[UK] charity delighted with plans to cut London's child poverty

from 24 dash

A leading children's UK charity has backed plans to cut child poverty in London.

Barnardo's was delighted with yesterday's announcement that The Mayor of London will be launching a new independent commission into the problem.

Every child needs to grow up in a family that is free from income poverty so that they can achieve their full potential, says Barnardo's.

But this is not the case for more than half of the children in inner London who are thought to live in poverty, the charity says.

Delroy Pomell, Director of Children's Services for London, East and South East England at Barnardo's, said: 'London's children need a chance, and the only way they are going to have that is if they are taken out of poverty.

"I am therefore delighted to be involved in The London Child Poverty Commission. I know from my experience of Barnardo's work with children and young people in the capital that poverty affects the life chances and expectations of children very directly – their housing, health, education and work opportunities.'

'In my role as commissioner I hope to be very vocal in raising concerns and voicing the opinions of both the children and young people we work with at Barnardo's, as well as the concerns of every other child who is currently living in poverty in London.

"Our aim is to find ways to reduce child poverty in the capital, and I am very determined alongside my fellow commissioners to make that happen.'

'Poverty hits the most vulnerable children hardest, especially disabled children, some groups of black and minority ethnic children and children who are living in temporary accommodation.

"In my role as commissioner I will aim to ensure that policies aimed at ending child poverty reach the most vulnerable children – in our experience these children are not benefiting from the Government's strategy to end child poverty,' said Mr Pomell.