Tackling The Cost of Living Crisis: The Living Wage
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It’s Living Wage Week next week!
As we continue to consider the Cost of Living Crisis, churches are often on the frontline: foodbanks, clothing banks, warm spaces and drop ins.
But have we considered how we are caring for those our churches employ?
Our administrators, book keepers, cleaners, children’s workers?
Are we paying them enough that they won’t need the very foodbanks our churches host?
A Fair Wage for Fair Labour
That’s where the Real Living Wage comes in. You can find out more about what it is & how it’s calculated here.
The Church has been at the very heart of the Real Living Wage movement from the beginning. You can read more about this here.
It’s part of our gospel work, and a way that we reflect God’s nature of justice, to ensure those among us are paid fairly for their labour.
You may already well pay those your church employs over the Real Living Wage (the London Living Wage of £11.95, or £10.90 elsewhere).
But you may have never accredited your church or organisation as a Living Wage Employer.
Three simple steps
So what can we do?
As we approach Living Wage week next week here are 3 simple actions you can take as a next step.
1. Celebrate with Us
Join the Bishop of London, The Right Revd Dame Sarah Mullally and others for a Service of Celebration, Prayer and Action on the Living Wage
- at St Katharine Cree Church, 86 Leadenhall Street, London, EC3A 3BP
- Monday 14th November, 7pm-9pm
- Book HERE
2. Learn about Accrediting your church
Come find out simple steps to accrediting your church as a Living Wage Employer as we hold a “Lunch and Learn” session.
Plus you’ll get a free downloadable sheet with step by step guide to how to accredit and what it means.
Join us on Zoom, bring your sandwiches and your questions.
Speakers:
- Lydia Reddyhoff, Living Wage Foundation
- Revd James Hughesdon, St Marys Islington and Real Life Vicar Who’s Accredited A Church
- Dr Canon Angus Ritchie, Centre for Theology and Community
3. Preach and Pray
about the Living Wage in your church services on Sunday 20th November
To help you, this NEW toolkit, authored by Canon Dr Angus Richie has just been released.
As well as forewords by Bishops of London, Chemlsford and Southwark, it contains resources, theological reflection, sermon and prayers that can be used in your church .
For the Feast of Christ the King on Sunday 20th November, why not include reflections on the Living Wage?
You can download a copy of this resource here
Let’s take the “next step” towards being a Living Wage City, and see more churches join our map of Diocese of London Living Wage Employers, as part of a just and caring response to the Cost of Living Crisis in our midst.
