Quaker Social Action

Who we are

Quaker Social Action (QSA) is an east London-based anti-poverty charity that carries out a variety of practical projects to support people living on low incomes. QSA helps people on low incomes in east London and across the UK to seek solutions to the issues affecting their lives. We are an independent charity founded by Quakers 150 years ago and inspired by Quaker values like equality in our work against poverty and injustice.

Our award-winning projects meet practical needs:
 

• Down to Earth practically supports people on low incomes struggling with funeral costs and pushes for strategic change within the funeral industry and to government
• Made of Money offers a creative and reflective approach to financial wellbeing for individuals and families on low incomes. A training programme shares our approach with professionals across the UK
• This Way Up offers coaching and mindfulness to people on low incomes wanting to move on from a difficult experience and build up resilience for a more positive future
• Cook Up provides a shared kitchen space for people who don’t have access to one, to cook and connect together
• Turn a Corner is a mobile library for people affected by homelessness in London, offering a good book, a companionable chat and signposting to further support
• Plaistow South Big Local, Pimlico Million and Barnfield Big Local all bring together neighbours to connect with each other and bring about positive change in their local area

Our culture and values

We are an independent charity with Quaker roots stretching back over 150 years, and Quaker values continue to help guide us to deliver services with compassion and dignity:
 

• Equality and justice: our innovative projects promote the social justice of individuals facing the material, social and emotional toll of poverty.
   
• Truth and integrity: we speak truth to power when we know our unique knowledge and insights can have a wider impact to create positive systemic change.
   
• Simplicity and sustainability: we always seek to build simple, practical and innovative projects, whilst taking care of the environmental impact we leave behind.

We are people-led, bringing a holistic approach to our projects and respecting that people in poverty are the real poverty experts. We’re embedded in and respond to the changing needs of the community with pioneering new projects.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Equity is important to QSA because we understand that UK society does not provide a level playing field for everyone.  People’s life chances are affected by racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice, as well as an entrenched class system.

Diversity is important to QSA because we recognise that people’s diverse backgrounds and identities provide a breadth of experience and perspective which are vital to enabling an organisation to make sound decisions, and to be perceptive and effective.  Given QSA’s mission, having lived experience of poverty at the centre of the organisation is particularly important.

Inclusion is important to QSA because we want people of all backgrounds and identities to feel welcomed into QSA and able to bring their authentic selves – whether as participants in our services or as staff, volunteers, partners, supporters or fundraisers.

QSA is in the process of developing an action plan to improve our attentiveness to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Please visit our website to see what we have done so far. https://quakersocialaction.org.uk/about-us/our-commitment