Nominations - Community activism

This blog, which covers Brockley in London (the SE4 postcode area), has become a thriving online home for those who live and work in the area.

People use the site to catch up with news and events and discuss a wide range of community issues.

The blog has channelled new recruits to the area's two main 'real-world' community groups, and successfully campaigned for English Heritage to list local attraction the Rivoli Ballroom, one of the capital's few remaining authentic ballrooms.

Nominated by kate allen, 23 April 2008

Brockley Central has played a great role over the past year or so in bringing together parts of the community who might not otherwise have got involved. Many posts get 100 comments and the blog is a great way both for local residents to find out what is going on in their area and for us as local councillors to get an idea of what is important to local residents.

30 people turned up to the last Brockley Central drinks to turn the e-discussion into a real conversation, new activists for local groups have been recruited via the blog and my colleague in Brockley ward used the site to get feedback on how to spend a £10,000 grant in the area. The blog has also galvanised residents on local issues such as a potential new betting shop (they don't want one!), possible removal of mature trees (they helped persuade planning officers to refuse consent) and on April Fools day they almost got us all apoplexic with rage at 'proposals for a lap-dancing club' in the area.

Nominated by Cllr Sue Luxton (Ladywell, Lewisham), 08 May 2008

Brockley Central is superb. I like the comedy of the webmaster the most. But it serious and informative too. London would be so much friendlier if every suburb had an online focal point like Brockley Central.

Submitted by Davina, 07 May 2008

As councilllor for a ward that includes parts of Brockley, I'd like to second this nomination. Brockley Central has played a great role in bringing together parts of the community who might not otherwise have got involved. Many posts get 100 comments and the blog is a great way for us as local councillors to get an idea of what is important to local residents. 30 people turned up to the last Brockley Central drinks to turn the e-discussion into a real conversation, my colleague in Brockley ward used the site to get feedback on how to spend a £10,000 grant in the area and the blog has also galvanised residents on local issues such as a potential new betting shop (they don't want one!), possible removal of mature trees (they helped persuade planning officers to refuse consent) and on April Fools day they almost got us all apoplexic with rage at 'proposals for a lap-dancing club' in the area.

Submitted by Cllr Sue Luxton (Ladywell, Lewisham), 08 May 2008

Strangely addictive, and always informative. Here in SE4 we are very fortunate to be able to enjoy Brockley Central. One day all local blogs will be as good as this.

Submitted by Barry L Smith, 10 May 2008

"Brockley? Where's that? Out in Kent?" To many Londoners, our little patch of Zone 2 doesn't really register. We SE4 residents are grateful to Brockley Central for creating a real sense of community by providing a forum for discussion and sharing information. Well-written and informative, BC welcomes input from readers and subjects covered run the gamut of local interest - from which takeaways are best avoided to removing rubbish from public areas and planting flowers. I may not be making BC sound as dynamic as it actually is, but they are an invaluable resource and a true asset to our area, having helping forge a real community through the blog. Their nomination is richly deserved!

Submitted by Zoe Whitley, 10 May 2008

Although Brockley's quite near where I live (SE16), I'd never even heard of it until I stumbled on Brockley Central. Brockley Central inspired me to go and explore Brockley itself, and not only did I have a lovely day out, I discovered my new favourite beer shop.

Brockley Central is updated very frequently, and the posts always inspire a lot of discussion and debate. I really wish there was an equivalent for where I live! (I know I don't have the time to start one up myself — it's clear that the people behind Brockley Central put a lot of time and effort into the site.)

Submitted by Kake Pugh, 10 May 2008

Brockley Central is a beacon of light on the Brockley and SE4 area, which it has placed firmly on the London map. It's come up with some challenging and well-researched posts. Most excellent and well-deserved of a nomination and award.

