The Port of Tyne has pledged its support to help tackle child poverty in the North East with a commitment to the Children’s Foundation’s Baby Box programme, helping more babies get the best possible start in life.
The Port’s donation marks the first investment from a commercial business to the North East Mayor’s Fundamentals Fund, enabling more baby boxes to be distributed to first time parents. This comes at a time where the North East Mayor, Kim McGuinness, urges businesses to support the North East’s £28.6m Child Poverty Action Plan.
The collaboration is an important step in strengthening partnerships between the public and private sectors to address child poverty and inequality across the North East.
North East Mayor Kim McGuinness, said:
“It’s so important that we break down the barriers that poverty creates, and we cannot start early enough. As part of our £28.6m Child Poverty Action Plan, we’ll be delivering a new grant for pregnant mams, helping parents with the cost of childcare and expanding baby box deliveries, and that is just the start.
“But we can’t tackle child poverty alone, and we need the region to rally behind our plan to deliver what our young people need. I’m extremely grateful the Port of Tyne are playing their part to end poverty so every child gets the best start in life.”
Within North East Child Poverty Action Plan, baby boxes form part of the region’s strategy to alleviate the immediate pressures of having a baby. They are funded via the North East Mayor’s Fundamentals Fund, which aims to ensure no child in the region goes without the essentials needed for an equitable and healthy upbringing.
The Port’s investment is enabling 120 additional Baby Boxes to be distributed to first-time parents across Gateshead, Newcastle, North Tyneside, Northumberland, South Tyneside, and Sunderland and supports wider ambitions to expand the scheme to tackle child poverty and early years outcomes.
Matt Beeton, CEO of the Port of Tyne, said:
“We’re proud to play our part in supporting the communities we serve. Partnering with the North East Combined Authority and the Children’s Foundation allows us to help families at a really important time and ensures more babies have the best possible start in life. This initiative reflects our commitment to children, young people and communities across the North East, and shows how collaboration can create a positive and lasting impact for the region.”
The Children’s Foundation’s Baby Box initiative is all about supporting babies in the North East to have the best start in life. The box has a unique focus on baby development and is packed full of enriching books and toys. It includes essentials like a changing mat, bath towel, and first toothbrush to get families started with baby care.
Families are referred to the scheme by their midwifery team and are typically first-time parents who may need some extra support.
CEO of The Children’s Foundation, Sean Soulsby, said:
“Every Baby Box is about giving a baby in the North East the best possible start in life, and giving parents a moment of reassurance at what can be an overwhelming time. The Port of Tyne’s support will help more first-time families get the developmental resources and essential items they need in those first 1001 critical days, while also reinforcing the message that no parent should feel alone in those early weeks and months.
“They say charity starts at home, the North East is our home! It’s incredibly inspiring and encouraging to see large scale North East businesses like the Port of Tyne, alongside other partners such as Stiller Warehousing and Distribution, getting behind this project and playing a practical role in tackling child poverty. We would welcome conversations with other businesses across the region who want to be part of this collective effort to improve early years outcomes and help more babies thrive.”
If you would like more information on any of the projects in the North East Child Poverty Action Plan, or would like to have a conversation about offering support, please email childpovertyreduction@northeast-ca.gov.uk.