Quaker Social Action

Who we are

Quaker Social Action’s mission is twofold. We enable people on low incomes to seek solutions to the issues affecting their lives. We listen and respond to the needs of communities and run practical, sustainable and collaborative projects.

Secondly, we share our learning where we see the potential to bring benefit to communities outside of our own – by running professional training, and by speaking truth to power to seek structural change.

Our services include crisis support for those unable to afford funerals; practical support for people experiencing homelessness, such as a mobile library and a community kitchen space; and free mindfulness and wellbeing programmes.

Learn more about our practical action against poverty: https://quakersocialaction.org.uk/

Our culture and values

QSA has a rich 150-year history with roots in the Quaker movement. Our work is still guided by Quaker values like Truth and Justice, and we value our place within the Quaker community. At the same time, there is nothing religious about our work: our services, jobs and volunteering roles are open to all.

Our Quaker values:

• Equality and justice: our innovative projects promote the social justice of individuals facing the material, social and emotional toll of poverty.
   
• Truth and integrity: we speak truth to power when we know our unique knowledge and insights can have a wider impact to create positive systemic change.
   
• Simplicity and sustainability: we always seek to build simple, practical and innovative projects, whilst taking care of the environmental impact we leave behind.

We are people-led, bringing a holistic approach to our projects and respecting that people in poverty are the real poverty experts. We’re embedded in and respond to the changing needs of the community with pioneering new projects.

Equality, diversity and inclusion policy

Equity is important to QSA because we understand that UK society does not provide a level playing field for everyone.  People’s life chances are affected by racism, sexism and other forms of prejudice, as well as an entrenched class system.

Diversity is important to QSA because we recognise that people’s diverse backgrounds and identities provide a breadth of experience and perspective which are vital to enabling an organisation to make sound decisions, and to be perceptive and effective. Given QSA’s mission, having lived experience of poverty at the centre of the organisation is particularly important.

Inclusion is important to QSA because we want people of all backgrounds and identities to feel welcomed into QSA and able to bring their authentic selves – whether as participants in our services or as staff, volunteers, partners, supporters or fundraisers.

QSA is in the process of developing an action plan to improve our attentiveness to equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI).

Please visit our website to see what we have done so far: https://quakersocialaction.org.uk/about-us/our-commitment