PRAN NEWSLETTER ISSUE 23: January 2026
Dear PRAN MEMBERS
As we step into 2026, PRAN remains committed to driving meaningful action against poverty and social injustice. This year, we aim to create even more opportunities for collaboration, networking, and knowledge sharing, building a stronger, united community where our collective impact grows bigger and bolder with every step we take together.
In this edition of the PRAN newsletter, we’re sharing a mix of thought-provoking insights and exciting opportunities from across our network. From a powerful new blog on funeral poverty and the cost of dying crisis, to supporting early career voices through our upcoming forum, and inviting you to explore poverty and inequality through visual storytelling, we hope this issue informs, inspires, and helps strengthen our shared commitment to tackling poverty and social injustice.
Blog Alert: Too poor to die? The rise of public health funerals and the cost of dying crisis demands better welfare support and greater regulation of the funeral industry.
The UK’s cost of dying crisis means many can’t afford funerals, forcing a rise in basic public health burials. The latest PRAN blog post from Michael Brennan calls for stronger welfare support, tighter funeral industry regulation, and fairer, affordable options.
In his previous blog, Michael explored how the cost of living crisis is affecting the experiences of people with terminal illness. In this piece, he turns to another dimension of the cost of dying crisis: funeral poverty, and the growing difficulty many people in the UK face in affording the cost of a basic funeral, either for themselves or for a deceased family member.
Bursaries Available: Join Us for the Early Career Forum 2026.
As announced in our previous newsletter, we are pleased to share that we will be holding the Early Career Forum 2026, “Forging Connections: Early Career Voices on Poverty and Social Justice,” on the 6th of May at the University of Oxford. We encourage early career individuals from a range of sectors to submit their interest in participating in this interdisciplinary and cross-sectoral forum by the 16th of March. The event will bring together early career individuals from academia, public services, civil society, and activism working at the intersections of poverty and social justice.
The Poverty Research and Advocacy Network (PRAN) is committed to ensuring that financial barriers do not prevent early career voices from joining the conversation at our upcoming forum. We are pleased to offer limited travel and access bursaries for those who do not have institutional funding. Whether you are a presenter or an attendee, we want to support your participation in this vital cross-sectoral event. To inquire about support, please contact Freya Cole Norton at freya.colenorton@law.ox.ac.uk. Or you can apply directly, using the Google Form: https://forms.gle/muQUn1cd1hT7Bdyv5, before the 16th of March deadline.
Picture This: A Visual Perspective on Poverty and Inequality in the UK
When: 5.30pm, 22nd of April
Where: Liverpool
Join us in person for Picture This, an eye-opening event that dives deep into the realities of poverty and inequality across the UK. Through powerful visuals and engaging stories, we'll explore the challenges many face and spark meaningful conversations. Building on insights gathered through PRAN’s podcasts, workshops, research and community engagement, this initiative transforms complex findings on poverty and inequality into powerful, visually engaging illustrations.
At the launch, attendees will get an exclusive first look at the project’s infographics and visual tools, developed in collaboration with Becky Bryson, a talented artist from Merseyside, and shaped by current policy debates. Discover how visual storytelling can spark conversation, deepen understanding, and strengthen advocacy for systemic change.
This event is perfect for anyone curious about social issues and who wants to see the bigger picture. Don't miss out on this unique chance to connect and learn! To book your ticket, please click here.
Other Updates
Invitation to join the Poverty Stigma Insight Network meeting, Tuesday 10th February (online)
WCPP would like to invite you to join the next meeting of the Poverty Stigma Insight Network, which will focus on training, tools and resources to prevent and address poverty stigma.
What: The Poverty Stigma Insight Network is a UK-wide network of individuals and organisations who have the shared aim of seeking to better understand, prevent and address poverty stigma. The next meeting on the 10th February will be a thematic session focusing on training, tools and resources to help address and reduce poverty stigma.
We have several guest speakers confirmed so far, all of whom will be sharing their insights and expertise into developing and implementing the following training, tools and resources to address stigma:
Stevan Sutherland (Clued Up Project) - The Fife Stigma Toolkit
Emma Brownrigg (Children North East) -Poverty Awareness Training
Hanna Sabic and Joni McArthur (Falkirk Council) - Think Poverty training
Petra Gronholm (King's College London) -WHO Mosaic toolkit to end stigma and discrimination in mental health
When: Tuesday 10th February, 10.00-12.00
Where: Online (Microsoft Teams)
If you would like to attend the meeting, please get in touch with Alex Jones (JonesAJ15@cardiff.ac.uk), who will share the diary invite with you. More information about the Network can be found here.
Thank you for reading this edition of the PRAN newsletter. We hope these updates inspire you to engage, learn, and take action in tackling poverty and social injustice. If you have updates to share, want to disseminate knowledge about your work, collaborate on an initiative, or raise awareness about an issue close to your heart, please contact us at info@pran.org.uk - we’d love to hear from you!
In Solidarity
The PRAN Team
