The Coronavirus crisis is having a devastating impact on many in society, particularly those who are already disadvantaged and vulnerable. Our new research highlights the challenges facing vulnerable children and young people across London as well as the precarious situation many small grassroots charities are in as fundraising income drops.

Our research was featured in The Times, Daily Mirror, Independent and SKY News as well as on 21 radio stations.

To counter this we are launching our £2.5m Champions for Children match-funding campaign this June. This will raise unrestricted funds to help support many thousands of children throughout the summer and beyond whose lives have been affected by the pandemic.  If you are a charity wishing to apply please click here to find out more. 

To donate to The Childhood Trust's Champions for Children campaign click below or email ceo@childhoodtrust.org.uk if you wish to discuss corporate support or make a major gift. 

Our Vision

The Childhood Trust is London's child poverty charity, founded with a simple vision: to support vulnerable children living in poverty in London.

Our work is focused on helping children living in poverty to overcome the many disadvantages caused by poverty. London children are much more likely to live in poor households than children in the rest of England - 37% versus 26% and are less likely to be able to afford everyday items than those elsewhere in the country. 55% of poor children in London are materially deprived compared to 44% in the rest of England. 60% of London children in low income families do not have a week's holiday away from home (londonspovertyprofile.org, 2017)  

Child poverty in London is about more than income, for many children poverty can mean uncertainty, stress, hunger, loneliness, boredom, poor health and a lack of opportunities. The most disadvantaged children fall at least two years behind their peers when they come to sit their GCSE's.

About Us
The Childhood Trust is London’s child poverty charity, funding grassroots projects that support children and young people impacted by poverty. We achieve this through our fundraising campaigns, corporate volunteering programmes and advocacy on the issue of child poverty.

By bringing companies, philanthropists and other donors together we ensure that resources are directed to exactly where they are needed. Without these projects, life for many thousands of children trapped in poverty would be dramatically worse.

We work across three thematic areas, meeting children's practical needs, emotional needs and inspiring children. Support from local grassroots projects across these themes promotes well being and resilience, strengthening vulnerable children's capacity to learn. Education provides one of the strongest routes out of poverty and our support provides disadvantaged children with stability and trusted companionship, helping to raise aspirations, creating hope and narrowing the gap in educational attainment and life chances.

93,733 Children and young people, living in every borough of London, were engaged by 115 projects funded by The Childhood Trust. (July 2018 to June 2019) 

Watch our short film that highlights the impact of our work;

Who we are

A photographic exhibition documenting the living conditions of London’s most disadvantaged children.

In partnership with The Foundling Museum, Bedrooms of London presented a new body of work by photographer Katie Wilson highlighting the damaging consequences for children arising from the shortage of social housing in London. Focusing on the spaces in which children are sleeping, the photographs are shown alongside first-hand narratives from families collected and written by Isabella Walker, and offer a poignant insight into the lives and experiences of children living in poverty across London.

In a city where extreme poverty and wealth exist side-by-side, Bedrooms of London makes visible the often shocking and unseen reality of home life for the 700,000 children currently living below the poverty line in our capital, and challenges the prejudices and stereotypes associated with child poverty. 

The Childhood Trust was supported in producing this project by award-winning social change communications firm GOOD Agency. The exhibition is now available to view digitally at bedroomsoflondon.com 

HRH The Duchess of Cambridge who visited the exhibition on 19th March was moved to see the plight of children living in such appalling conditions.

(photo: Dan Weill 2019)

Read or download our report "The Context to London's Housing Crisis and its impact on children here: 

Join the conversation #BedroomsofLondon

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(Video by Shelter.org.uk courtesy of Metro.co.uk)