

APLE Collective mentioned in LGC- Helen Barnard- What councils must do to tackle poverty after pandemic

The APLE Collective have been mentioned in an article for the LGC website, written by Helen Barnard. “@HartActionLab and @ThriveTeesside, members of @ApleCollective, say local government should work more closely with those using key services so they are designed and delivered as accessibly as possible” To read the full article:

By aplecollective, ago

APLE mention on Rethinking Poverty- WORK WITH ALL MEMBERS OF OUR SOCIETY TO #BUILDBACKBETTER

The APLE Collective have been mentioned in an article featured on the ‘Rethinking Poverty‘ website- written by Katy Goldstraw and John Diamond. “The unprecedented challenges created by the global COVID-19 pandemic have brought about many examples of human kindness, compassion and value-driven policy responses. Painted rainbows in windows across the country and a weekly clap for NHS workers are tangible examples of how much, in the face of adversity, the nation values its key workers. Read more…

By aplecollective, ago

Hartlepool Action Lab- Digital Exclusion

In this digital age we now live in the world seems so much smaller and accessible than ever before, but only for some. For those not riding high on the wave of new technology, the digital divide is an ever-growing expanse of exclusion, isolation and despair.           Coronavirus has taken us all into a new way of living and working. Our social and business interactions have been replaced with digital substitutes such as Zoom or Read more…

By aplecollective, ago

APLE Collective featured in The Guardian- Digital divide ‘isolates and endangers’ millions of UK’s poorest

Charities warn of ‘devastating effect’ as most vulnerable households left without access to web. The APLE Collective has been quoted in a piece in The Guardian on the ‘Digital Divide’ and the affect it’s having on low income communities. From the article, Yet anti-poverty groups such as the Aple Collective, a network of people who have experienced poverty, say not enough is being done. “We welcome the positive and compassionate moves being made by government and the Read more…

By aplecollective, ago