Children’s charity Wood Street Mission is launching a major new initiative today to kit out all local children living in poverty for school.
SmartStart Manchester & Salford will aim to distribute one million pounds worth of school clothes and kit to local children in the next 4 years, enough to give every child living below the poverty line in Manchester and Salford a school uniform.
The charity aims to raise the money primarily from the city’s business community and has been given a £100,000 donation from the Zochonis Charitable Trust, which is funded by PZ Cussons shares, to launch the fund.
Roseanne Sweeney chief executive of Wood Street Mission said:
“There are 55,000 children living in poverty in Manchester and Salford. Doing well at school is crucial if they are to grow up and break the cycle of poverty. But too often their parents struggle to afford school costs like uniform and sports kit which negatively impacts on children’s experience of school.”
“We want to grow a fund in partnership with the city’s professional firms and businesses which will help children fit in and achieve in school so they grow up to fulfil their potential and contribute their skills and talents to our growing economy. That’s in everyone’s interest given the high economic and individual cost of child poverty.”
This year following a cut in central government funding, Manchester City Council will for the first time not be providing school uniform grants for year 7 and 10 students. Salford City Council has not provided school uniform grants for some years.
It is estimated that the economic cost of child poverty is £446 million annually in Manchester,the second highest of any local authority in the country, while the cost of child poverty in Salford is £162 million.
Mission is launching a video “Every super hero needs a uniform” made pro bono by Salford based Creative Production Studio Mi to raise awareness about the impact not having the right school uniform can have on children as part of its campaign.
Bill Jones, chairman of leading Manchester law firm JMW solicitors and chair of the Spinningfield’s Business Group which supports Wood Street Mission said: “The regional economy is projected to grow significantly over the next decade and it is important that businesses get behind initiatives like SmartStart. Children who are subject to poverty need our help and the excellent work of the Wood Street Mission is doing much to assist under privileged children in Manchester and Salford. The Spinningfield’s Business Group will be supporting SmartStart through various fund raising channels and I would urge businesses to get behind this timely new and deserving campaign and in so doing invest in the future of our great cities.”
Wood Street Mission launched SmartStart Manchester & Salford as it has seen a significant increase in the numbers of families seeking help with school costs throughout the year. The project will help families with school goods throughout the year with the majority of help provided in the run to the start of the school year – the most expensive time of year.
SmartStart Manchester & Salford will also build evidence on the impact of poverty at school and develop other initiatives with local businesses to encourage children to engage and achieve at school.
