Your location: Clegg visits Children's Service
04 August 2008
Over 100,000 children are stuck in temporary housing in Britain - a figure that was highlighted by Liberal Democrat leader Nick Clegg when he visited our Educational Support Project in Newham, London, with the party’s housing spokesman Lembit Opik.
The project helps minimise the disruption to a child’s education of living in temporary accommodation through practical and emotional support. After-school clubs, mentors, reading buddies and support in finding new school places all help to keep the children’s educations on track.
With homeless children missing on average a quarter of their schooling, the project provides an essential service.
Nick Clegg commented; ‘Homelessness can cripple a child's life chances, stopping them receiving a decent education and harming their mental well-being.
‘As fuel and food bills continue to rise, it is likely that thousands more families will struggle to afford their mortgages or rent and be forced to leave their home.
‘It is a scandal that this summer thousands of children will not have a home to spend their school holidays in.’
Shelter chief executive Adam Sampson said; ‘Shelter is delighted that Nick Clegg has put child poverty and homelessness at the top of his political agenda.
‘With 5,600 homeless households trapped in temporary accommodation in the borough of Newham, Shelter's Educational Support Project plays a crucial role in rebuilding the lives of those children whose education has been affected by their housing situation.
‘Nick Clegg's visit will help raise awareness of the need to tackle the root causes of child poverty and homelessness in order to improve the life chances of children in bad housing.’
