The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust, more commonly known as Z2K, is a London-based charity addressing poverty issues caused by unfairness in the law, legal and benefits system.

Equal Opportunities at Z2K

We support the principle of equal opportunity and do not discriminate against anyone on the grounds of race, gender, class, disability, sexual orientation, gender reassignment, marital or civil partner status, pregnancy, caring responsibilities, age, political or religious belief or lack of it or trade union activity or the fact that they are a volunteer, a part-time worker or a fixed term employee.

We take positive steps to promote equality in the following areas of:

• management
• recruitment and employment practices
• recruitment and use of volunteers
• service provision

History

Z2K was started as a volunteer organisation in early 1990s by a group of concerned Christians who refused to pay the poll tax on the grounds it was unjust. The volunteers helped other poll tax defaulters as McKenzie Friends. This spread to work with vulnerable debtors. In 1997 Z2K was registered as a charity and the Reverend Paul Nicolson ran it as a volunteer until 2007 when funds were raised to set up an office and to employ staff. In 1997 Reverend Paul Nicolson started training other volunteers to be McKenzie Friends and since then, the charity has run over 50 courses, training over 300 people.

Letter from our Chairman, Reverend Paul Nicolson

A significant cause of debt in the UK is the inadequacy of statutory minimum incomes for people in work, unemployed or pensioners. The Zacchaeus 2000 Trust trains volunteer advocates for people who are facing draconian enforcement of rent and council tax arrears against the inadequate minimum wage, unemployment benefits, tax credits, and state pensions, or who are being exploited by door-to-door-lenders at interest rates up to and over 300% APR.

With the support of 70 Non Governmental Organisations with 10 million members, who include the BMA, the Royal College of Nursing, the Faculty of Public Health at the Royal College of Physicians and the UK Public Health Association, we are petitioning the government for independent and transparent research into the minimum incomes needed for healthy living.

In addition the General Synod of the Church of England, The Methodist Conference, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland and UNISON  have all passed unanimous conference decisions supporting the petition. The list also includes Caritas Social Action Network, the Muslim Council of Great Britain, the Children’s and the Pensioners’ Charities and the National Consumer Council.

We are a Christian Trust committed by our constitution to work with people of good will of all faiths and of none.

Rev Paul Nicolson Chairman.

Our chairman, Reverend Paul Nicolson, introduces Zacchaeus 2000 Trust in this video.