Two ex-premiership footballers, John Moncur of West Ham and Tottenham Hotspur fame, and Don Hutchison, who played for Sunderland, Everton, West Ham and Scotland, have both made heartfelt videos in support of our urgent appeal.

The football legends both wanted to highlight the struggles North East children are facing as a result of the Coronavirus crisis, and to showcase the ways in which Children North East has adapted its services in order to carry on working with vulnerable babies, children, young people and their families.  They also wanted to let you know that our charity still needs your support to help more people.

John Moncur says:

There are more families trapped in poverty in the North East than most other parts of England. So it’s vital they can access support now and in the months to come.

Don Hutchison says:

In this difficult time, when Covid-19 is around, they (Children North East) are supplying food parcels and online counselling for anyone affected.

If you can afford to donate £5, please text HOPE to 70490.  Texts cost £5 plus your standard rate message.

Expectant mum, Stacey, is just six weeks away from giving birth to her first baby – an exciting and special time in normal circumstances – yet she is surrounded by uncertainty.

Covid-19 means that the hospital she’s booked in to has had to cancel any antenatal classes and she still doesn’t know who her birth partner will be because her sister, who was going to fulfill that role, is currently working amongst Coronavirus patients.

She describes being pregnant in the midst of a pandemic as simply ‘terrifying’.

“I’m a first time mum and all the antenatal classes have been cancelled so it’s kind of like I’m going into it a bit blind. There are a few online classes but I think a lot of pregnant women do the courses specifically to meet other mums.

“It can be quite lonely having a newborn so having the opportunity to meet other mums in your area is part of why most of us do the courses.”

Thankfully, Stacey, who’s an online English teacher, has been able to access our NEWPIP (Newcastle Parent Infant Partnership) service, the only project of its kind in the region and one of only 27 nationally. It provides a range of help for mums and dads to encourage bonding between parent and child.

Heightened anxiety

Stacey has been receiving online psychotherapeutic counselling from our professional parent infant therapist, Marie Clark. Stacey said: “It’s been very useful especially as I already suffered from anxiety prior to pregnancy.

Coronavirus didn’t help the situation, it made me feel even more anxious because I was trapped in the house all the time so it’s been invaluable to be honest. They’ve helped me a lot. I had a meltdown a couple of weeks ago but my therapist, Marie, was fantastic. She talked me through it and calmed me down.

Marie says it’s a worrying time for anyone, particularly for expectant and new mums. “A lot of what we do at the moment is helping people feel less anxious. A lot of what worries people is about what’s happening and how it’s going to impact on them and their babies.

“Normally we go to people’s houses but at the moment it’s all over the telephone or online.

We work alongside people to understand what’s going on and help people think about ways they can be creative – how they might plan their day to go out safely or how they can keep in touch with people for example. It is tricky, it’s a highly anxious time and when people are already having difficulties, it really is adding an extra layer.

Because some parents and parents-to-be don’t have computer access, Children North East would like to be able to offer computer tablets for them to borrow so that they can have face-to-face counselling online and so they can join in with our ‘Boogie Bairns’ music sessions.

NEWPIP service manager, Lesley Hutchinson said: “We’d love to be able to source six computer tablets which would really help those parents and parents-to-be who don’t have access to our online counselling face-to-face at present.”

If you work for a company who can help with either new or nearly-new technology, please contact: [email protected]

New support line

Our NEWPIP team have responded to the Covid-19 crisis by launching a special Support Line for parents and expectant parents.

If you are expecting a baby or have a baby or toddler under the age of two, our friendly and experienced team are here to help.

To find out more, call Janice in our NEWPIP team on 0191 2399956 Monday-Friday between 10am-4pm and she will arrange for you to speak to a member of our team.

The End Child Poverty coalition with Loughborough University has published an analysis of new Government data that tracks four years of child poverty across Britain before housing costs are taken into account (2014/15-2018/19). The report highlights those parts of the country where children are most likely to have been swept into poverty since 2014.

According to the research, the North East of England has seen the starkest increase in the country with numbers rising by 6.5 percentage points over the past four years alone, leaving families in the region ill equipped to cope with the impact of the pandemic.

