Genuine Solutions join The Big Issue’s Ride Out Recession Alliance campaign
Genuine Solutions are proud to announce our support for The Big Issue’s Ride Out Recession Alliance (RORA) campaign. A much-needed initiative, that looks to find solutions to the staggering increase in homelessness and job uncertainty. RORA is calling on the UK Government to take preventative measures to support individuals and families to stay in their homes and remain in employment.
Through the alliance, Genuine Solutions will be joining businesses, parliamentarians, charities and individuals to find solutions to the problems faced by many as a result of COVID-19. We hope to take this historic opportunity to help many by working collaboratively to address structural inequality and oversight that now threatens people’s livelihoods.
The RORA mission is to prevent hundreds of thousands of households, predicted to be at risk, from collapsing into homelessness and to significantly reduce the number of people becoming unemployed due to the impact of COVID-19.
In the words of Lord John Bird, Founder of The Big Issue, “When poverty comes through the window, more often than not reactionary self-interest and discrimination come in through the door. We must not let this happen now.”
So what is RORA?
As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic the UK is now facing the prospect of a vast increase in homelessness, with hundreds of thousands of people falling into rent and mortgage arrears. This will mean unprecedented amounts of people in need, and we are calling for unity across political parties, businesses, local authorities and civil society to ensure the Government keeps its promise to stop COVID-19 poverty destroying our communities.
RORA will actively campaign for the UK Government to implement preventative measures that support people staying in work and home. It’s a broad church, including businesses, parliamentarians, charities and individuals, all helping those affected to weather the storms of pandemic poverty.
RORA’s primary focus is:
1. Keeping people in their homes
2. Keeping people in employment
How can you get involved?
There are two levels of involvement:
1. Sign up to show your support here: https://www.bigissue.com/rora. The Big Issue will then send you their newsletter each week to highlight how the campaign is progressing
2. Sign up and also become an active supporter. This might include:
• Sending your ideas and suggestions on an ongoing basis, some of which The Big Issue may share online and in print
• Participating in specific editorial features in which your organisation’s viewpoint is put across
• Participating in, contributing to and perhaps even facilitating online or virtual forums
As an active supporter, you will get:
• A weekly update about what is going on with RORA
• Access to other members of RORA. Their knowledge, experience, networks and ideas
• Opportunity to attend roundtable and other events
• Access to The Big Issue Community platform to promote your CSR and community linked stories
• Option to take out discounted subscriptions to The Big Issue magazine, in print or digital formats
• Ability to collaborate and form partnerships to develop solutions that may not naturally occur during BAU
Rules of engagement
As RORA will be bringing together a myriad of individuals and organisations to unite behind the campaign, it is important to set out some rules of engagement for those that want to be involved more actively. This way it creates a safe environment and enables everyone to feel comfortable knowing everyone has the same intent and integrity.
Here are the 10 principles that The Big Issue ask all their RORA members to adopt:
1. To understand that RORA is focused on keeping people in their homes and in employment (where appropriate)
2. To recognise and respect our differences
3. To agree that no individual or organisation involved in RORA has precedence over anyone else
4. To never knowingly undermine or misrepresent each other or RORA
5. To never break confidentiality
6. To proactively participate in campaign activity where it is relevant to us
7. To will listen with an open mind
8. To will submit ideas to the RORA community to support delivery of the Mission
9. To will be transparent about our intentions and not use RORA as an opportunity to gain competitive advantage or commercial benefit without declaring it
10. To will ‘Roar for RORA’ by promoting the campaign using our own media channels and social reach wherever possible
The legacy of RORA
By acting together we can have a measurable impact on the hundreds of thousands of households predicted to be at risk and a create a fantastic legacy for everyone involved in the campaign, as well as for future generations.
For more information about The Big Issue’s Ride Out Recession Alliance (RORA) campaign please click here