Community Commissioners from Morecambe Bay Poverty Truth Commission recently took part in a cost of living symposium hosted by Citizens Advice North Lancashire, bringing first-hand wisdom directly into conversations with Lord Richard Walker, the Government’s Cost of Living Champion, Lizzi Collinge MP, Citizens Advice advisers and trustees.

The roundtable was created to ensure national conversations about the cost of living are informed by the voices of people living with its consequences every day. During the discussion, Community Commissioners spoke openly about the emotional toll of financial insecurity, while conversations also explored the complexity of support systems and the need for services that are simpler, more accessible and designed around the realities of people’s lives.

Commissioners experiences included in report

Citizens Advice North Lancashire has also published its Voices from North Lancashire report, which captures the themes discussed during the symposium. The report thanks the Community Commissioners from Morecambe Bay Poverty Truth Commission for their “courage and openness”, recognising that their contributions ensured the conversation remained firmly grounded in first-hand experience. It also includes reflections from Morecambe Bay Civic Commissioner Ian Bond, who shared his perspective on local housing pressures and the challenges facing the private rented sector.

Following the event, Morecambe Bay Poverty Truth Commission thanked Citizens Advice North Lancashire on social media for creating space for these conversations, saying they were “humbled and proud” of their Commissioners for sharing their experiences so openly.

The event has since been featured in the Lancaster Guardian, highlighting that the cost of living crisis is “far from over” for many people across Lancaster and Morecambe.