New partnerships

The move will create new opportunities for academics, voluntary organisations and local authorities to work together to address the causes of poverty and its impact on families and communities.

Newcastle University has a strong track record of leading research on a range of issues relating to poverty and inequalities and how they affect children and young people.  The Commission will be housed in the School of Geography, Politics and Sociology, allowing it to benefit from the expertise across the whole University in these areas.    

As part of the move, a new Child Poverty Co-ordinator will be appointed to work with academics and key stakeholders to help match the needs of the voluntary sector with the research expertise across the University and identify areas where changes in policy are needed.

Coinciding with NECPC’s move to Newcastle University, on 2 May Professor Guy Standing, a world renowned social scientist with a leading reputation for his work on global poverty, will deliver a keynote lecture at the University. This will be followed by a panel discussion with representatives from Riverside Community Health Project, Tyne and Wear Citizens and Newcastle University covering poverty and inequalities and the arguments for moving towards a basic income system in Britain.

Professor Tracy Shildrick, Head of Sociology, said:

“We’re delighted to be hosting NECPC as it gives us a great opportunity to cement existing relationships with a wide range of community organisations. By working together to share knowledge and develop ideas, we can help address some of the structural causes of poverty and ensure children and young people have the same opportunities and choices in life and are not stigmatized because of their background.”

Urgent need

The North East Child Poverty Commission was established in 2011 and has a core membership of voluntary sector organisations, universities, think tanks, local authorities and other public sector organisations. Among its achievements, it successfully influenced government to allocate resources for more summer holiday projects for children as part of a campaign aimed at combatting holiday hunger. The work of NECPC is funded by a grant from the Millfield House Foundation.

To welcome NECPC to its new home and to celebrate existing partnerships and start new collaborations, a special networking event for staff from a range of local and national community and voluntary organisations, local authorities and other researchers will also take place on 2 May.  

Jane Streather Chair of the NE Child Poverty Commission, added:

"As child poverty increases blighting the lives of too many children, tackling it, especially in the North East, has never been more urgent. We are excited to be working in partnership with Newcastle University. Together we can harness evidence to argue for changes in policy and practices by those individuals and organisations who have the powers and resources to make a difference."