On Thursday, the 9th of October, MCR Pathways was pleased to host an event to mark the start of the next stage of our work in tackling Child Poverty.
This event was held during Challenge Poverty Week. Created by the Poverty Alliance in 2013, the week is about enabling organisations across Scotland to come together and call for a more equal Scotland, free from poverty.
The aims of Challenge Poverty Week are clear. Through our participation, MCR Pathways, along with hundreds of other organisations across Scotland, hope to:
- Raise a unified voice against poverty and show that we all want to live in a more just and equal Scotland,
- Build awareness of and support for solutions to poverty; and,
- Change the conversation around poverty and help end the stigma of living on a low income.
Throughout the week, we will be posting across our channels to raise awareness of the specific issues highlighted by the Poverty Alliance, and the aligning work that MCR Pathways and our partner organisations are doing to support young people who experience poverty.
23% of Scotland’s children and young people currently live in poverty, which is defined as living in a household with income below 60% of the national average. This means that these young people living in poverty are unlikely to have the same opportunities to grow and develop as their peers, impacting on their education, health and future prospects. Children and young people in Scotland are at greater risk of poverty than anyone else in the country.
MCR Pathways are determined to play a key part in eradicating poverty and mitigating the effects of child poverty through relationship-based mentoring, and by working alongside like minded organisations to create lasting change.
Mentoring offers a practical and proven solution to the effects of child poverty. Through a simple connection with a trusted adult, mentoring allows young people to thrive by increasing their confidence and self-belief, motivating them to find brighter futures and helping to expand their horizons beyond school.
Hosting our event during this time, which calls for better investment into our communities felt important, because we believe strong, flourishing communities are also essential in the eradication of poverty across Scotland.
We welcomed young people, mentors and partners who have contributed to our lived experience report for the Scottish Government. They joined us to discuss how to inform the upcoming Tackling Child Poverty Delivery Plan, to present the final recommendations we made to the government, and to gather their views on where we, as a multi-sector coalition, should go next in our joint ambition to tackle and eventually eradicate child poverty.
The culmination of this first stage of work will be presented at our Vital Sparks Summit next month. Stay tuned for further updates. If you’d like to find out more about our influencing and policy work, please contact policy@mcrpathways.org