Submitted by John Paul Morgan, 10 May 2008

Brockley Central helps to gather community groups and individuals alike. It is the mouthpiece of this little known area of London often called Londons best secret. The area has improved a lot since the blog started, due in part to the influence it has had. Locals, councilors and local business are all included and it has become an invaluable tool for all. It is beautifully written, witty and engaging. It has made a difference. It deserves an award.

Submitted by lee newham, 10 May 2008

Managing a business in SE4, Brockley Central is absolutely a daily must-read and is one of my homepages. Running a pub feedback is essential and BC can provide this in buckets. Not only that, but the site is useful for taking the temperature of Brockleyites as a collective - it helps in understanding their needs & wants, their gripes, their habits & what about Brockley makes them tick.

Nick leads posters in discussion, but from that point there is no shortage of (often well-informed) contributors. I am able to use the site to respond to comments about the pub I manage, which pleases me no end!

On a personal level BC has developed my knowledge of the area I grew up in no end and has encouraged me to explore previously unsung spots. Brockley is certainly developing as a community at an incredible rate and Brockley Central's role in engaging Brockleyites should not be underestimated.

In fact, when the site's creators & contributors had their second ever get-together in my pub 30 or 40 people showed up, demonstrating the popularity of BC and it's potential to bring the people of Brockley together.

Submitted by Richard Salthouse, 10 May 2008

BC has become a bit of an addiction - with a mix of lighthearted discussion, and more serious issues - it's a great way to find out what's happening in the area.

The BC team are quick to respond to ideas and suggestions. When the local museum, dancehall and trees (amongst other) were under threat BC was a great forum for discussion, and a way to find out what action was happening to stop it. If you want to know where to buy a expensive loaf of bread, what's happening to the £10,000 of local allocated community money, if there is a inappropriate planning issue or what's happening with the empty shop unit down the road - this is the place to find out.

It also changed the way I voted for the London Assembly votes - I knew more about our local green candidate because she is a regular poster - and in part that swung my vote - I had concrete evidence of her local involvement.

I read it ever day, often more than once a day, and long may it continue...

Submitted by Hat Margolies, 11 May 2008

Brockley Central is a fantastic local website. In London it is very easy to be completely ignorant of what is going on in the next road. I find BC an invaluable resource to know what is going on in the area; from local events, new shops opening, improvements to transport links, reviews and campaigning on local issues.

There are daily posts which generate a large number of comments. It is clear that a lot of research goes into the articles, covering a wide range of subjects in the area and engaging with other community groups.

Nick, Jon and Kate put a lot of hard work into the site. Sometimes it is difficult to believe they have full time jobs as well!

Submitted by Richard Elliot, 11 May 2008

What started off as a celebration of the late Reg Bolton, has now expanded to involve many groups and individual world.

The Craigmillar Communiversity asks everyone to be creative on the 17th Feb. The celebration has to be based on an issue or cause they believe in. The criteria is that the Art must be a catalyst for caring and sharing.

WCAD is now developing across many websites including Flickr, Youtube and Myspace.

Nominated by Andrew Crummy, 31 March 2008

This is a gret way to learn about other countries, cultures and to make friends with people from all over the world! Everyone is creative in their own way!

Submitted by Veronica Thomson, 24 April 2008

Films for Learning is young people using their creativity to steer their own learning.

Students and Teachers are using Films for Learning in a genuine collaboration that brings a freshness of vision to a subject that has the potential to hook students into learning from making and watching films.

These films contribute actively to the students’ own learning, both about film making and the use of digital media in general, but also about the curriculum subjects contained in the film. It is through their involvement in such projects that young people become more engaged in their school learning, use their natural creativity, and develop the intellectual, social and practical skills that are in demand in 21st century workplaces.

Launched in January 2008, the enhanced web-site means that the site is available to anyone, anywhere there is internet access. Because of this the goal of allowing schools from opposite sides of the world to post and share content, to improve pupils understanding is already becoming a reality. Films for Learning is an excellent example of how vision and aspiration can help make learning fun, as well as helping change the way we should think about education.

