More needs to be done to tackle child poverty in Teesside says charity
Work's already in place but it's not enough according to the Teesside Family Foundation
A Teesside charity says more needs to be done to try and tackle child poverty on top of the work that's already in place.
It comes as a new report out earlier this week showed the North East is dealing with some of the highest levels in the country - Middlesbrough came third.
Figures from the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, show last year over a million young people in the UK experienced the most extreme form of destitution, which has more than doubled since 2017.
Toni Conroy is a trustee at The Teesside Family Foundation and said: "Sometimes we feel there's never enough being done and there'll always be pockets of poverty that we'll never reach, people who don't reach out, who don't ask for help, who are ashamed or embarrassed that they can't provide for their families. I think changes need to be made from the grassroots.
"If your neighbours or friends are struggling and you can help, do so. Reach out the them and offer them support; bake batch a lasagne, start a community cooking club or join one. There's so many ways the average person can help like putting an extra tin of beans in your trolley and putting it into the foodbank drop-off points.
"We've funded breakfast clubs with supplies and equipment in many of the poorer schools across the area. We've stocked foodbanks with essentials and taken everyday items like toothpaste, deodorant and shower gel and distributed them where it's needed the most. We've helped homeless charities with tents and sleeping bags.
"We fund grassroot sports because we believe it's an important avenue for children. They learn to play, to become a team player, to keep children out of trouble and give them something to focus on and off the streets. We provide specialist equipment for those who can't access it from other sources and also support a variety of community-based groups."