Reaching vulnerable children across the UK: developments in Bradford
News article from January 16, 2019
We’re delighted to let you know that our commitment to reach vulnerable children across the UK has reached a really exciting phase. In the last few months, we’ve been busy developing and expanding the SHS flagship Practitioner Service into key areas of Bradford.
Building on our strong operational base in London and the South East, we joined forces with corporate partner Provident Financial Group (PFG) to tackle educational inequality in Bradford.
PFG’s initial investment kick-started the development of six new projects in secondary and primary schools in Bradford. This includes “Ready for Nursery”, a pilot outreach project targeting early years, one of our earliest interventions targeting some of the most vulnerable infants living in Bradford funded by the Sylvia Adams Charitable Trust.
Support from Trusts and Foundations to help us improve the education and life chances of vulnerable children in Bradford has been hugely significant – with six Trust funders joining PFG to support this new work.
Bradford has some of the highest levels of inequalities in education and safeguarding. Rates of persistent absenteeism in the schools we have started working in are more than double the national average. School absenteeism has detrimental effects on the future employment opportunities and aspirations of young people.
“Without a major improvement in their secondary school attainment, young people from Holme Wood will not be able to break out of the cycle of deprivation they are in, and the prospects for the Holme Wood area will remain poor with high levels of worklessness and deprivation as a result.”
– City of Bradford Metropolitan District Council,
Although the work will be challenging, we’re determined to make a difference to the education of children supported through our new projects. A huge thanks to everyone who’s made this important development possible.