The scheme is the brainchild of Mark Richardson and Peter Roe – members of staff at the Thomas Hardye School, Dorset – and was developed as a means of helping children in the bottom 20 per cent of the class to improve their retention of knowledge and information. They have spent nearly three years bringing it to the level it has now achieved. A vote for Films for Learning is a vote for their efforts.

Nominated by Richard Wheal, 14 April 2008

As a student I think this is a brilliant and dynamic way of learning. You get to learn about the subject in a fun way. Much better than just sitting in the classroom listening to the teacher!

Submitted by Daniel, 18 April 2008

Films for Learning are continuing to provide exciting digital learning opportunities to all students, but particularly for the hard to engage.Excellent!

Submitted by David Powell, 06 May 2008

Since 1997 the Informed Consent website has become an essential part of the BDSM/fetish community, forming a focal point to discuss issues that affect the community and helping people to find information about how to conduct their activities safely.

In a country where attitudes towards alternative sexuality (especially sadomasochism) are mixed at best, and in which the law still does not recognise that BDSM can be a legitimate expression of a person's sexuality (the 'Spanner' ruling in 1995 is still effective today), Informed Consent provides a vital means for members of the BDSM community to come together, support one another, and be reassured about what they do within the framework of safe, sane and consensual relationships.

Nominated by Oliver Thornton, 07 May 2008

PARWICH.ORG is the first village weblog in the UK to engage fully with both the blogging medium and the rural community which it supports. It is maintained by a team of five village residents (soon to be eight) and is updated several times daily. Launched on March 16th, it has already captured the imagination of the whole village, and will be reaching its 10,000th page view before the end of its first month; a remarkable achievement for a village with only 500 on the electoral roll.

In its first month of existence, the site has covered the closure of the sole village shop and the opening of a new shop in the village pub. It has supported the work of organisations ranging from the First Responders to the Village Action Group, via the bowling club and the horticultural society. It has successfully campaigned for action from the county council on a dangerous stretch of road. It has also provided a means of offering support for a villager who is seriously ill in hospital.

Part newspaper, part notice board and part discussion forum, PARWICH.ORG is actively trying to address the problems of rural disconnectedness, and to bring an already exceptionally active and self-supporting community closer together. As such, it deserves to be seen as a beacon for any other villages contemplating a similar enterprise.

Nominated by Mike Atkinson, 10 April 2008

Never mind 10,000 by the end of the month - it's going to be 10,000 by this weekend! Everyone I meet in the village is talking about what a wonderful resource it is, and how it can do this and that, and bring the village together, restore a sense of community, where most other events are leading to a fragmentation and polarisation. Having recently lost our village shop, and reading about closure of post offices all over the locale, this is an absolute breath of fresh air, and could really be a blueprint for the 21st century answer to social fragementation and alienation!

Submitted by Graham Johnson, 10 April 2008

Just seen this - it's superb. Definitely something we should look into for our own village. Big congratulations on how well it's going.

Submitted by Alex Marsh, 11 April 2008

Traditional village life in the UK is under threat. The Government advocates 'community cohesion' but doesn't seem to understand that what is needed to maintain and promote this in rural areas is very, very different from what is needed in urban areas. Their policies are encouraging the closure of village shops, post offices, pubs and schools, and thereby making villages less like communities and more like dormitories. Property prices and conservation areas don't help either - young villagers starting families often have no choice, financially, but to move to towns and cities. So it's terrific to see one group of villages fighting back against these serious threats to rural community cohesion, and using a very 21st-century tool to do it. (It's a great read, too!)

Submitted by Helen Kara, 12 April 2008

Although widely decried, it is a fact of modern life that affluent city dwellers now seek the tranquillity and quality of life offered by villages. The problems that this can create for existing rural communities have been well documented.

As an isolated village, Parwich suffers from the classic rural privations such as the lack of public transport, the recent loss of the village shop and the scarcity of affordable housing. Despite this, the villagers, old and new show a remarkable spirit and ingenuity to overcome these problems.

