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In the first Peterborough Poverty Truth Commission blog of 2024, PCVS Community Facilitator, James Farson, reflects on the lived experiences of making connections and change.

When I talk to people out in the community, or within our own commission, I often ask what people like about Peterborough, because it’s a good way to start a relationship or meeting off on a positive footing. A very common answer that question over the last year has been simple: the people. The friendliness, the sense of community, the connections. People like the people.

With this in mind, a few weeks ago we visited Chris Porsz’ Reunions exhibit at the Peterborough Museum, just to have a chance to meet up outside of our usual meeting space and do something a bit different. And get some lovely cake from the cafe!

The whole group was immediately enraptured. Porsz’ photographs transformed the white gallery walls into an explosion of colour that was just totally engaging to look at. Most of our group are either from Peterborough, or have lived here a long time, and we spent a good hour there circling the exhibit and talking about people we recognised, people we knew, buildings we used to visit or work in.

Reunions totally captures that community spirit that so many in Peterborough prize, but it also captured another aspect about the city that is central to the work we’re doing. Reunions is all about what has been constant in the city, and what has changed. In this exhibit, change isn’t a possibility, but an inevitability. This is scary in its own way but brings with it hope. Peterborough has always changed and will always keep changing, and Poverty Truth is about making sure that people with lived experience are the drivers of that change.

We’re at an exciting time in our commission. We launched at the tail end of last year and are ready to start our first full commission meetings as we move into this year. Our community empowerers are ready to build relationships with our civic and business commissioners and come together as a whole Poverty Truth Commission, and through these relationships we’ll explore the possibilities for change in Peterborough and set about making some.

Watch this space.

To find out more about the Peterborough Poverty Truth Commission, please check out this dedicated project page on our website.