Amos minutes Dec. 2nd

Minutes for AMOS GROUP of  CHRISTIANS TOGETHER IN  JERSEY on Wed. Dec. 2nd at 5.15 at  Pastoral Centre

1.    Elizabeth was welcomed to her first Amos meeting of 2009. The opening reading was by Dietrich Bonhoeffer "God waits for and welcomes sincere prayers and responsible actions'

2. ELeQ reported that the Income Support Scrutiny panel has asked for information from States members and others about any recent experiences  of the IS system.  Questions are also being asked to find data about how the IS system is being used.  Dr. Martin Evans of Oxford University is the adviser with much experience of welfare systems.   Housing costs are a major factor in peoples' budgets.

3. The Whitehead report on social housing suggests big changes are needed in the way Housing is financed.  A linked report on affordable housing is looking at ways of providing affordable housing in Jersey and has a number of suggestions.  GB reported that a project in Guernsey had found that there are a number of sofa surfers, young people who sleep for short periods on a friend's sofa before moving on.  There may be a similar situation in Jersey but information is lacking.  Poverty and Homelessness week is 30th Jan to 7th Feb and may be a chance to have a seminar about the issues then.  Ensuring that everyone has the opportunity of an affordable home should be a high priority.  Then in that context other issues can be addressed, i.e. leaving care, coming out of prison etc.

4.  The One World Group evening about StoptheTraffik at SHMC was felt to be very successful.  BC was thanked for her letter to the JEP.

5.  The Jersey Link was looked at and ELeQ commented on some articles. EM reported that copies had not yet reached her church.

6,  Dates for next Amos meeting were agreed as Wed. Jan. 6th, Feb. 10th, March 10th

7.  Some of the items circulated by e-mail were discussed.  The tax loophole for luxury yachts was felt to be wrong.   It was agreed that personal donations to charity should generally be made privately rather than with much publicity.    David Warr's article in the JEP on the collateral damage from narrow concentration on finance is welcome.   There is a need to think carefully about introducing competition but avoiding protectionism.

8.  The meeting finished with the grace at 6.30.