A headteacher has warned pupils are missing out on a “fundamental human right” as thousands of children across Merseyside lack their own bed to sleep in.
End Furniture Poverty and Merseyside BAFTA nominee Frank Cottrell-Boyce are launching a new fundraising appeal called Time for Bed, which will give away new beds and bedding to children and young people across Merseyside.
Research by End Furniture Poverty has shown that 18,000 children in Merseyside do not have their own bed to sleep in. They say that this can lead to a range of other problems with children’s development at school.
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The new fundraising appeal was launched on Monday, May 22, at Kirkby C of E Primary school and is partnering with schools across North Knowsley, with hopes to open up across Merseyside. Schools will be registered with the campaign and can refer any pupil and their siblings, up to 18-years old, for support. This support includes cots, beds, bunk beds and bedding packs.
Mair Hindmarsh, Headteacher of Kirkby C of E Primary School said: “Time for Bed is such an important appeal. It’s so hard for schools to know they have children without beds to sleep on so knowing we have somewhere to turn to help the families will make a huge difference and make a huge difference to the lives of our pupils.
“I think from an educator’s point of view, bedtime is a chance to read a book and we want them to have that love of books and reading. But if some of the children haven’t got beds to sleep in, they’re missing out on a fundamental human right to feel safe and secure.”
Award-winning Merseyside children’s author Frank Cottrell-Boyce said: “Imagine you never had a bed to call your own. Nowhere to dream, to cuddle, to curl up in safety, to sleep. That’s the reality for thousands of children on Merseyside. That’s why the Time for Bed campaign is so important for our children. We want every child in Merseyside to have a bed of their own.
“I wanted to get involved because I was absolutely shocked at the level of furniture poverty in the region. The idea that there are children who are coming to school exhausted because they’re sleeping in an ad-hoc way seemed Dickensian to me. It also seems fixable, because this is a fantastically generous region, with a really strong sense of social justice. I really feel that if the people of Merseyside know about this, then they will fix it. If Merseyside is very Merseyside about this, then we will fix this.”
An estimated six million people in the UK live in furniture poverty. This is where families are living without one or more pieces of essential furniture. It can cause people to become trapped in unsuitable accommodation and can have devastating effects on quality of life for both adults and children.
Claire Donovan, Head of Policy, Research and Campaigns at End Furniture Poverty said: “We’re very conscious that if a family is struggling to afford a bed for a child, this will not be their only issue, there is likely to be other challenges. So, what we want to do is to provide as much support and advice as we can. We’re putting together some detailed guides which we will produce in different languages, to be given to the family once they receive a bed. This will have information such as local food banks, housing advice, support with fuel bills, local council support and details for Citizens Advice.”
End Furniture Poverty, which is part of FRC group, including Bulky Bob’s, has partnered with the Steve Morgan Foundation, which has donated £90,000 to help start the Time for Bed campaign.
Jane Harris, Director of Grants from the Steve Morgan Foundation said: “We are pleased to be supporting the End Furniture Poverty’s Time for Bed initiative in Merseyside and we look forward to adding our voice to bring about improvements for children and families.”
People can donate through the Time for Bed website, which also provides fundraising ideas, as well as how businesses can support the appeal. www.TimeforBed.org.uk
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