Did you catch our Chief Executive, Josephine McCartney, on BBC Radio London last week?
Josephine joined the conversation about the government’s new £500 million investment into Family Hubs, a plan expected to reach 500,000 more children across the UK’s most disadvantaged areas. But what are our thoughts?
Family Hubs are designed to be local, accessible spaces where families can access vital support, from early years help to mental health services. But as Josephine highlighted in the interview, access still depends far too much on where you live, another example of the postcode lottery, as hubs vary from borough to borough.
Some boroughs are repurposing existing buildings, others have none at all, and some will only offer digital access hubs. But if a family is struggling to afford basics like food, heating, or school supplies, how can they afford Wi-Fi or devices needed to use a digital-only hub? Once again, it’s a postcode lottery, and that’s something no family should have to face when it comes to essential support.
During the interview, Josephine discussed why this new investment is important, where gaps remain, and how the work we deliver at The Childhood Trust, from our Transforming Spaces programme to our Charity Partner Network, helps fill those critical gaps that government funding doesn’t always reach.
If you want to listen to Josephine’s full 15-minute feature for more insight, click the link below, her segment starts at 1:42:30. Help us keep the conversation going and keep raising awareness of the everyday challenges families in poverty face.
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