Dear Supporter
Our campaign continues with the launch of a monthly newsletter sent to all MPs and selected Lords. The newsletter is designed to raise the profile of child health and wellbeing and the links contained in it are reproduced at the end of this update. If you would like a regular copy of the newsletter itself, please email us (phil@royalpa.co.uk) to have your name added to our main email list.
The intention is to summarise the month's new evidence and comment to build an understanding amongst our politicians of the impact on our children of collapsing physical activity rates, soaring mental health problems and the growth in overweight and obesity, with recent figures showing our schoolchildren to be heavier than their American counterparts.
Since we last updated you, Lord John Bird has introduced the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill which will be the subject of an extended debate on March 13.
Baroness Doreen Massey of Darwen has asked to meet with us to discuss our Private Members Bill which would require Government to incorporate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child into domestic law.
The All-Party Group on a Fit and Healthy Childhood has successfully reconstituted and will shortly be announcing a series of speaker meetings in Parliament. Our campaign, now known as the Children First Alliance, grew out of a report from this Group entitled ‘Physical Activity in Early Childhood’ sponsored by Water Babies and their Chief Executive Steve Franks. Steve’s determination to bring about changes on behalf of our children is the driving force behind the Children First Alliance.
Under the leadership of our Honorary President, former Lords Speaker Baroness Frances D’Souza, our plan to run pilot projects in three schools in deprived areas in Summer 2020 to combat holiday hunger and inactivity is developing rapidly.
The Alliance has advanced plans to incorporate as a Community Interest Company. If you would like more information about any of this please don’t hesitate to get in touch with the Campaign Manager, Phil Royal, at phil@royalpa.co.uk.
Kind regards and thanks again for your support
Phil
Phil Royal, Campaign Manager, Children First Alliance
The links in the January edition of the MPs' newsletter are listed below:
News: Watchdog cracks down on tech firms that fail to protect children – Guardian Online
22 January 2020, Alex Hern. Sites must assess content for sexual abuse and suicide risk or face fines of up to £17m.
News: Kate launches childhood survey to help under-fives – BBC Online
22 January 2020. The Duchess of Cambridge has launched a UK-wide survey to help improve early childhood. The five-question online survey aims to “spark a national conversation” to help create “lasting change for generations to come”.
News: Walking to school is not enough to prevent obesity – Yahoo News
20 January 2020, Rob Noonan. One of the UK government’s goals in the Childhood Obesity Plan is to increase the number of children who walk to school. Walking is certainly healthy, but is it enough to combat childhood obesity?
Article: Schools ‘converting toilet blocks into isolation booths’ – Guardian Online
17 January 2019, Sally Weale. Children’s commissioner describes ‘horror stories’ of children put in isolation.
News: Putting pupils in isolation ‘drives poor behaviour’ – BBC News Online
Putting challenging pupils in isolation for extended periods at school can harm their mental health, the Centre for Mental Health (CMH) is warning.
News: Social media data needed for ‘harm’ research, say doctors – BBC News Online
17 January 2020. Leading UK psychiatrists say they will never understand the risks and benefits of social media use on children’s mental health unless companies hand over their data to researchers.
News: Manchester sex abuse: Exploited children ‘were not protected’ – BBC News Online
14 January 2020. Police and social workers investigating child sex exploitation in Manchester knew children were suffering “the most profound abuse… but did not protect them”, a report has found.
News: School hunger: Free breakfast pilot for secondary pupils – BBC News Online
8 January 2020, Bethan Lewis. The Welsh Government said a £450,000 pilot scheme starting in September would provide an extra allowance for Year 7 children receiving free school meals.
News: Dame Sally calls time on childhood obesity – Open Access Government
10 January 2020. Dame Sally calls time on childhood obesity, writes Tam Fry FRSA, Chairman of the National Obesity Forum.
One in four young people with mental health referral ‘rejected’ – Guardian Online
10 January 2020, Sally Weale. Data shows NHS rejection rates have remained unchanged despite additional investments.
Lords Debate – Queen’s Speech: Baroness Benjamin – Hansard
9 January 2020. Baroness Floella Benjamin pleads for action to protect children from online pornography and calls for a Cabinet Minister for Children’s Health and Wellbeing.
News: Over 200,000 children are trapped in ‘dumping ground’ schools, report warns – The Sun Online
8 January 2020, Kate Ferguson. The watchdog said 415 “stuck” schools in England are in “a cycle of poor performance” and have not made the rating for 13 years or more.
Public Bills: Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill [HL] 2019-20 – Parliament UK
8 January 2020. Lord Bird introduces the Wellbeing of Future Generations Bill as a Private Members Bill in the House of Lords.
News: Neglected children end up with ‘smaller brains’ – BBC Online
7 January 2020, James Gallagher. An early life full of neglect, deprivation and adversity leads to people growing up with smaller brains, a study suggests.
News: Levels of child criminal exploitation ‘almost back to Victorian times’ – Guardian Online
2 January 2020, Vikram Dodd. Exclusive: police chief says problem is at a high for modern era amid lack of youth facilities.
News: Revealed: thousands of children in care placed in unregulated homes – Guardian Online
25 December 2019, Sarah Marsh & Amy Walker. Lack of facilities to house vulnerable children in UK has led to rise in unsafe placements.
News: Vulnerable children moved miles from home – report – BBC Online
24 December 2019. About 30,000 children in care live outside their local area, with nearly 12,000 placed 20 miles or more from friends and family, a report suggests.