Helping children live better in poverty

Aim

Supporting the health and wellbeing of children who are living in poverty in the UK to give them a better start in life.

The Aldridge Foundation is a social mobility charity that supports children living in some of the most deprived communities (areas in the top 10%- 20% of deprivation) in the UK, including those living in Blackburn with Darwen. Having survived the challenges of Covid-19 (the area had the highest rate of coronavirus cases in the UK) the community is now having to deal with the impact of the cost-of-living crisis on top of their existing poverty challenges.  The consequences of this will affect the entire families. In particular, there will be an even greater impact on children’s  health and wellbeing and ultimately their progress at school.

With the cost of essentials soaring, something low-income families spend a greater proportion of their money on, many of them will struggle to afford the basics to live. They will have difficulty affording nutritious food and will have difficult choices to make.

We want to raise funds to ensure that this doesn’t happen, that these children do not go hungry, that they have access to healthy food and the ability to exercise for free. We do not want them to be held back.

We want to ensure that our support makes a lasting impression on the children and their families so that they are armed to make smart choices, better manage the consequences of living in poverty and equipped to create better lives for themselves.

Why are we doing this?

At the Aldridge Foundation our aim is to make sure everyone has an equal chance in life, that we inspire and equip young people with the skills they need to fulfil their potential and that no child is left behind. To achieve this aim, we often need to support them with the basics first, helping them overcome the multiple challenges they face on a daily basis.

Through this project we will support children and their families:

• Access affordable, healthy food and run family cooking classes
• Provide them with tracksuits and run weekly exercise classes to keep the children active and help tackle poverty driven lifestyle related diseases
• Train young people to run the exercise sessions at the school and gain coaching qualifications to enable them to start earning
• Run sessions for their parents and wider communities to give them the skills, advice and guidance to better manage their finances, make their budget go further and take control of their wellbeing

Why should you support us?

Over 14.5 million people are living in poverty in the UK, according to the Joseph Rowntree Foundation. That includes 4.3 million children. Research has shown that children from low-income families who are living in poverty often start school behind their peers and their educational attainment is affected throughout their school life, something that was exacerbated by Covid and now may well be further exacerbated by the impact of the cost-of-living crisis. 

This project not only addresses immediate need – that children don’t go hungry, but also ensures that their health and wellbeing is looked after, that they remain in school, they can concentrate in lessons and attain the best educational and ultimately life outcomes possible. Your support will give them the best chance in life.

Please donate what you can to help those most in need. Every donation will help to give a child a better start in life. 

This project successfully funded on 31st January 2023