North East can be 'ground zero' for beating child poverty as £28m plan agreed
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness has said the North East can be ‘ground zero’ for tackling poverty in the UK after a £28.6 million action plan to tackle the issue was signed off.
The new strategy is aimed at improving the lives of 120,000 children growing up below the breadline across the region.
At a meeting of the North East Combined Authority’s cabinet, Ms McGuinness said: “This issue is incredibly close to my heart. I feel quite emotional that we have got it here already.
“This is a £28.6 million plan to redistribute regional wealth. No other region is doing this – nobody else is making this kind of investment.
“The North East, as far as I’m concerned, can be ground zero for beating poverty. We are going to show the Government the policies ministers should be implementing nationwide to save lives – we want this to be a blueprint for Government and for other regions in the country.
“With the measures announced, we are beginning the process of rebuilding Sure Start-like services that once underpinned strong families in our region. When we lost that support, entire neighbourhoods suffered – we really saw a difference.”
The 36 projects include three ‘ground-breaking’ pilot schemes – supporting expectant mothers during pregnancy, providing baby boxes to all first-time families on Universal Credit and offering more low and no-cost activities for young people.
On this, Ms McGuinness added: “The fact is the simplest way to end poverty is to give money to parents who don’t have enough, while at the same time trying to help them get good jobs so they can thrive on their own.
“Sometimes the simplest solutions are the most effective, and I think we’re really talking about life-changing starts for those who need it most.
“Austerity decimated youth services. This doesn’t just lead to short-term problems of kids with nowhere to go – we know it has a positive impact on preventing crime – but we also know that they create opportunity.
“While some kids are getting access to after-school tuition and organised sports where their parents can afford it, there are too many kids who don’t get that support. We want to level the playing field.”