This year, Challenge Poverty Week is from October 12th to 19th – though in Cornwall
we do Challenge Poverty Month – the whole of October!
Once again we are asking you to consider inviting a ‘leader’ to your project. This
could be an MP, a Cornwall or local town/parish Councillor, a senior Council
Officer, or a faith leader. This is an opportunity for your visitor to appreciate and say
thank you to your volunteers and staff. It is also an opportunity for you to outline the challenges
facing your clients / those you serve, and so raise your visitors’ awareness of the
issues underlying the poverty that too many in Cornwall continue to endure.
If you are not able to ‘find’ a leader locally yourself, then do get in touch with Andrew
Yates, who may be able to point you to someone.
If you can take a photo of the visit that includes the attached poster somewhere and
send it to Andrewy@cornwallindependentpovertyforum.com, we will include it in
the CPW 2026 report. Please say a little bit about your project and details of your
VIP visitor.
As part of CPW 2026, we are partnering with Simon Fann, the Social Justice
Advocate from Truro Foodbank, to hold a Conference on Social Justice on
Thursday 15 October at St Erme Village Hall. Bookings are already open and
going like the proverbial hot cakes.
So use the Eventbrite link to find out more and book your place:
CLICK HERE TO BOOK
And you can read all about 2025 at the links below:
Welcome to the Cornwall Independent Poverty Forum website. The Cornwall Independent Poverty Forum (CIPF) was founded in 1997 and has always worked to help those in need and to offer project development support to organisations that seek to help others. In 2019 the CIPF became a Registered Charity, Charity Number 1183177.
For more than 25 years, the CIPF has developed and operated a number of initiatives, including the Backpack Beds Project, which offers temporary weatherproof shelter for those sleeping rough, as well as the Cornish Christmas Giving Catalogue Project.
The CIPF also raises awareness of the problems of poverty in Cornwall. In 2019 the CIPF produced their Citizens Panel Report and in 2020 produced the report A Fair and Just Future for Cornwall and then A Community Manifesto for Cornwall.
Since 2021 we have promoted Challenge Poverty Week within Cornwall which takes place in October. Encouraging projects to invite local leaders to showcase the important work they are doing and highlight the personal stories behind the reasons that so many anti-poverty groups are necessary.
We also work closely with other organisations such as Church Action on Poverty, Transformation Cornwall and End Hunger UK and we helped establish End Hunger Cornwall.
A Fair & Just Cornwall
Leading Cornish voices, drawn from business, community, faith and charity sectors, have set out their vision of a ‘Fair and Just Future for Cornwall’ in a report that will be presented to council leaders and the Cornish MPs.
Community Manifesto 2024
This manifesto is a collection of ideas submitted by people from across Cornwall, aimed at making our county a fairer and more just place to live.
Challenge Poverty Week 2025
The Cornwall Independent Poverty Forum in partnership with Truro Foodbank and with support from Church Action on Poverty, organised and promoted Challenge Poverty Week Cornwall 2025.