The worst hit area in the region is Middlesbrough where over a third (37%) of children are living in poverty, before housing costs are taken into account. That’s closely followed by Newcastle (28%), Hartlepool (27%), South Tyneside (26%), and Gateshead (21%).

Even before the devastating impact of Covid-19 on household incomes, almost a quarter of children (24%) in the North East were living in poverty – and the region has seen the most dramatic rise in the proportion of children below the breadline.

Ambitious strategy needed to end child poverty

The End Child Poverty coalition is calling on the Government to take seriously the four year rise in child poverty – predominantly in working families – and to commit to an ambitious and comprehensive strategy to end child poverty in the UK as it plans the nation’s recovery from Coronavirus, which campaigners fear will only have deepened child poverty and drawn more families below the poverty line.

Recent ONS analysis, carried out 17-27 April 2020, shows just under one in four adults (23%) said the Coronavirus crisis was affecting their household finances. The most common impact in this group was reduced income (70%), and nearly half saying they had needed to use savings or borrow to cover living costs.

Campaigners are fearful that the added impact of Covid-19 on household budgets could push struggling families over the edge and are urging the Government to immediately increase the amount of money in families’ pockets. The coalition is calling on the Government to set out an ambitious strategy to reverse the increases and make ending child poverty a priority for the nation’s future economic recovery.

Some children six times more likely to grow up in poverty

The report’s analysis shows how unequal the country is with children in some parts six times more likely to be growing up in poverty than in less deprived areas. While child poverty is deteriorating across better and worse off areas of the country proportionately, those places starting off with a high rate see more additional children pulled into poverty.

Imran Hussain, director of policy and campaigns at fellow charity, Action for Children, said:“We may all be experiencing the storm of Coronavirus together, but we are not all in the same boat.

Children in the North East are some of the most exposed to the devastating economic consequences of this crisis and are at severe risk of being swept deeper into poverty. Families who were already struggling to keep their heads above water are now living in fear that they can’t afford to keep their children and babies warm and well fed.

“That’s why we are asking the Government to strengthen the social security system which is there to hold us steady during tough times, by immediately increasing household income for struggling families. Ending child poverty must be at the heart our plan for economic recovery, so that when this crisis is over all children can enjoy a safe and happy life, thrive at school and have opportunities for the future.”

Jane Streather, chair of the North East Child Poverty Commission, said: “It’s deeply concerning that the North East has seen the biggest increase in child poverty rates over the last few years, and these figures demonstrate just how many families in our region were already struggling to make ends meet, even before the Coronavirus crisis hit.

“Of course this terrible pandemic is not only exacerbating existing inequalities, but seeing many more families in our region being pulled into the grip of poverty as a result. It’s not right that tens of thousands of children and young people in the North East are facing such hardship and Ministers must act urgently to boost the incomes of families.

“The Government must also put a comprehensive strategy to end child poverty front and centre of the post-Covid recovery, with a social security system which provides a genuine safety net in difficult times. For children, that must include a significant rise in Child Benefit.”

Children North East has launched a range of new services to respond to the effects on North East children of the Coronavirus pandemic. You can donate to help this work here.

Dad-of-two, Tommy Wanless is rowing the length of three North East rivers throughout May  to help the region’s babies, children, young people and their families.

He’s just finished rowing the 137-km Tees and is moving on to the Wear (97km) before taking on the 118-km Tyne – all from the comfort of his back garden in Newbiggin, Newcastle.

And he’s saving the last 31 kilometres to row on May 31^st when he celebrates his thirty-first birthday.

Boogie Bairns baby

Tommy found out about the work of Children North East because his one-year-old baby daughter, Polly, enjoys the charity’s Boogie Bairns sessions with her mum, Louise Aitchison.

“It’s been really good for Polly’s development over the last year and it’s helped Lou a lot post-pregnancy too,” Tommy said.

The baby music sessions run by Youth Music project coordinator, Kimberley Bain, have moved online during lockdown and are available free to any parents of babies and children under five who’d like to join in.

Tommy is performing his challenge on a Concept2 rowing machine loaned to him by North East businessman and philanthropist, Sir Graham Wylie, who founded the sporting equipment company Tommy works for, Speedflex.

Although he had never rowed more than ten km in his life, Tommy is averaging around 11 km a day now to get him to his 351 km target.

