Charity campaign calling on politicians to fight for children to have safe and happy lives

The Children’s Society’s annual Good Childhood Report has found a significant fall in children’s happiness with their lives overall in the past decade

Editor,

For the thousands of children living in Greater Manchester the Covid-19 crisis has been a period of extreme change and has affected how many young people feel about their lives. 

So as we emerge from this time of unrest how are we going to help these young people recover? 

Official figures reveal that out of the 644,500 children living in Greater Manchester, 199,990 live in poverty (that’s 35% of all children in the region), 102,700 households with child dependants are on Universal Credit and there an estimated 88,100 children aged 5-16 with a mental health condition. 

The Children’s Society’s annual Good Childhood Report has found a significant fall in children’s happiness with their lives overall in the past decade. 

On top of this, the Covid crisis has put even more pressure on young people as they have missed out on months of learning and seeing their friends.

Many families have seen their incomes fall, and the most vulnerable children have been out of sight of professionals and the services designed to keep them safe.  

The Children’s Society’s new campaign #Jointhefightback, is calling for candidates standing for election and those elected in Greater Manchester on Thursday, May 6, to prioritise the well-being of children and young people as we emerge from the Covid-19 pandemic.

Young people might not be able to vote in these elections, but they deserve to have politicians representing them who are committed to making decisions that help them live a happy, safe and fulfilling life. 

To find out more and sign up to pledge support go to: www.childrenssociety.org.uk/campaign 

Mark Russell 

Chief Executive

The Children’s Society 

The views expressed are those of the author of the letter and not those of Oldham Chronicle.