Can you join us?

Changing Realities is a partnership between parents and carers on a low income, researchers at the University of York and Child Poverty Action Group. Together, we want to share the everyday realities of life on a low income, but we also want try and change things – improving the lives of those struggling to get by.

If you’re a parent or carer with children under 19, and you’re on a low income, we’d really like to work with you. Together, we can document the realities of this cost-of-living crisis.

Who we’re looking for

Are you:

a parent or carer living in the UK?

looking after children under 19 years of age?

and living on a low-income?

If all three of these apply to you, and you've read all about the project here, then click below

Join the project
Already a part of the project? Log in
I guess what I hope to achieve through Changing Realities is that I can ‘change my reality’, improve my learning and experience and then share my knowledge and motivate others struggling to take part and to use their voice in the best way they can.
- Caroline

What's involved?

You can do as little or as much as you like including...

👩‍👧‍👦 Share your experiences in an online diary

📱 Take part in online activities, like this one

🙋‍♀️ Take part in virtual workshops, tackling the issues that matter the most to you. eg media training, writing, zine-making

🧩 Build your skills and confidence in areas like writing, speaking to the media, or campaigning for change

🔐 Any experiences you share in your online diaries will be anonymised before being shared

Below, you can see some quotes of what parents and carers – who are already taking part – are saying about Changing Realities.

...with Changing Realities I hope that we continue to strive for reforms with the end goal of a fairer benefit system and a huge cut in poverty.
- Kim

Why get involved?

✊  You’ll be a key part of a project tackling the important issues for people living on low incomes both now and in the future, helping to work towards change

🗳  We could be influencing future policies that will most affect low-income households across the UK

🙌‍ You’ll hear the experiences of other parents and carers and become part of the Changing Realities community

🛠  You’ll have opportunities to improve your skills, and try out new things

Also...

At Changing Realities, we want to support parents and carers on a low-income to join the project. We provide 💌 gift vouchers as a thank you for taking part. We can also provide 📱mobile phone top ups, if internet access is a barrier to getting involved.

Got a question about the project? Email us changing-realities-project@york.ac.uk or text/call/whatsapp 07385 430870

One of many good things about this project is that when we put our thoughts and ideas together, policy makers are listening to us. They recognise what support we need and cannot ignore us. A change I hope to see is an end to poverty, not just temporarily, but a permanent solution.
- Tayyaba
I want to be part of raising the profile of those of us living in poverty, I hope that Changing Realities will empower us to be less invisible. We need to break the silence.
- Jo
I am genuinely excited for the new project Changing Realities.
- Emma
If you'd like to take part, answer the questions at the top of the page to get started.
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