Point North joins more than 120 representatives in Tees Valley to tackle child poverty
More than 120 people from across the Tees Valley came together this week to take the next step in tackling child poverty, thanks to an event funded by Point North.
‘Anything is Possible: Tackling Child Poverty Together Across Tees Valley’ brought together leaders and practitioners from the public, voluntary, community, health, education, housing and business sectors to explore how stronger partnerships can create better opportunities for children and families.
As the accredited community foundation for County Durham and Tees Valley, Point North funded the event to create the space for organisations to share ideas, strengthen partnerships and build a collective commitment to tackling one of the region’s biggest challenges.
Hosted by broadcaster Alfie Joey at AV Dawson’s headquarters in Middlesbrough, the event was organised by community partners including Close-Knit Families and the North East Child Poverty Commission, with support from Point North, The Teesside Charity and venue hosts AV Dawson.
The day focused on developing a shared strategic response to child poverty across the Tees Valley, identifying priorities for future action and strengthening collaboration between organisations already making a difference in local communities.
Delegates heard from broadcaster Steph McGovern, Tees Valley Combined Authority Chief Executive Tom Bryant and a panel of regional leaders working across health, housing, local government, advice services and the voluntary sector. They also took part in interactive discussions to explore how organisations can work together more effectively to remove barriers to opportunity and improve outcomes for children and young people.
The latest Department for Work and Pensions figures show that 31.3% of children across the Tees Valley are growing up in poverty, compared with 27% nationally. Nearly two-thirds (65.9%) of those children live in working families.
A briefing published by the North East Child Poverty Commission earlier this year highlights that rates are even higher in some communities, reaching 69.8% in Newport, Middlesbrough, alongside 47.7% in Victoria, Hartlepool, 47.9% in Grangetown, Redcar and Cleveland, 46.3% in Northgate, Darlington, and 44.8% in Newtown, Stockton.
Child poverty has lasting impacts on children’s health, education and future employment opportunities, while also placing increasing pressure on local services and community organisations.
Michelle Cooper, Chief Executive of Point North, said: “No single organisation can solve child poverty alone. But by working together across sectors, investing in community-led solutions and putting children and families at the heart of decision-making, we can help create a brighter future where every child has the opportunity to reach their full potential.”
Beth Munby, founder of Close-Knit Families, said:
“This event has been a brilliant opportunity to bring changemakers together from across the Tees Valley and from many different sectors.
“There is already some great work taking place to address child poverty in the area. Our hope is that this event will increase collaborative working and innovative solutions to strengthen this work and make anything possible for every child growing up in the Tees Valley.”
Reflecting on the importance of collaboration, Steph McGovern said:
“This event has been so important in tackling child poverty in the Tees Valley. It wasn’t about talking down the region or repeating the statistics we already know. Instead, it brought together people who can build on the amazing work that’s already happening and created a platform for a shared plan for long-term change.
“I’m incredibly proud of this region and the people in it. Our kids and young people are smart, funny and resilient. What they are missing most of all is opportunity. That needs to change, so it was great to be in a room of people who want to work together to do that.”
Amanda Bailey, Director of the North East Child Poverty Commission, added:
“Today’s event really has shown how passionately people and organisations working across the Tees Valley feel about tackling child poverty and expanding opportunities for young people.
“Importantly, they want to come together to do this – recognising that we can achieve more by working in collaboration than on our own. This will help us all to build on some of the incredible work, and partnerships, already happening in different parts of the area.
“Nobody gets a second chance at childhood, and it’s crucial that we do more to tackle high levels of child poverty across Tees Valley if every child across the area is to be able to fulfil their potential.”
The event concluded with organisations making shared commitments to continue working together to reduce child poverty and improve outcomes for children and families across the Tees Valley.
Point North will continue working alongside partners to support community-led solutions that help children, young people and families thrive, while strengthening the collaborations needed to create lasting change across the region.
