Mayor commits £29 million to tackle child poverty in North East England

North East regional mayor, Kim McGuinness, has made dealing with child poverty her number one priority

Mayor Kim McGuinness says poverty is holding back economic development in North East England (Photos: Mayor McGuinness’ website; Getty Images)

July 2025: The North East of England, which includes cities like Newcastle, Sunderland, Gateshead and Durham, is one of the poorest regions in Britain. Child poverty rates are among the highest in the UK. Regional economists believe factors like low wages, insecure work, and cuts to social security contribute to financial hardship for many families. The Trade Union Congress (TUC) reported in 2024 that 31 per cent of children in the region lived in poverty (1), an increase of some 44 per cent compared to 2010.

In November 2024, some six months after she was elected regional (strategic authority) mayor, Kim McGuinness (2) said tackling child poverty was her highest priority. “Enough is enough”, she told the North East’s first child poverty summit. "Our region has had the unwelcome tag of the highest child poverty rates for the past 25 years." 

According to the ‘North East Combined Authority’, some 120,000 babies, children and young people in the North East region live in poverty, many of whom are in a family with at least one parent or carer in work. Single-parent families and families with under-five-year-olds are disproportionately affected by poverty. Growing up in poverty can have a significant impact on children’s immediate and future outcomes – and makes it much harder for young people to achieve their potential.

Now, in July 2025, Mayor Kim McGuinness launched what she described as England’s most ambitious initiative to tackle child poverty. The £28.6 million (US$38.8m, €33m) ‘Child Poverty Action Plan’ sets three strategic priorities:

• Seeking out and supporting families in need.

• Not allowing poverty to prevent people from reaching their potential.

• Identifying and eliminating the causes of poverty.

The plan also details measures like:

• A commitment to ensure every child has their own bed.

• Access to school uniforms for all children in need.

• A new Warm Homes Taskforce to make rented homes warmer and more affordable.

Since taking office in May 2024, Mayor Kim McGuinness has already announced several measures to provide families in or facing poverty with immediate support. They include:

• Creating the Mayor’s Childcare Grant, to help parents return to work or training.

• A £50 million package to help 13,500 people who face barriers due to health and disability, to find and stay in work.

• Committing £2.7 million to support families, schools and employers in the academic year 2024/25.

• Extending the £1 fare for young people aged 21 and under on buses, local trains and ferries next year, and doing everything possible to keep the affordable fare in place until 2028.

(1) Poverty in the North East of England

• The North East has a very high proportion of children living in poverty, with some of the steepest increases in child poverty seen across the UK. In 2023/24, 31 per cent of children in the region were living in poverty. In parts of Newcastle, some 43 per cent of children live in poverty.

(Source: North East Child Poverty Commission)

• A significant portion of child poverty in the North East is within working households, with a 44 per cent increase since 2010. (Source: Trade Union Council)

• The region experiences high levels of deprivation, with a high proportion of households lacking basic necessities like adequate heating, holidays, and the ability to replace furniture or electrical goods.

• A substantial number of workers in the North East are employed in insecure work, such as zero-hour contracts, which can impact their ability to secure a decent standard of living.

• The cost-of-living crisis, particularly rising energy and food prices, is putting immense pressure on household budgets in the North East, exacerbating existing poverty issues.

Child poverty

Child poverty is generally defined as a lack of resources or opportunities experienced by children due to low household income, impacting their well-being and development. This can include inadequate access to basic needs like food, housing, and healthcare, as well as social and educational opportunities. It's often measured by comparing household income to a poverty line, which is a percentage of the median income, and can be calculated before or after housing costs.

(2) Mayor Kim McGuinness

Kim McGuinness, a Labour Party member, was elected the North East region’s first mayor in May 2024. Prior to her election, she served as Northumberland Police Commissioner from 2019 to 2024.

Sources: North East Combined Authority; North East Child Poverty Commission; Trades Union Congress (TUC); Public Sector Executive

Further reading: British women mayors | English voters elected more women than men in mayoral contests | English cities and regional mayors |

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