Joanne Jones Highlights the Limits of “Making Do”

The latest video in our Voices from the Tackling Poverty Assembly series features Joanne Jones from Housing Justice Cymru, one of the organisations supported through the Wrexham Poverty Action Collaboration (WPAC) Captured Lived Experience Grant programme.

Working in partnership with a local church, Housing Justice Cymru invited participants to take part in creative workshops designed to explore the everyday realities of poverty and financial hardship.

The approach encouraged honest conversations and enabled people to express their experiences in different ways, creating valuable insights into how the cost-of-living crisis continues to affect households across Wrexham.

A clear message emerged.

Many participants were already making significant efforts to reduce their living costs.

They spoke about batch cooking, carefully planning shopping, reducing energy use and finding creative ways to stretch limited household budgets.

Yet despite these efforts, many said the rising cost of food, energy and other essentials meant these strategies were no longer enough.

Jo’s presentation challenged the idea that poverty can simply be solved through better budgeting. Instead, it highlighted how many people have already adapted their lives as much as possible while continuing to face increasing financial pressure.

The experiences gathered by Housing Justice Cymru now form part of the growing body of lived experience evidence informing the work of the Wrexham Poverty Action Collaboration.

Together with findings from other organisations across the county, these insights will help shape future conversations with decision-makers and contribute to the development of community-led solutions to tackle poverty.

🎥 Watch Joanne Jones’ presentation here:

The Voices from the Tackling Poverty Assembly series continues as we share the lived experiences, insights and ideas gathered from organisations working alongside communities across Wrexham.