New help for pregnant women and a drive to locate unclaimed savings worth millions are the latest measures in the North East's battle against child poverty, following a summit in Newcastle.
Summit in Newcastle
Leaders from across the region gathered at the Newcastle Eagles' Vertu Motors Arena on Thursday for the second Child Poverty Summit. The event, attended by more than 200 people including former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner, aimed to shape the next phase of efforts to end the deprivation affecting thousands of families.
Grant for pregnant women
North East mayor Kim McGuinness announced a new grant scheme to help prevent pregnant women from falling into financial hardship during their third trimester. She told the Local Democracy Reporting Service: “We know poverty starts for a lot of children before they are even born. The idea that in your last trimester of pregnancy you are faced with not being able to afford the things you need and are looking at other mums who can… that is not the best start for mum or baby. Giving a grant in that third trimester means they are not having to ask for help, we are solving that problem and taking the pressure away.”
Unclaimed Child Trust Funds
The mayor also launched a local programme to claim the North East's share of unclaimed Child Trust Funds. The Government recently created a taskforce to reunite over 750,000 young people with accounts worth an average of £2,200, totalling more than £1.6 billion. Around 6.3 million Child Trust Fund accounts were opened for children born between September 2002 and January 2011, but approximately £65 million remains unclaimed in the North East alone. Ms McGuinness added: “We know a lot of children out there were gifted a Child Trust Fund from the Government and there is around £65 million of unclaimed money out there – literally in accounts in those children’s names. We are helping them track that down because it is their money. £65 million for our economy can only be a good thing.”
Mayor's priorities
Since her election in 2024, Ms McGuinness has made ending child poverty the top priority of her administration. She told the summit that her office had distributed more than 3,000 baby boxes, would extend a childcare grant scheme after an initial trial, and aimed to provide financial and benefits advice to 16,000 families. However, she noted that too many households still lack sufficient funds.
Angela Rayner's remarks
Ms Rayner told the LDRS she was proud of Labour's record on child poverty since coming to power, including scrapping the two-child benefit cap, but said work must “continue at speed” as Andy Burnham prepares to succeed Keir Starmer as prime minister. She said: “I have skin in the game with this because I was one of the kids who needed [support]. I have seen the success of supporting people when they need it most and what it can do to transform people’s lives. It is not just about individuals in the North East or those children, this is about the future of our economy and our country. Every child needs to be able to reach their full potential.”
Attendee perspective
Gemma Chappell, who campaigns for stronger safeguarding laws after her great niece, two-year-old Maya Chappell, died in 2022 after being violently shaken by her mother's boyfriend in Shotton Colliery, attended the summit. She called the event a “real eye opener” on the scale of work to combat child poverty. She added: “I think things are moving in the right direction, [but] Andy Burnham has to keep up with it. He has to keep this going.”
