Good Local Economics

Tony Walsh left a career in regeneration behind to pursue his passion for poetry. But the two have more in common than he ever imagined, as Austin Macauley discovers

Career change, re-training opportunities, searching for new avenues – these are terms we’ve become increasingly familiar with as the unemployment toll rises.

We are all undoubtedly living in challenging times, in which poverty in all its insidious guises is set to increase. The Social Action & Research Foundation (SARF) envision a different society than the one we are currently offered that privileges the market above all else. We want one in which the economy is made to work for society. In order to achieve this, our shared public services must be co-produced alongside communities contributing their essential knowledge to create an effective and accountable welfare state, which promotes active equality at a local level, and in which the voice of those experiencing poverty is truly valued.