Eye - 14 October 2016

From putting wheels in motion to a bewildering blunder

Putting wheels in motion

A Quaker prison chaplain donned his shorts and set his wheels in motion to help raise over £10,000 for The House of Genesis. The project provides accommodation and practical support to homeless men, especially homeless ex-offenders, in Norwich.

On 25 August Mark Bredin, who is a member of Kings Lynn Meeting and Quaker chaplain for prisons in Norfolk, completed a 200-mile sponsored cycle ride to raise funds and to increase awareness about the chronic need for housing, especially for those leaving prison.

During a four-day odyssey Mark visited Wells-next-the-Sea Meeting. Local Friend Joolz Saunders told Eye: ‘Mark and his friends had an overnight stay in Wells-next-the-Sea Meeting chalet and members of the Meeting arranged for them to meet with local people over a shared meal, after which they talked about their experiences and just how The House of Genesis can change lives.

‘The community chaplain, Susan Carne, who was following the cyclists in her car, also joined us and came with her spaniel!

‘Susan has been appointed to bring together all the varied but separate work which Norwich churches are doing for those leaving prison but which needs to be joined up to be more effective. She hopes that this will mean that those leaving prison in future will benefit from a smooth transition from “being inside” to having a roof over their head and some support as they begin “life outside”.’

The money raised will be put towards the £100,000 needed to buy a third house for The House of Genesis project.

Bewildering blunder

Joseph Rowntree is still sweeping women off their feet, more than ninety years after his death, according to the company carrying out tax credit checks for HMRC.

The administrative error, which has had distressing results for the woman at the heart of it, was highlighted in Sarah Vine’s Daily Mail column (21 September):

‘A woman claiming tax credits has had her benefits cut after the firm that administers the system, Concentrix, accused her of cohabiting with one Joseph Rowntree.

‘Anyone with half a brain would know that Joseph Rowntree is not some freeloading ne’er-do-well, but the famous Quaker philanthropist and founder of the Rowntree Trust, in one of whose buildings the woman resides.

‘He’s also been dead since 1925, making any form of romantic arrangement highly unlikely.’

Further reports in The Independent tell of how the woman in question has been forced to rely on foodbanks and has had other benefits affected by the blunder.

HMRC has announced that Concentrix’s contract will not be renewed when it expires next year. In the meantime, the victim of this mistake must now go through a lengthy appeals process to contest the decision.

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