The issue:
There were 4 million children in the UK below the poverty line before the recession began. With rising unemployment and reduced working hours, thousands more families join them each week.
End Child Poverty is a multi-organisation campaign to address the urgent need to end these high levels of child poverty in the UK that ruin life chances and damage our society as a whole
The Charities Parliament hosted an evening on Wednesday November 25th in Central London to explore the vital role that schools, churches and voluntary organizations have in turning this tide.
The evening concluded with a time for questions from the audience and responses from the government minister.
The audience was made up of public and voluntary sector leaders, workers and volunteers - including community activists, educationalists, youth and children’s workers, local faith group leaders.
Participants:
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Liz Thorne, London Development Manager, from ‘End Child Poverty’ will outline the root causes and impacts of the problem as well as the keys to turning the tide.
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Helen Goodman MP, Under Secretary of State for Department Works and Pensions, will then address the principles, ideas, opportunities and issues behind the government’s new Child Poverty Bill, the targets it sets and the role of schools and voluntary organizations including churches and other faith groups in working more effectively with central government and local authorities as ‘local delivery partners.’
Chair:
- Steve Chalke MBE
Founder of Oasis & Charities Parliament
Click on the audio file below to listen to the discussion from the event:
