Jo Moon, Special Projects Manager at Barnardo's, shares her reflections on how our new TV advert represents the lived experience of poverty that some of the children we support are experiencing every day.
The dictionary definition of poverty is “the state of being extremely poor”, another common description is “When a person’s resources are not sufficient to meet their minimum needs” but what does poverty actually look like? What does it feel like? What impact does it have on a child’s day to day life, their health, their wellbeing, their access to a brighter future? How does it feel for a parent or guardian to say no to the little things that bring joy to a child’s life just so they can put food on the table?
The learning we have gained through our Cost-of-living crisis fund work has meant that we have an extremely high level of collective insight into the subject of child poverty. Our case studies offer a glimpse into the reality of life for so many families. Case studies include parents going without meals to feed their children, trying to survive the coldest snaps of winter with no heating, feelings of guilt that parents were unable to afford the most basic of treats for their child like an ice cream in the summer or a small birthday surprise. In many cases, despite the family being a working household, having no means to replace children's clothing that no longer fits or even not being able to afford a haircut for a child returning to school after the summer holidays.
These are all issues that our new TV advert is aiming to address.
Behind-the-scenes on the set of our TV advert
Child poverty looks and feels very differently to many people’s perceptions of the issue. We want to change that perception so that wider audiences can relate and empathise on a personal level. It could be their neighbour, their friend or even their colleague. We want to increase support for the children we work with by altering the narrative on poverty so people can feel they have a tangible way to help.
In consultation with colleagues, families, children, and young people, our new 3-year Child Poverty Fund is currently being developed to support those accessing our services who are also trying to battle against the daily grind of poverty. Building on the success of our recent Cost of living crisis fund, our poverty fund will provide essential financial support but in addition will also provide tools and opportunities to allow Children’s Services colleagues to work together with families to achieve outcomes that go beyond just the very basic needs of food, warmth, and clothing. Our fund will allow families to retain their dignity and begin to feel empowered to move forward to that brighter future.
As a charity with over 150 years of experience we know better than most that to achieve these aspirations we need the support of the public and corporate partners to raise the funds and resources required to deliver. We hope the TV advert helps to galvanize this support so we can raise the much-needed funds to make a real and tangible difference to children living in poverty.
If you can change a childhood, you can change a life.
Watch our TV advert
You can catch our new advert on your TV screens and across our digital channels from Monday 4 March. A full list of where and when to watch will be published soon.
Don't forgot to help spread the word by sharing the ad with your networks, stakeholders, friends and family.