Child poverty crisis in west Glasgow -as families fight to afford the basics

Charities in the west of Glasgow say child poverty is hitting crisis levels - with families struggling to afford even the basics.

Around 60 percent of households in the area earn below the average income, which voluntary organisations said has left many parents unable to put enough food on the table.

Youth workers report children arriving at clubs with rumbling stomachs, wearing tattered clothes and ill-fitting shoes. Some are relying on club food as their only meal of the day.

Joyce Bell works for the G15 Youth Project in Drumchapel: "You hear their tummies rumbling when they come in and it's not right, you shouldn't be hearing that.

"We make sure they get at least something to eat.

"Our young people don't know they're living in poverty and areas of depravation. It's all they know.

"Child poverty is real - and it's really quite eye opening and heart breaking to watch it."

Samantha McInnes is a money advisor in Drumchapel and described a scenario when a client visited her for advice, with her three year old daughter in tow.

"The wee girl was messing about with her shoe and her mum said 'I hate to admit it, but her shoes don't fit and her toes are cramped in. That's why she wants them off'"

'It's intolerable that any child grows up in poverty'

In response to these alarming reports, UK Government Minister Kirsty McNeill met with local charities at a roundtable discussion hosted by local MP, Patricia Ferguson.

Community groups discussed the challenges families are facing in the Glasgow west constituency.

Ms McNeill has pledged to convey their concerns to Westminster, where the government's child poverty strategy is currently being developed.

She said: "I heard from incredible community organisations that are really holding families together and their work is so vital.

"It's intolerable that any child anywhere in the UK is growing up in poverty

"You speak to teachers across Scotland and what they often say is that they're carrying fruit and energy bars in their bags because they have to look out across a classroom of kids, some of whom are hungry.

"The child poverty taskforce has set higher ambitions than just reducing child poverty - we actually need to getting ourselves on a path to ending it altogether.

"That means we need to look at every lever we have at our disposal. Everything - health, education, transport, housing.

"We need to think about not just what the benefits system can do, not just what public services can do, but actually what the community sector can do, but they really need Government backing.

"Crucially, the strategy needs to make sure parents have enough money in their pockets from their jobs, which is why we're so focussed on the plan to make work pay."

Child Poverty Taskforce

The Child Poverty Taskforce, to be announced later this year, is jointly headed by the Secretaries of State for Work and Pensions and Education.

The taskforce aims to oversee the creation and implementation of a comprehensive cross-government strategy to reduce and alleviate child poverty.

Its objectives include improving children's immediate well-being and addressing the root causes of poverty in the long term.

Community organisations stressed the urgency of translating these discussions into concrete actions.

Without immediate intervention, they warn, more children will fall into hardship, exacerbating the existing crisis in areas like the west of Glasgow.

Similarly, they are calling for a steady and secure funding package for charities.

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