Anyone with a heart feels for the people in London and across the country who have no choice but to live on the streets as the nights draw in and the temperatures drop. However, we must keep in mind that the agony of being cold, hungry, and facing hardship does not end simply because someone has a roof over their head. When winter strikes, children in poverty bear the brunt of the damage.
According to recent Food Foundation research, four million children live in food-insecure households. A survey of 2,000 working parents in London found that 25% had skipped a meal or had not fed themselves in order to ensure their children could eat. One in ten people had less than £3 per day to spend on food. According to the Childhood Trust, nearly one in ten children are embarrassed by the methods their families are forced to use to obtain food, which is a shame no child or parent should feel.
These figures are heartbreaking and unacceptably high. That is why, this Christmas, the Evening Standard and Comic Relief are teaming up to assist families struggling to put food on the table — and why West Ham United is supporting their Winter Survival Appeal.
We know who we are: a Premier League club in the heart of London with working-class roots dating back nearly 130 years to the Thames Ironworks shipyards, which were founded by Arnold Hills, a man who believed football could be a positive force in the community. These are the values we continue to uphold to this day.
That is why our West Ham Foundation already supports over 35 community outreach initiatives, reaching over 50,000 people and focusing on poverty alleviation.
This winter, with your help, the Winter Survival Appeal will put money in the hands of organizations that help families get through the winter, from baby banks that provide essentials to parents to sustainable community food hubs.
Above all, these organizations foster a welcoming environment so that when parents and children use them, it does not feel like a handout but rather like a community gathering.
There is no shame, only generosity and concern. That is what this season should be about. That is exactly what we hope to achieve with your help.
West Ham United football club’s vice chair is Baroness Brady.
