County Durham is home to two active Poverty Truth Commissions, both brimming with energy and commitment. In this update, they share how their work is developing; from setting new themes and forming working groups to building strong relationships and connecting with others across the wider network.

South Durham Poverty Truth Commission – sets themes for working groups

We are very busy here in County Durham. South Durham PTC, which is just moving into Phase Three, has been meeting as a full Commission for the last few months, and Commissioners have now decided on the themes for their working groups:

• Disability and Benefits
• Domestic Abuse
• Access to Health Services with a specific focus on asylum seekers/refugees and neurodiversity

The Community and Civic Commissioners will be discussing the logistics of their working groups at our November meeting. We are all excited to move on to this next stage of the Commission and are prepared for some hard work ahead!

North Durham Poverty Truth Commission – building relationships

Meanwhile, North Durham PTC, which is in Phase One, has now had its third meeting of Community Commissioners. We are building relationships and starting to talk about how poverty affects us. The group is looking forward to meeting with South Durham PTC Commissioners when we attend the launch of South Tyneside Commission this November (2025).

Annual Commissioners Gathering 2025

Eight of us attended the Annual Commissioners’ Gathering in Derbyshire in October (2025). This was a great experience, rich with information and warmth. New friends were made, old connections reignited and we came away full of ideas and enthusiasm.

As the nights get darker and the temperature drops, we will continue with our meaningful and sometimes challenging conversations intermingled with much laughter and fun. We’ve got this!