Parwich.org is a clear example of how a village can unite to address the needs of the whole community. As a resident of Parwich, I see this at first hand. Every community has its schisms, and ours is no different. There is no question that the weblog is bringing everyone together for the mutual support of the entire village (the spirit of inclusion is driving us to find ways of disseminating the information from the blog to those without internet access). It is a source of great pride to see how all sectors of the village, old and new, can unite through the weblog. Its’ instant success demonstrates how the medium, when enthusiastically and creatively embraced, can bring unprecedented benefits and cohesion to a community which would otherwise be considered under threat.

I hope that Parwich.org can act as a beacon to help other villages overcome the problems they face, helping to establish modern, inclusive patterns of rural living.

Submitted by Kevin Slater, 12 April 2008

PinkNews.co.uk is the leading UK gay news website. Rather than being an insular news about the community, it also reports on the wider political world, examining how it impacts on LGBT society.

I've not been able to find similar coverage anywhere else and many investigations it has mounted have caused real change for the community as a whole

Nominated by David Green, 11 April 2008

I think I should win because of the progress I've made, because of my vision, and dedication to social enterprise ... because I have learnt so very very much, and developed so very very far, in the last 12 months, I have also achieved amazing things, possibly against the odds, and am hooked and totally absorbed and commited to building a world class social enterprise, which is committed to helping other frustrated unemployed mental distress sufferers get back into work via a massive life enhancing experience, that is teaming up to build MESOMOCO CIC, in common purpose, peer-support, teamwork, camaraderie, ... in creating a social enterprise that can and will be a model or template, and an inspiration, that can be replicated else where, by others like us.

Nominated by MESOMOCO, 21 April 2008

MESOMOCO CIC is 'newly born' social enterprise, and an innovative solution to the many dilemmas, issues and problems faced by unemployed mental distress sufferers, it will build skills, self-confidence, self-esteem, and help to develop those all important work life life habits, and routines (an is already doing so for the founders, two mental distress sufferers). It will provide sustainable, needs tolerant, employment for many who repeatedly attempt get and keep employment, but have found it so very, very difficult.

The mission is to build an excellent social business which can be used as an inspirational model or template by others The mission more specifically is to help frustratedly unemployed mental distress sufferers get back into work, via team work, camaraderie, learning, developing and growing, via common interest in building a social enterprise in technology, internet, gadgets, and mobile computing. It is also about using it's creative and technical skills in the fight against stigma, and also, is dedicated to producing digital products that meet the needs of the mental health community at large whenever and wherever possible. MESOMOCO CIC is also commited to growing up into a sustainable enterprise, no longer being needy, and infact, to pumping surplus funds after building, sustaining, and growing back into its communities.

Nominated by MESOMOCO, 21 April 2008

Richard is the very defintion of the word 'Entrepreneur' and of the word 'altruistic'; he is founding and building MESOMOCO CIC an amazing idea to help mental distress sufferers with the employment dilemma they all too often face, and is committed to using his creative and technical skills to fighting stigma ... he is a social activist with a business mind. He is led by his conscience and not his ego. He is passionate and driven by his experiences in mental health.

Nominated by Sarah-Jane Hunter, 03 May 2008

MESOMOCO CIC is a new mental health non-profit social enterprise, with a special interest in Mobile Technology/ Web2.0/ IT, ... it’s all about using that, as a focus for it's otherwise frustratedly unemployed mental distress sufferers. MESOMOCO CIC is a social firm, a little like Jamie Olivers Fifteen idea, but instead of young people and cooking, it's mental health service users. It is also using its creative and technical skills to fight stigma ... and build a service user/carer online social network.

