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Scottish kids take graffiti to Parliament to end child poverty - 23rd of Sep, 2008

Groups of young people are taking their demands to end child poverty in Scotland to party leaders at the Scottish Parliament today.

Hundreds of children have graffitied giant children's building blocks with messages of support for the Campaign to End Child Poverty. The metre-high blocks, which charity Save the Children has taken around the country for the past year, together spell ‘END CHILD POVERTY’.   Politicians will be asked to take those messages to Gordon Brown and Alex Salmond to call for the governments to keep their promises to end child poverty by 2020. New figures show that a further 60,000 children in Scotland would need to be lifted out of poverty to halve child poverty by 2010.   The event is being organised by Scottish members of the Campaign to End Child Poverty which includes: Barnardo’s Scotland, Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland, Citizen’s Advice Scotland, One Parent Families Scotland, Poverty Alliance and Save the Children.   Peter Kelly, Scottish trustee of the Campaign to End Child Poverty said:    “The Scottish and UK Governments have made a bold political promise to end child poverty by 2020. They are in danger of failing to keep this promise if increased action is not taken now. We are calling on the UK Government to invest £3 billion to tackle child poverty in the next budget, and for the Scottish Government to take immediate action to support parents into decently paid jobs and maximise benefits.   “This is a vital time in the fight to end child poverty. Recent increases in food prices and fuel costs have greatly added to the issue. The Scottish Government has the power to make a crucial difference and vastly improve the lives of those 250,000 children who are currently living below the breadline in Scotland”.   Douglas Hamilton, Save the Children’s Head of Policy & Research in Scotland said:   "It is outrageous that 1 in 4 children in Scotland are living in poverty, but it doesn’t have to be this way. Child poverty can be ended if the political will is there, and urgent action is needed to meet the governments’ own targets. It’s fantastic that so many young people from across Scotland agree that child poverty is unacceptable, and are making their voices heard. I hope that the politicians will listen and act on what the young people are saying.”   The Campaign to End Child Poverty welcomes the investment of £1bn into ending child poverty in the recent budget, but if the government is to reach its target of halving child poverty by 2010, it must ensure that a further £3bn is invested in ending child poverty now. Children can't wait."   John Dickie, Head of the Child Poverty Action Group in Scotland said:   “It is unacceptable that 250,000 children in Scotland live in poverty. Ending child poverty is everybody’s business. I hope that other young people in Scotland will also add their voice and get behind the campaign to End Child Poverty. We must do everything we can to make sure no child lives in poverty by 2020. “   The 30 building blocks have been decorated with messages by schools, youth groups, after school clubs, mums groups, poverty organisations and children’s charities across the country. Once the blocks have been displayed in the Scottish Parliament, they will then be taken to London for the End Child Poverty ‘Keep the Promise’ rally on 4th October.