Quaker Social Action

QSA's logo since 2015.

Quaker Social Action (QSA) is a small, independent charity working in east London and beyond to tackle poverty.^[1]

Each year, QSA supports around 3,000 people with practical action. 25 people are employed by QSA^[2] who are led by its director Judith Moran.

QSA is not a religious charity but Quaker values and a commitment to social justice sit at its heart.

Current projects

Currently based in Bethnal Green, QSA run the following projects:

Homestore Since 1988 Homestore has collected donated furniture from East London and sold it exclusively to local people in need and very low prices.
Down to Earth provides free, practical help to people on low incomes struggling with basic funeral costs.
Made of Money is an emotional-financial literacy project which supports low-income families to talk, listen and learn about money and its impact on their daily lives. The team also run a national training scheme that has enabled hundreds of other organisations to use Made of Money. It also runs a local focus project called MoneyTalk Camden North. Made of Money has been running since 2005.
Fair Funerals campaign Launched in 2013, this campaign raises QSA's voice on funeral poverty by working with the funeral industry, policy makers and the general public. It's Fair Funerals pledge has signed up hundreds of funeral directors in a commitment to fairer practice. The campaign has also prompted major discussions in Westminster and an inquiry into bereavement benefits.
This Way Up: provides East Londoners on low incomes with a free six week course to help them take charge of their life, feel good about themselves, and plan for the future.

Mission

"We enable people on low incomes in east London and beyond to seek solutions to the issues affecting their lives.

"To do this we listen and respond to the needs of the community by running practical, sustainable and collaborative projects.

"We share our work with others when it is clear that it has the potential to bring benefits to communities outside of our own."

History

Founded as the Bedford Institute Association (BIA) in 1867, its original purpose was to commemorate the life and continue the work of the Quaker silk merchant and philanthropist of Spitalfields, Peter Bedford (1780–1864).^[3]

1900s

As the BIA entered the 20th century, its eight branches across east and South London worked to nurture healthy citizens. They became places of refuge from the slums of East End streets, offering activities, summer camps, and outings for unemployed men and women with children.

Welfare state

The new post-war flats, new jobs, and new social legislation gave east Londoners an improved standard of living based on rights rather than charity. The welfare state made some of the BIA's work unnecessary, but after the war, the high density housing and broken community ties sowed the seeds of problems for the future.

Need in the 1970s

In the 1970s and 1980s, economic crises and changes to welfare policy created a new, spiraling rise in social deprivation and poverty. In the late 1980s the BIA began to grow rapidly once again in response. To reflect a more modern image and purpose, the BIA was renamed as Quaker Social Action and incorporated as a limited company (as well as a charity) in 1998.

Poverty today

Today East London today still has high rates of unemployment, escalating debt and homelessness. QSA continues to work with individuals, families, children and young people, empowering them to find solutions to the issues affecting their lives.

Awards

Notable recent awards for QSA include a win for Breakthrough of the Year at the 2015 Third Sector Awards for Down to Earth'swork on funeral poverty. In December 2012 QSA was given a Guardian Charity of the Year award for Down to Earth.^[4]

Sustainable Cities award; 2006 (for Homestore)
Bank of America neighbourhood excellence award 2007 (for all of our work)
London Voluntary Services Council success stories; 2007 (for Made of Money)
New Philanthropy Capital – recommended status award – 2007 (for Made of Money)
CAF charity award; 2008 (for Made of Money)
Tower Hamlets Third Sector award; 2010 (for Homestore)
Centre for Social Justice award; 2011 (for the Made of Money)
NCVO good governance runner up; 2012 (for the work of its trustees)
Guardian small charity award; 2012 (for Down to Earth)
Charity Times financial management award shortlist; 2013 (for the finance team)
Local Compact Partnership Award shortlist; 2014 (Futureproof)
NIACE award in Adult Learners' Week 'Learning in Families and Communities Project Regional Award'; 2014 (Made of Money)
Third Sector 'Breakthrough of the Year'; 2015 (for Down to Earth)

References

↑ "Quaker Social Action | Home". www.quakersocialaction.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
↑ "Charity overview". Retrieved 2016-03-29.
↑ "Quaker Social Action | History and values". www.quakersocialaction.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-29.
↑ "Quaker Social Action | History and values". www.quakersocialaction.org.uk. Retrieved 2016-03-29.

External links

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