MESOMOCO CIC has a website http://www.mesomoco.org.uk which it is using to build its profile, and also the profile of the mental health sufferer employment dilemma; it uses, integration with YouTube and a videoblog which discussed MESOMOCO CIC in the context of the mental health employment dilemma, and stigma, and the reality of having a history of mental health issues following you around ... there is also a wordpress blog which is news about MESOMOCO CIC and it's issues of interest ... Facebook is also used with discussion groups setup about 'Mental Health & Debt' and 'Mental Health Sufferer Employment' and also 'Friends of MESOMOCO' (and a fan page) which is bringing together like minded people in support of MESOMOCO and what it stands for. The social networking tool twitter is also being deployed via http://twitter.com/richardalan and http://twitter.com/mesomoco providing for a realtime flow of information, knowledge, and shared experiences ...

All this social media technology is bringing together a community of people around MESOMOCO CIC, with a common interest and purpose in mental health, and unemployment, ... medics, mental service users, carers, activists, nurses, OT's, employment specialists ... from all over the UK … next is http://mesomoco.net … it is a stand-a-lone social network being built, based on LAMP and Elgg, which is being built via distance collaboration from the inside out, by the users.

Nominated by MESOMOCO, 06 May 2008

I think Richard Cowling should win the Social Enterprise Trainee of the Year because he's been my carer for the last 8 years and frankly I've put him through hell, I've been so terrifyingly and disturbingly ill and most other people would have run for the hills, in fact most other people did run for the hills, but not Richard. He's been there supporting me, and keeping me safe, and standing up for me. My life would be so horrible without him. He's always there for me, and he has had to really push the barriers and boundaries as a carer and as someone who themselves must keep a balanced life to setup and found MESOMOCO, I've seen how much this new social enterprise means to him and seen how much he has had to learn and take on board to get his idea moving.

Thanks,

Sarah

Submitted by Sarah-Jane Hunter, 29 April 2008

Tax Credit Casualties (TCC) should win this award because they provide a service that no one else can or will. When the Government and the system fail individuals on low incomes, TCC are there to help.

TCC provide a website full of information. From the front page it is clear and straightforward to find the information needed - from a step by step guide to fight an overpayment case, to template letters, to information on the campaign. If you can't find the information needed there are links to email addresses, the forum and telephone numbers as the National Coordinators are always willing to talk to victims and over help and support.

TCC also provide a lively forum where support can be found from others in similar situations and information can be requested. There is even a light relief area where you can usually find something to make you smile.

TCC provide information, support and guidance free of any charge. The internet means that costs can be kept to a minimum yet information can quickly be circulated to a wide group of members.

Whilst the core work of TCC is undertaken by a small number of individuals, consultation of the wider membership is frequent and members are, through email and the forum, able to give their input into projects and campaign work. TCC is democratic and all members are entitled to a say in how the campaign progresses and to be as involved as much or as little as they wish.

Nominated by Sarah McCall, 05 May 2008

It would be simpler and easier to just say "Visit the site" Since describing what they are doing, who ( and how many) they are affecting, and the sheer injustace of that to which these people have fallen victim would take up more than the allowable number of words in this form.

Nominated by D Jolley, 08 May 2008

The folks behind this site have given me hope and support. Without their devoted campaign and support I may well have gone mad.

Submitted by Red Rocket, 05 May 2008

Words cannot express the gratitude i fell towards the people behind this site.

Submitted by D.Shaw, 05 May 2008

This web site gave me hope when I found it because I realised at last that I was not alone in my dispute against the monolith that is HMRC. Out of the blue it had demanded repayment from me of £2500, which it claimed was an 'overpayment' paid to me more than three years previously. With the help of this website and the great people who run Tax Credit Casualties I discovered that the error was completely the fault of HMRC. There was no way I could have known about it. I am still fighting my case. The Tax Credit system is a shambles of which Gordon Brown should be thoroughly ashamed.More than 2 million of the 6 million people entitled to Tax Credits are overpaid each year. Tax Credit Casualties offers help and support to any of these people who contact it and all on a voluntary basis!

