Children from Sybourn Children Centre met with Council Leader, Cllr Clyde Loakes, last week as he unveiled a key point of the borough’s plans – to take the lead in making sure that child poverty ends in Waltham Forest.
In an unusual step for a local authority, Cllr Loakes announced the Council wants to take the lead in work with a range of national and local services to transform the life of a generation of Waltham Forest children.
“Over 18,000 children in Waltham Forest are growing up in poverty,”
said Cllr Loakes.
“This is simply intolerable given our place in one of the richest and most dynamic cities in the world.
“With the range of services the Council provides, and its unique relationship with national and wider local services, it just makes sense that we take the lead.
“Ending child poverty and unlocking the talents of all our young people will be top of the agenda in Waltham Forest over the next few years.”
The announcement is the second in a series of policy commitments following the Council’s most extensive consultation with residents.
Residents were asked to feedback how they wanted to see the borough develop over the next 20 years. The consultation confirmed that the life chances of children are vitally important to creating a borough where people aspire to live.
Cllr Loakes added:
“We’ve listened to residents and they told us we have to get things right for children in this borough.
“But we recognise that this pledge is not just about children – it’s about whole families and communities. Ultimately, it will depend on our youngest residents having access to excellent schools and job related skills.”
Look out for further developments in wfm and online.
