Poor Kids

On June 7th 2011 BBC television will screen a documentary film, Poor Kids, which tells the stories of four of the 3.5 million children living in poverty in the United Kingdom. The UK has one of the worst child poverty rates in the industrialised world, and successive governments have struggled to deal adequately with this problem. The film highlights who these children are, and how and where they live.  On the goodenoughcaring website we have, together with many other organisations and publications, drawn attention to this under-represented and all too often under-nourished group of children. We cannot so far claim to have had a great deal of positive influence. We hope that this film may be more successful. The film gives voice to the overall problem of child poverty by observing how four youngsters, from different areas within the UK, Courtney, aged 8, Paige aged 10, Sam aged 11 and Sam's sister Kayleigh, aged 16 cope with having little or nothing. In an honest and telling way they show how having no money impacts upon their lives : lack of food, being bullied and having nowhere to play. The children are indignant about their situation but unless we as a community really confront their problem with them, their indignance will not be enough to help them in the future.  Their own thoughts on their future are sobering.
Sam's 16-year-old sister Kayleigh puts a context to the probability of this bleak future, as she tells how the effects of poverty led her to take extreme measures in trying to escape it all.
The director of Poor Kids, Jezza Neumann, has put the children on centre stage, and they command it with honesty and directness. We urge everyone to watch.

The film will be screened at 22.35 on 7th June, 2011 on BBC 1, except in Northern Ireland and Wales, where it will be shown on the same day at 23.35.



While on the theme of televison journalism, considerable controversy has arisen about the ethics of televison journalism and the latter's relationship to social care services following the screening of an investigatory Panorama programme about Winterbourne View hospital/care home. We have set up a time limited blog (closes on 15/6/11) for anyone who wishes to comment on the issue and we will forward the responses to the BBC and the Panorama production team. You will find the blog at   
http://tvjournalismsocialcare.blogspot.com/


This article first appeared on May 30th, 2011,  on the goodenoughcaring website home page at
http://www.goodenoughcaring.com/Home.aspx?cpid=1