Introducing the Norfolk Spotlight
A regular look at our community data.
For many, we are the first port of call for when things go wrong. This gives us a unique insight on the patterns in issues that Norfolk residents are dealing with. Our Norfolk Spotlight serves as an opportunity to share what we’ve discovered and discuss with you how we can work towards creating positive local change and alleviating some of these pressures on our community.
Norfolk Spotlight - 18th April 2023
18/04/2023
This month, our meeting focused on the sharp rise in clients coming to us for help with their debts. The total amount of debt we’ve written off for our clients in the past year is more than twice the amount from the previous two years combined, and worryingly, the trend in our data tells us this increase is accelerating. In the first week of 2023 alone we helped a record number of people with their debt issues, and while breaking records might be a considered a positive for other organisations, for us it’s a very troubling sign for the future of our communities.
A persons ability to sustain themselves and their family revolves around their finances. When this comes under threat, it can drastically affect all other areas of their lives. This compounding of pressure can often push people to act out in frustration which has the potential to become very destructive to the community. We can see an example of this in the correlation between the rise of reported debt issues and an equal rise in reported GVA & Hate Crime issues. This tells us that we should focus on addressing the root causes of stress in peoples lives, here being debt, in order to bring a lasting stability to the community.
We also take a closer look at the demographics most affected by issues associated with the rising Cost of Living over 2022 and 2023. Our data shows that women, ethnic minorities and those with disabilities or long term health conditions are disproportionately affected and we’ve see an increased number of people belonging to these groups coming to us for help with issues directly resulting from the rising cost of living. This not only highlights the necessity of our service in making sure that marginalized groups have access to support as and when they need it, but it also tells us that the unacknowledged restrictions these groups of people experience needs to be taken into consideration if we are to provide a source of lasting support that restores their independence.
