Birmingham: a child poverty emergency
On 20th September, BirminghamLive published an article bringing attention to the critical issue of child poverty in Birmingham. The report highlights that one in three children in the city is living below the poverty line, making Birmingham one of the hardest-hit areas in the UK. The article examines the daily struggles faced by families in deprived areas, including poor access to education, inadequate healthcare, and food insecurity. Despite the efforts of local authorities and organisations, these problems persist, stressing the need for more comprehensive and effective interventions.
The analysis further highlights the long-term impact of poverty on the future of Birmingham’s children, pointing to the urgent need for sustained and far-reaching action to disrupt this cycle of deprivation.
Two of our board members, Ranjit Sondhi and Jagwant Johal, have shared their perspectives on the Birmingham Child Poverty Emergency, underscoring the critical intersection between poverty and race. They stress that any real solution must address the structural and institutional racism that disproportionately impacts Birmingham’s Asian and Black communities. This issue cannot be resolved through short-term fixes but requires a serious, long-term commitment from policymakers to bring about meaningful change.
Board member Jagwant Johal further stated:
“As a city, we should be ashamed that child poverty in our most vulnerable neighbourhoods and communities has been allowed to continue unchecked for decades.
Failing to act on the ‘Child Poverty Emergency’ essentially means we are accepting the limitation of life chances and opportunities for our most at-risk children, many of whom live in our most disadvantaged areas.
The Birmingham Mail campaign, which exposes the poor quality of life endured by children living in poverty, also highlights the toll on families, communities, and neighborhoods. It points to the urgent action required to address this crisis.
BRIG supports the demands for action, but we additionally call for targeted, equitable solutions. As a global minority-majority city, the role of race, ethnicity, and faith must be central in tackling the poverty suffered by our communities.”
Read more about the campaign here.
