North East Mayor kicks off grassroots plan to tackle child poverty with visit to Newbiggin school

The Mayor met with community leaders, charities, businesses and teachers in Newbiggin and took part in a story time reading session with local pupils as she saw first hand work underway to help children get the best start in life.

She was joined at the event by Amanda Bailey, Director of the North East Child Poverty Commission, who has been appointed to lead the new unit’s work.

The Mayor announced plans to establish the country’s first Child Poverty Reduction Unit (CPRU) last August and will personally oversee its work.

Building on the regional child poverty summit convened by the Mayor in November, the Unit will meet with families and community groups in the seven local council areas across the North East over the next two months, to develop plans tailored to local needs, and the strengths and opportunities of each part of the region.

The draft action plan will be brought before the North East Combined Authority Cabinet for approval in March, with recommendations for investment to break down barriers to opportunity and bring down levels of child poverty, which stand at almost one in three in the region according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.

Ms McGuinness said: “We are wasting no time in our fight against child poverty, and taking action to help families here and now, and put the foundations in place to ensure no child is left behind.

“Child poverty is unacceptable. It’s holding too many of our young people back and I’ve made this my number one mission as Mayor. That’s why I set up the country’s first Child Poverty Reduction Unit.

“I’ve seen first hand the incredible work already underway to help kids fulfil their potential. Now, we need to harness this action and ambition, scale it up – and go much bigger, further and faster to help more families.

“We will develop a plan for every part of the North East, tailored to what local families need, starting from the grassroots, harnessing the power of our incredible community groups and charities to create the infrastructure of opportunity.

“We must summon all our creativity, compassion and community spirit we’re known for as a region. I know we will step up to the challenge, so together we can deliver for families and end the days where our children and region are held back by poverty.”

The Combined Authority has invested £1.4 million to roll out support across 220 North East schools.

In Northumberland, one of the projects supported by the Combined Authority is Launchpad for Literacy, which supports children in early years with their reading skills, and teachers to develop plans for their pupils.

Grace Darling CoFE Primary School headteacher Sharon Cole said: “Tackling child poverty is essential to ensure that a child’s life chances are not determined by their circumstances at birth, and that we break down barriers to opportunity and level the playing field. This cycle needs to be broken to help communities to prosper and flourish.”