Outreach
Our outreach programme is a support fund for families and children in the Margate and Cliftonville area who are living ‘under the poverty line’. Children under the poverty line lack basic resources, food, safe living conditions and amenities, and are vulnerable to abuse and neglect.
The UK is the fifth richest country in the world.
ONE in THREE children in Thanet is living in poverty - and that figure includes half of children in Cliftonville West. The study, conducted by charity End Child Poverty, examined levels of poverty in every council ward in the country. Cliftonville West showed that 50.9 per cent of children in the area had fallen below the poverty line after housing costs were applied. In Margate Central, the figure stands at 47.2 per cent, while nearby Newington has the third highest child poverty rate in the area at 43.2 per cent.
The use of Trussell Trust foodbanks remains at a record high with over one million three-day emergency food supplies given to people in crisis in 2015/16. A shocking statistic compared to their 2008/2009 number of 25,899. As a direct result of tax and benefit decisions made since 2010, the Institute for Fiscal Studies project that the number of children in relative poverty will have risen from 3.6 million to 4.3 million by 2020.
WHAT WE DO
We provide food parcels and financial support to “at risk” families in a bid to reduce vulnerability, hunger and homelessness. Our key referral agents include Beth Denning and Amanda Goldsmith of the Disability Drop in Centre. These agents identify children and families most in need. Families who have exhausted all avenues of support, due to government austerity measures, and are no longer eligible for food vouchers. Our other services also include life enabling soft skills, which consist of cost- effective cooking methods, language skills, household budgeting, English language and communication skills, and confidence building.
HOW WE DO IT
We visit sponsored individuals and families every Sunday to assess their living and personal needs, and offer shopping lists and matching recipe choices. On the Monday we deliver their food parcels/recipe pack and assist in multi-agency referral support.