Funding of £500k to tackle child poverty

A £500,000 fund will be used to tackle poverty, reduce health inequalities and help young people reach their full potential in South Yorkshire.

Save the Children said the Dream Big South Yorkshire Fund is the first child-centred investment fund in the country.

The £500,000 is made up from £125,000 from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, £125,000 from private philanthropic partners secured by Save the Children UK and £250,000 via the social impact organisation Key Fund.

It comes ahead of a summit in Doncaster on 1 and 2 July, which will involve more than 300 children, families and experts looking at how to address child poverty and drawing up solutions.

Sarah Godfrey, senior community lead for Save the Children UK, South Yorkshire, said the county was a "national trailblazer with this new fund for children".

"It's going to help some amazing local organisations to work with communities to tackle poverty."

Godfrey said initially fifteen local organisations would benefit from the fund.

"Long term, we're hoping this can grow to help thousands of local children.

"Other parts of the country can take inspiration from South Yorkshire in how to invest in children, and help communities now and in the future."

Young people across the county will help shape investment decisions to make sure the money is spent in ways that directly impact children, Save the Children said.

South Yorkshire's Labour mayor Oliver Coppard said every child "deserves the best possible start in life".

"But for too many families, that isn't the reality today.

"The Dream Big South Yorkshire Fund is about driving that change - backing local organisations, listening to communities, and putting children and young people at the heart of the decisions we make."

In Sheffield, one example of Save the Children's involvement with grassroots needs can be found at Meadows Nursery in Shirecliffe.

It is jointly funded by the charity Save The Children and Sheffield Hallam University.

Leanna Clark, the charity's participation lead for South Yorkshire, said she had seen the difference made through being a listening ear to parents, and offering crafting sessions to help people get to know their community:

"I've seen parents come and they're in their pyjamas because they feel really low, but they're turning up, they come back.

"Parents are more confident, they're going onto volunteering, going into work, they're supporting other mums, creating their own communities."

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