Local campaigners support MP in Making Poverty History

12.00.00am BST (GMT +0100) Fri 1st Apr 2005

Tom Brake MP joined local campaigners today (2 April) at the Heritage Centre Museum, in Carshalton to encourage residents to get involved in the MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY campaign. They carried giant letters making up the word 'POVERTY' into the museum, thereby symbolically consigning poverty to history. Tom also took part in a public meeting in the Museum cafeé.

Tom Brake Liberal Democrat MP for Carshalton and Wallington said:

"This meeting demonstrates how communities across Carshalton and Wallington are rising to the challenge and demanding that world leaders act. They must put an end to the needless poverty that causes 1200 people to die every hour of every single day."

The Make Poverty History campaign is supported by over 200 organisations and gained momentum in February, when Nelson Mandela spoke in Trafalgar Square. He challenged people from across Britain to put pressure on world leaders to eradicate "man-made" poverty.

Liz Udall, Oxfam Sutton Group campaigner said:

"When world leaders meet this year in Edinburgh they can take decisions to put an end to the needless poverty that results in the death of one child every 3 seconds. By joining this movement, the British public can force world leaders to make real and extraordinary changes."

"This is a campaign that everyone can get involved in. By simply writing an email to Tony Blair or wearing a white band you can get help to the message across to our world leaders that this is the time to make poverty history."

[MAKEPOVERTYHISTORY is a coalition of over 200 charities, campaigns, trade unions, faith groups and celebrities. Make Poverty History is the UK arm of the Global Call for Action Against Poverty a network of organisations. More information can be found at www.makepovertyhistory.org]