Families in Newcastle’s west end are demanding urgent action to tackle the rising child poverty crisis, as they prepare to deliver a photo petition to North of Tyne Mayor Kim McGuinness and Newcastle City Council. Organized by Food and Solidarity, which provides weekly food parcels to families across the city, the protest calls for the Labour-led council and mayor to prioritize child poverty and pressure the Labour government to end the harmful policies affecting Newcastle’s children.

With nearly 40% of children in Newcastle living in poverty, the photo petition, signed by hundreds of families, highlights the devastating impact of policies like No Recourse to Public Funds (NRPF) and the Two-Child Benefit Cap. These grassroots protests are set to bring the realities of living in poverty directly to the city’s leadership, and demand that no more children grow up in poverty

The petition demands that Mayor McGuinness and Newcastle City Council:

• Advocate abolishing NRPF (No Recourse to Public Funds): NRPF prevents migrant families from accessing vital public support, leaving children vulnerable to poverty. This policy must be abolished.

• Advocate ending the Two-Child Benefit Cap: Larger families are unfairly penalised by this cap, which restricts essential financial support to parents with more than two children.

• Push Central Government: Kim McGuinness must use her political platform to advocate for these changes at the national level.

• Sit Down with Food & Solidarity: Families who are directly impacted by these policies demand to be heard. A meeting with Mayor McGuinness and local leaders is essential to find real, community-driven solutions.

"Kim has been appointed or perhaps anointed by the Prime Minister and holds significant influence. She has the power to push for these changes and stand up for Newcastle’s children," said a parent from the west end of the city.

Members of the public are invited to show solidarity with the families of Newcastle’s west end. The photo petition represents the voices and faces of hundreds of families impacted by child poverty, demanding that their local leaders take action.

"For too long Newcastle City Council have blamed central government for restricting their ability to reduce the dire levels of child poverty in our communities - now Labour is running the country, there's no excuse: we expect to see change. A local task force is meaningless unless it implements changes that make a difference, and two very obvious things that would reduce child poverty in Newcastle are an end to NRPF and an end to the two child benefit cap." said a mother and member of Food & Solidarity.