Submitted by auntieh, 05 May 2008

The amazing women behind this website/campaign deserve to be knighted for what they are doing to help some of the most vulnerable people in the UK. They are dogged, determined and (correctly) driven by a sense that what they are doing is morally and ethically 'the right thing', helping some of the country's lowest earners navigate the labyrinthine, Kafka-esque nightmare that is Gordon Brown's tax credit system (what is being done behind the scenes with regards to reclaiming tax credit 'overpayments' from some of the poorest in society, flippantly issuing court summons and pretending to the media that the system is all tickety-boo is a national disgrace and WILL eventually come to haunt you Mr Brown). And now Gordon Brown tells us that he can solve the 10p tax rate cock-up by drawing even more people into an already creaking disastrous tax-credit system - jeez! I am certain that the women behind the Tax Credit Casualties campaign have saved the life of at least one taxpayer essentially criminalised and driven to utter despair by HMRC + the amount of good work that they do on a day-to-day basis faced with the sheer bloody-mindedness and arrogance of HMRC and the Treasury is unbelievable. Remember - these women had absolutely no training in finacial matters when they started this campaign + have not been paid a single penny for the many many hours that they have spent helping countless families in their quest for justice. They are angels!!

Submitted by Simon Blackmore, 06 May 2008

The help and support I recieved from this site and the people behind it has enabled me to move forward with my life and feel confident about my future finances. Thank you TCC. You are all BRILLIANT!!!

Submitted by Kyle Brinkley, 06 May 2008

Tax Credit Casualties were there when no one else was. HMRC - forget it. CAB - well, they're paid by the Government and have to toe the line.

After receiving an overpayment bill from HMRC out of the blue, from some years back and without any explanation, I was on my last legs. Up until that point, I had been recovering from a breakdown caused by the most tragic of family events. I regressed, and once again became suicidal and unable to cope.

Tax Credit Casualties were like a lighthouse in a hurricane. As well as being given sound guidance and a roadmap through the dispute process, the support received through their forum became a huge foundation of bedrock for me.

HMRC had never given any indication that an overpayment could be disputed, let alone any information about how to dispute. I learnt that there was an alternative to banging my head against the HMRC brick wall.

Two years later, and I am still in dispute about my overpayment. Numerous letters written to HMRC are still unanswered. Still nothing resolved.

But I am able to cope now, although I will never be able to fully move forward in my life until HMRC allow me to close the chapter on that period of my life.

Without being dramatic, Tax Credit Casualties are one of the major reasons I am here to write these words today.

Thank you.

Submitted by Graham Forrest, 06 May 2008

The TCC are dynamic a fantastic team, who keep you sane during this absolute nightmare tax credit system.

Submitted by rosie, 06 May 2008

I fought HMRC over an alleged Tax Credit overpayment and won almost single handedly. The Citizens Advice Bureau at that time were as useful as the proverbial chocolate teapot.

It was a hard slog that would have been so much easier had I known then about the Tax Credit Casualties. The knowledge that they have acquired about the failures in the Tax Credit system and the incompetence, arrogance and indifference that abounds within HMRC and our present Government is vast. It is this knowledge and the sharing of it that makes Tax Credit Casualties such a formidable force and source of help to those afflicted by the blight of Gordon Brown's Tax Credits.

Submitted by Alan Willis, 07 May 2008

Faced with the beurocracy and red tape that "is" H.M.R.C my partner and I were sinking fast when presented with a large bill for an alleged overpayment of tax credits from years before. That was until we came across Tax Credit Casualities! The website is very informative,easy to use and guides you through the minefield set before you. The team behind it are selfless in their giving of time, expertise and support, all for no personal gain other than to see justice done in an unjust system.

Thank you to them, from the bottom of my heart, for their undaunting perseverance and unconditional support given to so many out there who feel there is no way out. They are a rare breed who deserve all the recognition they can get!