Fancy dress

He’s been helped on his way by friends joining in on their own rowing machines via Zoom. Tommy’s also injected some fun into his charity challenge by dressing up in different outfits, much to the delight of his older daughter, Lola, who’s four.

“Lola dressed me up as a fairy one day,” Tommy said. “And on May 4^th – Star Wars Day – I dressed up as Darth Vader. It’s made lockdown quite enjoyable!”

Tommy added that he chose Children North East, not just because he wanted to ensure the charity was able to continue with projects like Boogie Bairns, but because of the disadvantaged children that benefit from its services. He said:

“I must stress Children North East help a vast number of children who come from all sorts of backgrounds who need far more help than many of us could ever imagine.”

Super cyclists, Sophie and Will Stephenson, have raised more than £2000 to help the region’s babies, children and young people after a 12-hour static bike ride on their front driveway!

The Stephensons decided on 12 hours because that’s the length of a standard NHS ward shift. Sophie is a manager with Northumbria Healthcare NHS Trust and Will, a commercial director with Blyth-based Enshare. They took it in turns to ride the road bike, which was attached to a turbo trainer – one hour on, one hour off.

In between cycling stints, the parents of Hattie, three and Freddie, one, kept their children entertained.

Sophie said she and Will had been overwhelmed by people’s response to their challenge. The family live in Heaton on the edge of Jesmond Dene. “We made a sign with the kids and we had a donations bucket. People walking up from Jesmond Dene gave us donations on top of those from family, friends and colleagues who donated very generously on our JustGiving page.

“People stopped for a chat which was lovely and the last hour I was on the bike, our neighbours came out and cheered!”

The bike’s computer broke at some stage during the ride so their distances are an estimate but Will probably did around 180km whilst Sophie reckons to have done around 100.

“It was really nice to remember how much we both like riding the bike and when we can, it will be great to all get out together with Hattie and Freddie too,” Sophie said.

Would you like to fundraise to help the region’s children and their families? At this time more than ever, they need our help. Why not visit our fundraising ideas page for some inspiration.

We’ve launched a new helpline for people suffering domestic abuse in response to a rise in incidents of violence in the home during lockdown.

Anyone with children experiencing conflicts, difficulties or concerns in their relationship with their partner or family will be able to access confidential help from Children North East’s experienced Families and Parenting team.

The number to ring is 0191 256 2440 or people can text FAMILY to 07984 388130 to receive a call back.

The phone line will be staffed between 8am and 8pm Monday to Friday providing direct support to those who are experiencing domestic violence. Callers will also be able to use a chat function on our website here between 9am-5pm Monday to Friday. Alternatively they can leave a message which will be responded to the next working day. The line is open to anyone experiencing domestic abuse, female or male.

The Children North East helpline, which is supported by funding from the Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, Safeguarding Futures Domestic Abuse Programme, builds on the work the charity already delivers in this area.

Last year 127 parents and children benefited from our domestic abuse programme – DARE (Domestic Abuse Recovery and Education) – increasing parents’ knowledge of the impact domestic abuse has on children and how to support children through the recovery stages.

Michele Deans (above), Operations Director for Children North East, said:

“Children North East has a long history of supporting families experiencing domestic abuse. This new helpline is our response to the needs of victims and their children during this current crisis.”

Whilst the true scale of domestic violence is difficult to measure, as many cases go unreported, Kim McGuinness, Northumbria Police and Crime Commissioner, identified a four per cent increase in crimes with domestic abuse markers connected to the force area just in the first two weeks of lockdown.

And calls to a national domestic abuse helpline were 49 per cent higher in the week up to April 15, compared to the average before the pandemic.

Kim McGuinness, said:

“We know that right now across our region there are people who feel trapped, locked in with their abuser, and whose children suffer as a result and one of the biggest worries we have is under-reporting. Our message to everyone, young and old, at risk of domestic abuse is clear; we are there for you even in these difficult times, and this helpline from Children North East is one such way we are ensuring support is available to those who need it most.”

• If you would like to support work like this by donating to our Coronavirus Appeal, please find out more about how to do so here
• Find out how one mother found a new life for herself and her children through our domestic abuse services