| This
year started with a joint reception between the All Party Parliamentary
Group for Children (APPGC) and Barnardo’s on 18 January to
launch Give us a Chance - a report of the views of 130 children
involved in Barnardo’s projects on various social issues.
The
reception for young people and Parliamentarians in the House of
Lords was hosted by Baroness Massey of Darwen, co-chair of the
APPGC, and included a short presentation by the Minister for Children,
Young People and Families, Margaret Hodge MP. The Conservative
and Liberal Democrat spokespeople on children’s issues,
Tim Loughton MP and Annette Brooke MP, who are both vice-chairs
of the APPGC, also made brief speeches.
The
highlight was undoubtedly the presentations by two of the young
people involved in the report - Tiana, who would like a career
in politics and Natty, who would like to be a children’s
rights officer. Both spoke eloquently about their experiences
and aspirations. All of the speakers emphasised the importance
of involving and listening to children and young people in line
with Article 12 of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
The
report itself is divided into seven sections with quotes from
young people on:
• Politics, politicians and governments – ‘Why
don’t they ‘swap lives’ for a day with a young
person?’. ‘Experience things that affect young people,
use a wheelchair or live off benefits for a week’.
• Good physical, mental and emotional health and well-being
– ‘More money spent on catching the big dealers –
them who bring it in – and less on putting addicts and users
in prison, they still get the stuff in there.’ ‘Parents
should be supported if they want to stay at home (and look after
their children.’
• Safety and freedom from harm and neglect – ‘It’s
a big group of kids and I suppose it looks frightening, but we
just want to hang about – we’re not doing anything
bad – and the shopkeeper just shouts at us to clear off
– he doesn’t talk to us.’ ‘Can we have
more police on the streets – real ones not wardens?’
• Opportunities for play, leisure, education and developing
life skills – ‘Give young people something to do,
especially in rural towns, like skate park, young people’s
discos. Make them inexpensive; young people are forced to wander
the street to meet up together.’
•
Involvement in communities – ‘There should be a room
or somewhere they can go to smash glass and stuff and talk about
why. Somewhere safe so they don’t keep trashing the (community)
centre.’ ‘If you don’t look after the environment,
who will? And you’ll be the one complaining when it’s
all in your way.’
•
The disadvantage of poverty – ‘School prices shouldn’t
be so high. My mummy pays £25 a week on stuff like dinner
and books for me and my brother.’ ‘£40 a week
training allowance is just not enough to live on. I know I get
housing benefit ‘cos I can’t live at home but by the
time I’ve paid my light and stuff and bus fares there’s
hardly enough for food. I’m not getting at pensioners but
didn’t somebody say they can’t live on less than £100
a week, well how can I do it?’
•
Wider issues – ‘Why can’t they just talk? (Instead
of going to war) It might not have worked but at least they could
try. Like I have a friend who I had argued with, but just for
a lesson we had to work together and I had to get on with it.’
Copies
of the report are available to download from Barnardo’s
website - click here
Future
meetings
8 February 2005 – Secure attachments between parents and
children aged 0-2
Joint meeting with the APPG Childcare, APPG Maternity and APPG
Parents and Families
22
February 2005
– Presentation by young carers
Joint meeting with the APPG Youth Affairs
7
March 2005
– Supporting children and families: focusing on the Every
Child Matters agenda - how to target parents for interventions,
key transitions in children's lives when they may need more support,
what works in helping children and parents, and the role of grandparents
and the extended family
Joint meeting with APPG Parents and Families
22
March 2005
– The Home Secretary, The Rt Hon Charles Clarke MP speaking
about youth justice issues
Please
contact Alison Linsey, Clerk to the Group (email: alinsey@ncb.org.uk):
•
To be added to the email mailing list to receive minutes and
notices of meetings
• For copies of minutes from any of the meetings
• For a free copy of the Group’s report ‘Commitment
to Children’
• For any further information about the Group
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