There are so many children growing up in poverty in Manchester and Salford they could fill-out Wembley Stadium.
That’s according to a shocking new estimation from Wood Street Mission, a charity which has been supporting kids below the breadline since 1869. The city centre organisation believes 90,000 children are in poverty in the two boroughs.
Should their estimation be correct, census data from 2021 suggests 43 percent of children in the two cities face such hardship. That rate means in a school classroom of 30, some 13 Mancunian and Salfordian pupils would be in poverty. The national average is nine.
“If we can assist those nine and enable them to go to school looking and feeling like their peers, and give them the tools to succeed – then we can begin to break that cycle,” said Des Lynch, Wood Street’s chief executive.
“We believe education is the most important route out of poverty, but children can only thrive in school if they feel like they belong. That’s why initiatives like Smart Start are crucial, as they give children the confidence to engage, participate, and succeed.”
He was speaking as the charity confirmed it’s helped kit out more than 21,000 children with new school uniforms on their patch, free of charge, since the creation of the Smart Start programme. It allows families to access brand-new uniforms, coats, and stationery ahead of the new school year, with 2,300 youngsters benefiting in 2024.
The unbranded uniforms are provided by local supplier David Luke, which believes it has sent out 14,254 new outfits in the five years it’s been involved with Wood Street.
“We believe every child should be able to walk into the classroom feeling confident and ready to learn and it’s amazing to be able to support with this,” said the company’s boss, Kathryn Shuttleworth.
One beneficiary has been St Kentigern’s Primary RC Primary School in Fallowfield, which calls the scheme ‘a lifeline for so many of our families’.
“Providing children with new uniforms allows them to feel just like everyone else in the classroom, which is incredibly important for their self-esteem and learning,” added Sandra McCormack, the school’s pastoral care assistant.
As this year’s Smart Start initiative draws to a close, Wood Street is calling for support so it can repeat the feat next year — even though Des Lynch ‘hopes in the future, our services are no longer needed’. You can learn more and donate here.
