Tackling child poverty in Stockton-on-Tees
A Borough-wide effort to reduce child poverty in Stockton-on-Tees is making good progress, a report has revealed.
A report presented to Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's Cabinet yesterday, Thursday 12 March, highlighted the wide range of practical measures delivered by the Council and its partners to reduce inequality and ensure every child has the best start in life.
In 2025 alone, nearly 400 children were auto-enrolled to receive free school meals, with an increase of almost £500,000 in pupil premium.
More than 10,000 HAF (Holidays are Fun) Programme sessions were attended, which provided over 14,000 free, funded holiday activities and healthy meals. To ease financial pressures further, families were also able to access free school uniform through the Council's four Family Hubs, as well as prom outfits and a range of costofliving support services such as welfare and budgeting advice.
One parent said the Here to Help Summer Family Fun Day in July - which offered community support and free school uniform - was "a huge help", allowing her to save on uniform costs while speaking directly to organisations providing information and advice.
Meanwhile, community engagement with residents and Mandale Mill Primary School included cooking sessions and craft activities, which formed part of the Council's wider Early Intervention and Prevention work to bridge the gap in inequalities in North Thornaby.
Councillor Clare Besford, the Council's Cabinet Member for Children and Young People, said: "Reducing child poverty isn't just a priority for us - it is a moral responsibility. No child should ever feel the weight of disadvantage, and we are determined to stand alongside families to ensure every young person in our Borough has the chance to flourish.
"Every child deserves the best possible start in life. They deserve the opportunity to grow, dream and achieve. Seeing the real, tangible difference our support is making is incredibly heartening. When we put people at the centre of every decision, we not only help ease financial pressures, but help build a future where all children can thrive, no matter their circumstances."
The work forms part of the Council's commitment to reducing poverty and inequality through its Powering our Futures programme, A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees and Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024 to 2027, as well as key priorities in the Stockton-on-Tees Plan.
It has been made possible through the Stockton-on-Tees Child Poverty Network, which brings together the Council and its partner organisations to discuss the key issues children and families living in poverty are experiencing across the borough. The collaborative meets quarterly to find solutions to these issues and improve the lives of local children and young people.
The Council's work also supports the Government's national strategy, 'Our Children, Our Future: Tackling Child Poverty' to alleviate child poverty.
