Child poverty
Poverty is the single greatest threat to the well-being of children and families. Growing up in poverty can affect every area of a child's development - social, educational and personal.
As adults they are more likely to suffer ill-health, be unemployed or homeless, and become involved in offending, drug and alcohol abuse, and abusive relationships.
Living in a poor family can reduce children's expectations of their own lives and lead to a cycle where poverty is repeated from generation to generation. In tackling poverty it is crucial to break the cycle. Education is a key element of this, as are initiatives which involve people in developing their skills and finding their own solutions to the problems in their community.
Facts relating to child poverty
- There are currently 3.9 million children living in poverty in the UK, that's almost a third of all children.
- One third of British children are forced to go without at least one of the things they need, such as three meals a day or adequate clothing.
- Poor children are only a third as likely to get 5 GCSEs at A* to C than those from richer backgrounds.
Find out more: the reality of child poverty in the UK
Ten thousand join London rally to End Child Poverty
On 4 October 2008, ten thousand people travelled from around the country to take part in the largest every rally to end child poverty in the UK.
Keep The Promise, staged by the Campaign to End Child Poverty, saw people from around the UK join forces to call on the Government to keep its promise of halving child poverty by 2010 ending child poverty by 2020.
The event was hosted by Chris Parker, who was joined on stage by celebrity campaigner Sophie Ellis Bextor who performed two songs.
Sophie said:
The End Child Poverty rally brought together thousands of people for one main reason – because they all want to see an end to child poverty in the UK. Today, we all sent a clear message to the Government that as a nation, we will not sit back and watch millions of children face a bleak future simply by default of being born into a poor family. I felt extremely proud and honoured to have played a part in such a vital event.
Chris said:
As a Londoner I was shocked and saddened to learn that four in ten children in London are living in poverty. 12 per cent above the national average! It’s time to send a wake-up call to the Government and let it know that the public will not accept a continued increase in child poverty.
Director of End Child Poverty Hilary Fisher said:
What an amazing day! We’re extremely grateful for everyone who made the effort to come to London for this historic event. 3.9 million children in this country live in poverty. Public pressure is vital to make the Government keep its pledge to put an end to child poverty in the UK today. The Keep The Promise rally showed Gordon Brown how passionate this country is. We are encouraging anyone who couldn’t make the rally to sign our online pledge, which will be delivered to Downing Street. The Government made a bold promise, now we must all hold them to it.
The Campaign to End Child Poverty is a coalition of more than 130 organisations working to eradicate child poverty in the UK. It is formed from children's and other charities, social justice groups, faith-groups, trade unions and others concerned about the unacceptably high levels of child poverty in the UK.
