Bridging the fairness gap

“Life isn’t fair,” or so the saying goes.

It’s a bleak protestation and one that, for many people in Blackpool, will ring true.

From Wayne Rooney putting pen to paper on his shiny new £300,000 a week contract to the next door neighbour’s new car or TV, we see frustrating examples of inequality that seem extremely unfair all the time.

And there’s often a sense with these things that there is little we can do other than crack on and try not to get worked up about it.

However, I’m no supporter of that type of apathy, and am a firm believer we can all do our little bit to make our lives, and the lives of others, at least feel a little fairer.

Step forward the Blackpool Fairness Commission, and the fairness movement in general, which is aimed at we, the general public, helping to close the fairness gap.

It won’t make the Government give you back your taxes, stop the speed camera from giving you a speeding ticket for doing 31mph in a 30mph zone or stop those slates falling off your roof in high winds.

But what it could do is make a little difference to the lives of others if we all show a little positivity and personal “fairness”.

The Blackpool Fairness Commission has been running for a good while now and it’s done some very positive things like simple but brilliant 100 Acts of Kindness campaign that has seen a lot of people step up to the mark and do something for their community.

We also recently hosted the first ever North of England Fairness Conference here in Blackpool to help encourage other areas to setup their own fairness movements.

I’d love you to take part and help too.

I recognise too that fairness begins at home and we’ve tried to come up with “fair” policies that will reduce the fairness gap and narrow social inequality.

I’m talking about providing children with free breakfasts in school because they aren’t getting fed at home.

I’m talking about providing it universally because that is fair and unites rather than divides.

I’m talking about setting up one of the strongest food bank networks in the region to make sure people don’t go hungry.

And finally, I’m talking about our latest idea, to encourage young people to break the cycle of debt we suffer from by saving money and learning about its value, even if it means coaxing them with a tenner to do so.

I’d love to sign every child up for an account compulsorily and teach them all about saving.  The law won’t let us do that.

What we can do is reach out a hand of friendship and fairness and try to urge our youngsters to lead the way.                                                                                     

We want them to grow up with a fairer ethos, in a fairer society.

That’s the way to create a fairer, better Blackpool.

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