Stop Poverty In The UK
It's an earth-shuddering word that usually grounds a conversation to a halt and makes people turn away - guiltily trying to think of a change in topic, conscious that they could be doing more to help. But poverty affects children and adults worldwide, in developed and developing countries alike. There's no escaping it – case in point the United Kingdom.
Story Highlights
- The Facts and the London Project
- Campaign to End Child Poverty in the UK
- How You Can Help
The Facts and the London Project
Four out of every ten children in London are suffering in relative poverty and with the current economic climate, this number is set to increase. The End Child Poverty - London Project aims to make people aware of the extent of child poverty in the city. By tackling the stigma associated with poverty and through successful campaigning, the scheme hopes to end child poverty in London.
The London Child Poverty Commission said: “Unfortunately, London seems to be much better at experimenting on a small scale than at building on the results…there is a need to develop better strategies to allow successful local initiatives to grow or be replicated in other areas.”
With this in mind the project will focus on four key issues - Child Development (Education and Well-being), Parental Support, Housing and Black and Minority Ethnic Groups. Starting with ten inner London boroughs the project will expand with each success until child poverty in London has become a thing of the past.
Campaign to End Child Poverty in the UK
The London Project is just one of the avenues being pursued by charity - End Child Poverty. This charity has one clear, overriding goal and that goal is simple - eliminate child poverty in the UK by 2020.
End Child Poverty aims to do this by being consistent in informing the public and the government about the causes and effects of child poverty, and by unifying the public, private and voluntary sectors in the cause.
Sound simple? Well it helps that the UK government is already committed to ending child poverty. End Child Poverty believes that improving social policies and necessary resources will help the public and government work together to reach their goal.
Informing people of the facts and the implications of child poverty is a priority which the charity feels will make people listen and take action. What's also important is maintaining the elimination of child poverty as a key target for all major political parties until 2020.
How You Can Help?
- Write to the British Prime Minister. Join the tens of thousands who marched through Westminster to Trafalgar Square in October - commanding the government to provide a sustainable future for children suffering from poverty.
- Become actively involved. End Child Poverty speak at group meetings and events in the community to increase public awareness of child poverty in the UK. Invite them to any groups that you're involved in.
- Help spread the message. Visit the website for top tips on how to make an active difference, including petitions, flyers and an event guide.
- Join the Facebook group for the End Child Poverty campaign. http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2253897103
- Ask your employer to support End Child Poverty as their charity of the year.
- Jen Page
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