OUR SHOUT, a Save the Children project based in Bradford, is a group of young people aged 13-18 who have been campaigning tirelessly for the past three years to end child poverty in the UK on a local, regional and national level.
OUR SHOUT has been recognised as the best group at the prestigious Bradford Young Citizens Awards for three years running and was nominated and shortlisted again at the awards in March 2010. The group are also making waves on a national level and have recently run an online animated mock election where those under the age of 18 were asked to vote for a party based on what they said they were doing to tackle child poverty.
From attending several political party conferences and meeting high profile ministers such as the Chancellor to making their own film about the tough choices those in poverty have to make everyday the group really have gone that extra mile to ensure the voices of the poorest families are heard at the highest level.
The Our Shout group have recently secured funding from the Big Lottery to further develop their work especially on Buttershaw and Canterbury estates for the next three years and are in the process of recruiting new members to become campaigners.
Steps to end child poverty have taken a big step forward with the recent introduction of the Child Poverty Act and the Our Shout group were credited by Government for ensuring those in the most difficult of circumstances had the opportunity to contribute to this historic law.
Richard Dunbar, Save the Children’s Project Officer said “The young people in Our Shout are an absolute credit to themselves and Bradford. They have gone that extra mile to make a difference and they are a real inspiration.
“Over 65% of children in Bradford live in poverty — that’s over half of young people whose parents struggle to get by every day. Save the Children and the Our Shout Project believe that this is unacceptable and that even the basics — winter coats, decent food and back-to-school costs, can be crippling for families on such a low income”.
Young people involved in the Our Shout project have said:
Piers Telemacque (17) - “The project has given both myself and others a different insight into child poverty. It has given me experience and a chance to reach others. The group were given a voice to share their opinion. We have had chance to meet very influential figures and we can hopefully pass our work on and recruit others for the future. So if you are aged13-18 and want to help end child poverty then please contact us.”
Liam Price (18) - “I hope the film will send a message to the MPs about people under the poverty line so we can help improve their lives and living in bad conditions”.
For more information about the group please contact r.dunbar@savethechildren.org.uk or t.podd@savethechildren.org.uk
