Tackling child poverty can not only change children's lives but also the lives of their families, their communities and society as a whole. The voluntary, public and private sectors work together within communities to do a huge amount to empower parents and children to make good choices and build opportunities for themselves. We hope you enjoy these films which embody a vision of how local communities can act with drive and passion to shape where they live, helping those most in need in their communities.

Cornwall Works case study

In Cornwall a unique partnership between local partners and the voluntary sector tackles child poverty within the community. Cornwall Works takes the most disadvantaged groups in the labour market and provides the support needed for them to make the transition into work. Each provider, agency and organisation brings a complementary approach with new ideas for joining up resources and filling gaps that impact on long term inactivity. 
 
From its launch in April 2006 Cornwall Works brought together a range of partners including Cornwall Council, the Learning and Skills Council, Jobcentre Plus, the NHS, the private sector, Business Link and the voluntary and community sector. Working through organisations such as the Citizens Advice Bureau and Volunteer Cornwall increased engagement with communities and took support right to those who needed it. The approach combines the experience, skills and local knowledge of an excellent Cornish network of partners who are actively involved in partnerships working with families on the ground.
 
Among Cornwall Works’ specific aims in its first three years are: 

  • supporting people who have been on incapacity benefit for two years or more and helping them into sustainable employment
  • reducing the overall claim rate for people of working age who live in the priority neighbourhoods which until recently attracted neighbourhood renewal funding
  • increasing the number of young people who leave care – or those from other vulnerable groups, including young people with disabilities – who enter work.

This partnership approach has received national recognition and a Beacon Status award for preventing and tackling child poverty. 

Bolton Lads and Girls case study

Bolton Lads and Girls Club is one of the oldest and largest youth clubs in the UK. The club has excellent facilities and offers high quality entertainment, and courses. This ensures that year after year it has a phenomenal impact on young people in Bolton.
 
Some facts about Bolton: 

  • Bolton is in the top 50 towns in terms of deprivation, with certain areas of extreme poverty
  • Bolton’s proportion of looked after children is above the national average.
  • It is estimated that there are at least 1190 young carers in Bolton;
  • 1 in 10 young people are considered NEET (in the worst 10 per cent in England);
  • 341 children in Bolton are subject to a child protection plan.

Based in a vast building in the centre of town, the club hosts a complex of state-of-the-art sports halls, gyms and boxing gyms, table tennis rooms, a dance hall, two climbing walls, arts and crafts rooms and many mentoring and teaching rooms.
 
Up to 300 eight to 19 year-olds come through its doors each day, and they pay a modest £5.00 subscription for the year, then 40p on each visit. It is open whenever schools are closed – every evening from 3.30-10pm, and 8am-10pm on weekends and holidays.

Most kids attend between four to six days a week, and young people who attend say that if the club wasn’t there they would be hanging around street corners as there is no where else to go. The club is where they come to feel safe, where they make friends, and where they come to find adults who they trust and can talk to.
 
The Bolton community plays a very influential role in the day to day running of the club. It recruits an army of over 400 volunteers to help run the club. These volunteers come from all parts of the local community and reflect the changing social make-up of Bolton. They ensure that young people can identify with the positive role models.
 
The club works with Bolton local authority to ensure that some of the most vulnerable young people who come through their doors are supported and signposted to the services they need. The club has also been commissioned by the local authority to run two council-owned youth clubs on two of the toughest estates in Bolton.
 
Local businesses also play a vital role to keep the club running. They say it's important for business to support their community, and continue to investment very large sums to support the town’s youngsters even through a difficult economy.

Mayor's Fund for London case study

The Mayor’s Fund for London is a new charity focusing on improving the life chances and aspirations of disadvantaged children, young people and their families in London. They believe the way out of poverty is a decent job. Through principles of Partnership, Connectivity, Evidence-based and Implementation they aim to provide children, young people and their families in London with a better start in life, a better educational experience, better things to do and a better job.
 
From an initial spend of £580,000 in 2009, the Mayor’s Fund Programme  has grown significantly in 2010 and continues to grow, commencing with its first full area programme in Shoreditch  in 2010 and rolling out to other areas in London in future years. 
 
The Mayor’s Fund invites individuals, companies, charitable trusts and foundations, and many other organisations to support them in providing a better future for London’s disadvantaged children, young people and their families. The Mayor’s Fund has raised £9 million to date: £7 million of this has come from private sector investment.
 
All central operating costs of the Mayor’s Fund are met by Trustees of the Fund. This ensures that any support investors provide will be fully applied to the programmes.
 
The Mayor's Fund for London believes that sustainable and positive change comes about when communities take responsibility for their own future. Led by London Citizens, their community engagement project therefore works in partnership with local communities to ensure that local priorities are reflected in the development and implementation of their strategy. The goal of London Citizens is to build the power of communities who work together for the common good.