Families in crisis need and deserve urgent action – can you help?

Every year Barnardo’s supports thousands of children and families who are struggling to pay for the basics like food, heating, beds and suitable accommodation.

We see children in the South West going to school hungry and returning to a cold home.

We see how poverty affects the physical and mental health of both parents and children, and how it can affect them for the rest of their lives.

Here at Barnardo’s, we help families keep the power on and keep the fridge stocked so that children can grow up safer, happier, healthier, and more hopeful.

But charities like Barnardo’s can only do so much.

Research we published recently shows a quarter of parents in Great Britain with children aged 18 and under say they’ve struggled to provide sufficient food for their children over the past year.

Our recent report Empty Plates and Cold Homes: What it’s like to grow up in poverty in 2024, also estimates that there could be around 3.4 million children whose parents have struggled to provide sufficient food for them over the past year.

All over the country, there are people like Sonia who, come the end of the month, must rely on food banks to feed her two boys and prioritise food and heating over other essentials like wi-fi for her son’s schoolwork.

The government’s new child poverty task force is a glimmer of hope for Sonia and the thousands of families Barnardo supports.

But good intentions won’t be enough without bold action, so it is disappointing that the Government has not ended the unfair two-child limit on benefits in this week's Budget.

Sadly, it is a stark reality that more than one in four children in the UK lives in poverty – that’s nine in every single classroom.

You can help us make a difference to these children by going to our website Barnardos.org.uk and donating today.

Even just a few pounds could help provide nourishing food for a family, money to help cover school essentials or valuable support for a family struggling to make ends meet.

On behalf of all the children and families we support, thank you.

Sarah Crawley,
Director, Barnardo’s South West