How will we know when it’s time to move on to the next stage of the Commission was a question asked by one of our Community Commissioners
How will we know when we have reached empathy, a shared understanding and a mutual trust with the Civic Commissioners? It was a question neither Cathryn nor I could answer. All we could do was support the process through relationship building activities, fun and lots of cups of tea!
Listening to other Poverty Truth Network members at our regular facilitator catch-up sessions, I was envious when I heard them describing the amazing relationships their Civic and Community Commissioners had developed, the deep conversations they were having and the emotional experiences they had shared. How would we ever get to that point? It seemed like an unreachable goal.
At our fifth full Commission meeting on 7th August, we had almost a full house. Seven Community Commissioners and seven Civic Commissioners chatted easily as we ate our lunch and endured the second heatwave of the year!
As the clock reached 12:30, it was time to start. Cathryn’s check-in question: What’s the dullest thing about you? stumped us all for a little while, but soon the answers were flowing…… eating the same cereal for breakfast every day, organizing things alphabetically, reading 50 books in a year….After a few giggles and comments such as ‘Oh, I do that too’, we moved on to the day's main activity. The group split into pairs, 1 Civic and 1 Community Commissioner and were asked to share a time when they’ve struggled. Their partner was asked to listen and relay the story back, mirroring the emotion and tone of the speaker. This activity was chosen as not only does it help to develop listening skills but also build empathy, trust and understanding….. all key things needed for a PTC to achieve its potential.
As Cathryn and I washed the dishes in the kitchen, we could hear the quiet murmurings of the group as they spoke in pairs. After some time, we brought the group back together for feedback. Our Community Commissioners have shared their stories many times and described feeling comfortable with the task; however, this was an entirely new experience for most of the Civic Commissioners, and they spoke of initially not being sure what to share. Some found the process emotional; it had opened old wounds which they thought had long since healed. Others were surprised that they’d felt comfortable discussing things they’d never spoken of before. The ability for people to be so honest and open is a credit to the amazing safe space the Community Commissioners have created. They were given some fantastic feedback from the Civics about their empathy, understanding and ability to deeply listen. They should be extremely proud of themselves.
Neither Cathryn nor I expected the task to be quite so powerful; however, it was the breakthrough that we were waiting for…….now we can answer that question from five months ago. Thursday 7th August 2025 is the day we will know!
At our September meeting, we will start to look at the huge list of issues which have come up over the last year. We have things on there such as Disability and Social Security, Neurodivergency, Social Housing, Private landlords, Domestic Abuse….. the list goes on with each topic having many subheadings. Through discussion, voting and using the experience and knowledge in the room, we will reduce this list to two or three themes around which our working groups will be formed.
In the meantime, the Community Commissioners have been invited to meet with South Tyneside Poverty Truth Commission who are currently planning and preparing for their launch event. Early September, we look forward to a trip to South Shields and maybe some fish and chips – thanks for the invite guys! We will also be heading to the Poverty Truth Network Annual Community Commissioners gathering in Derbyshire. Four of us went last year and had a great time sharing ideas and making connections. We look forward to seeing faces old and new and bringing along Commissioners not only from South Durham but also our second Commission in North Durham.
Enjoy the rest of the summer!
