Summit aims to combat city’s child poverty levels

A special summit to address the city’s rising child poverty levels, backed by a number of Marketing Derby Bondholders, is set to take place later this month.

The Derby Child Poverty Summit is set to take place at Derby County’s Pride Park Stadium on Thursday 25 April, from 9am to 1pm.

The summit is a collaborative initiative stemming from the Child Poverty Subgroup of the newly establishing Derby Resilience Board, being delivered alongside the Derby Poverty Commission.

It is being backed by a number of organisations including Derby City Council, the Derby Food 4 Thought Alliance, Community Action Derby, YMCA Derbyshire and Safe and Sound.

According to recent data, 38.3% (and rising) of all children in Derby city are living in poverty.

Broken down further, nearly half of all children (47.6%) of those living in the Derby South constituency are doing so in poverty.

The East Midlands, which Derby forms part of, also lays claim to the unfortunate fact that the region experienced the biggest percentage rise in child poverty.

According to the Derby Poverty Commission, children in a household experiencing poverty will be more prone to experience a household with mental illness, domestic violence, neglect, parental separation, and forms of abuse which serve to further compound the detrimental effects that children in poverty experience daily.

The purpose of the summit is to unite leaders, stakeholders, and residents in a concerted effort to address the pressing and spiralling issue of child poverty in Derby.

It will raise awareness about the escalating rates of child poverty, while fostering a shared commitment to instigate an anti-child poverty movement, and collaborative initiatives.

The summit will also seek to map, promote, and reveal, positive proactive work already taking place across the city, encouraging the sharing of good practice.

Through the event, the summit will strive to contribute to the development of a resilient and supportive environment for children in Derby, ultimately working towards the goal where every child in the city can exist and thrive without the burden of poverty.

To register for the summit visit https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/derby-child-poverty-summit-tickets-868980121937 .