El Cid Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 I don't disagree that there will be those whose spending priorities are skewed, however I'd not want to see their children without food. We have seen news reports about 1/3 of children becoming obese; no news reports about thin children. I am sure there are some, but they may be healthier than the fat ones. How is giving food or more money to parents, going to help children, if their parents have their "priorities are skewed"? They will just continue to have skewed priorities. They do get free school dinners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted May 5, 2013 Author Share Posted May 5, 2013 How many gardens do you see full of vegetables, the only thing I usually see frequenting the gardens of the poorest, are weeds. The young people I know (myself included) are actively growing fruit and vegetables on any land they can get hold of! ---------- Post added 05-05-2013 at 15:20 ---------- you don't need a phone to get a job Please leave your name and number after the tone... An agency won't employ somebody without a telephone. How are they to contact the prospective employee! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
max Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 It would seem that the Lib Dem/Tory coalition plans are working; we have a distressing story about poverty and the rise of debt and food banks and all we get on Sheffield Forum are the usual sanctimonious bunch saying it's people's own fault. Divide and conquer, it's working here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted May 5, 2013 Author Share Posted May 5, 2013 Even allotments are generally taken up by old folk. Indeed. Old people have all the allotments, and all the houses, in particular larger private and council houses with gardens. Young people can't get a look in, they cannot get a council house with garden to grow food. They cannot get an allotment to grow food. Young people are being forced into tiny slavebox flats without access to gardens and nature. I know many that would like to garden, but have no garden! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 What's interesting about this survey is that it isn't just the 'usual suspects' borrowing money to buy food. It includes families earning up to the average wage. That's a poke in the eye for those that like to smugly trot out the usual guff about a sub section of society that are different to the rest of us. It doesn't surprise me with food prices so high that people are borrowing to buy food and essentials. And if interest rates rise - then God help them if they have a mortgage that they are struggling to pay. Insecure employment, no savings, little social housing, rising food prices and the screws being turned on social security claimants. Worrying times Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chem1st Posted May 5, 2013 Author Share Posted May 5, 2013 Chem1st, how about asking people for surplus gardening tools and seeds? They could be loaned or given to people who are money poor, but who have large (and so far uncultivated) gardens. Have a look around some estates, there appear to be quite a few gardens that could do with cultivation. With tools and seeds and a bit of guidance, could it work? I could loan my tools to people. But there are very few gardens near me, it's all high density housing and small paved yards (with quite a few full of plant pots etc.) Some estates do have unkept gardens, primarily the housing is used to house elderly people. Perhaps the council should seize unkempt gardens from the elderly and give them to young people to cultivate and create capital. Or maybe free up land for proper housing for young people. Access to land is key, and there shouldn't be a charge unless it is a land value tax, and is applied to all landowners. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 The young people I know (myself included) are actively growing fruit and vegetables on any land they can get hold of! ---------- Post added 05-05-2013 at 15:20 ---------- Please leave your name and number after the tone... An agency won't employ somebody without a telephone. How are they to contact the prospective employee! The poster that you're responding to (lensatena) sounds like they believe the crap curled out by the gutter press that most people in reciept of benefits don't work, don't want to work, or never have worked. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jim Stark Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-22417334 The situation of the UK peoples continue to decline. And what with UK people not having a right to grow their own food, the situation can only get worse. Many of our fellow citizens can no longer afford to buy food from their income without getting into debt or depleting savings. This is a national shame. Foodbanks are on the rise, people are being forced to beg for food. And increasingly people are stealing it too. Some of us, are out there digging the land and trying to grow our own, but it ain't easy. For starters you must wait for years to get but a small plot to pay for the privilege of growing your own food, and then there are massive restrictions on the food to be grown and its subsequent use. You can't plant lots of fruit trees to help ensure you and your family and friends can eat your '5 a day'. You can't sell your produce for profit. (Like large landowners who get paid to own land, and can then use their large amounts of land an exploit economies of scale). People borrowing money to buy food is a disgrace upon the state, upon the British people as a whole. British people need to have a constitutional right to be allowed to grow food. If not, then we must eat the rich and create a fairer system for our peoples. As a nation we are supposed to be getting fatter, yet we can't afford food? One in five either used a credit card, overdraft or savings to buy food in April? Using savings is NOT borrowing money. Using a credit card is a convenience, it doesn't nessecarily mean the person doesn't have the money. An overdraft is a buffer to use until payday. Many many people have a garden so they can grow what they like (within reason) Why would anyone want to sell the produce they are growing for themselves? So, in effect, this thread is a complete non starter IMO Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mister M Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 As a nation we are supposed to be getting fatter, yet we can't afford food? One in five either used a credit card, overdraft or savings to buy food in April? Using savings is NOT borrowing money. Using a credit card is a convenience, it doesn't nessecarily mean the person doesn't have the money. An overdraft is a buffer to use until payday. Many many people have a garden so they can grow what they like (within reason) Why would anyone want to sell the produce they are growing for themselves? So, in effect, this thread is a complete non starter IMO Though bear in mind we live more sedentary lifestyles compared to 40 years ago. That will have an impact on people's weight. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
El Cid Posted May 5, 2013 Share Posted May 5, 2013 Perhaps the council should seize unkempt gardens from the elderly and give them to young people to cultivate and create capital. Or maybe free up land for proper housing for young people. Access to land is key, and there shouldn't be a charge unless it is a land value tax, and is applied to all landowners. There is always land that is not being used, just plant an apple tree or pear tree there. So long as you choose the land carefully you should be ok. There are local schemes that plant community orchards. https://www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/11466/1973262.pdf Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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