Submitted by Karen Paton, 07 May 2008

Thankfully someone cares, because not many do. It seems to be a new sport - rip the people with least money and sadly a Labour government is one of the major players. The world has gone MAD, and this sane site should win one of the awards.

Submitted by Muriel, 07 May 2008

When I was reaching the end of my tether with my own tax credit overpayment demand, I found this fantastic site - and rediscovered my sanity. Have no doubt that it has saved people from despair, suicide, debt and poverty, and is redressing the huge power imbalances between the mighty, bungling yet non-accountable HMRC and the ordinary honest, compliant claimant. HMRC may continue to blame claimants for overpayments, threaten premature court action and seek to deny us our basic rights to an independent ruling on our cases, but their cover has been blown, and their atrocities are continually being exposed. Consumer power and natural justice will eventually prevail, but especially if this site wins a well-deserved award and is recognised for the life and sanity saver that it is.

Submitted by Ali Myers-Ward, 07 May 2008

I am in the process of trying to save myself from being destroyed by the TCO and this site is an absoloute wealth of information invaluable to the layman. It has given me hope this I might come through this in one piece without being thrust into poverty by a system that was, in theory, there to help those who were struggling anyway! It MIGHT just save my, and my families bacon! This site deserves SO MUCH to win the award as it is helping those who when in need sought help from the state and were given preciesly the opposite,...more trouble! They deserve to win since:-

* The operators are doing this for those in most need out of the kindness of their hearts (VOLUNTARY)

* They are saving people from the steamroller of the only unaccountable organisation left in Britain (the INLAND REVENUE)

* They are making a serious (as opposed to mildly interesting) impact on the lives of so many desparate people (see the webcounter on the site).

God bless 'em.

Submitted by A. Nonymous ( since still involved in the battle)., 08 May 2008

Where would be without Tax Credit Casualties ??? I had no one to turn too until I discovered this fantastic group of unpaid volunteers.They do a great job and deserve recognition.

A big thankyou to all of them.

Submitted by Martin Slack, 08 May 2008

No one to turn too !!! Who you gonna call ?? Tax credit casualties.

Don't bother with the rest, Go to the best T.C.C.

C.A.B, MP, Waste of time.

This organisation deserves every award going. How many people help you free of charge and don't expect anything in return ???

A big kiss to all of you X and I hope you win this award

Submitted by Natalie Palfrey, 08 May 2008

Great outfit, deserves this award.

Very helpful and free of charge.

Submitted by anonymous, 08 May 2008

Yes definitely the TCC must be given the award. I have been guidance by the TCC and their members when I received a demand from HMRC.

Submitted by Suresh Pala, 08 May 2008

Tax Credit Casualties saved us a CCJ and thousands of pounds by giving us the advice we needed to fight a completely unfair tax credit overpayment demand. The amount they have achieved with the resources they have is just phenominal, and down to the passion and hard graft of a small number of victims turned campaigners. If other campaigns think their Goliaths are big, they have not faced the arrogant, unaccountable, legally-unchallengable HMRC.

Submitted by Lisa Weatherley, 09 May 2008

Tax Credit Casualties are going from strength to strength. The website is easy to navigate, full of useful information and tips and advice written by people who have personally experienced the wrath of the mighty HMRC who seem to be accountable to no one but themselves. It is extremely stressful to be landed with a hefty Tax credit overpayment with no proper explanation. To have the Tax credit casualties to call upon for help, has stopped us from going mad with the worry of it all. Also, they are very proactive, organising meetings with HMRC and government to try and sort out this mess. The tax credit system may be working ok now for many people, but it is the people who have been affected by overpayments during the first years of its implementation that are suffering with demands for money to be paid back. The system seriously needs an overhaul, and I am confident that TCC will do their utmost to see that this is done. They deserve to win, because they are fighting for us normal law abiding citizens (for free) who are trying to fight a big government machine without success!

Submitted by Sylvia Bailey, 10 May 2008