A report published tomorrow highlights a number of ways in which children and young people who live in low-income or benefit households in rural Wales are being excluded from services that are available to their contemporaries living in urban areas.

The report which is being published to mark the International Day for the Eradication of Poverty, demonstrates how children and young people in rural Wales are being denied their Rights to Participation and Access to Services as laid down in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) which celebrates its twentieth anniversary in November.  The report states that many of these children and young people are excluded from activities including after school clubs, leisure facilities and health services and that problems with public transport have exacerbated this by ensuring that young people are dependent on their parents for lifts.

As one young person quoted in the report explains: "I can never see my friends during the summer and I lose touch with them....I cannot pop over to see them because they live too far away. But it would be alright if there were buses."

The report also looks at the lack of employment and training available in rural areas, the relative high costs of housing and the problem of fuel poverty.

Anita Myfanwy, the Development Officer of  the End Child Poverty Network, explained:

"Because rural poverty is hard to see it has often been overlooked by policy makers.  Some of these children and young people's families have lived in their communities for generations yet some of their fundamental rights as citizens of Wales are not met. The Welsh Assembly Government's Child Poverty policies and programmes are underpinned by the United Nations  Convention on the Rights of the Child, which celebrates its twentieth Anniversary this year.  They state that children and young people should be able to reach their full potential regardless of where they live or their family's circumstances and they should be able to take part in their community and have a say in everything that concerns them.  These are their rights.  However, we see that children and young people in poverty in rural areas are often unable to participate in their communities, are unable to access free swimming schemes and after school clubs, because of where they live and their family circumstances.  Children, young people and families experience social isolation and are especially vulnerable.  if they live in low-income households in rural Wales." 

The report makes a number of recommendations to improve the situation for children and young people in poverty in rural Wales.  The Welsh Assembly Government has already committed to produce a National Child Poverty Strategy and the report calls on them to ensure that when doing so they give particular consideration to the specific challenges children and vulnerable families who are experiencing Child Poverty face in rural areas.

Notes

1. The report "Child Poverty and Social Exclusion in Rural Wales" can be downloaded from the End Child Poverty network Cymru Website: www.endchildpovertycymru.org.uk .  The Welsh language version will be available shortly.
2. The End Child Poverty Network Cymru is a coalition of concern focused on the eradication of child poverty in Wales, co-ordinated and managed on a day-to-day basis by Children in Wales.  Its steering group include representation from across the voluntary and statutory sectors and the Network has an increasing number of supporting members from a broad cross-section of agencies. Steering Group members include
3. Barnardo's Cymru, Children in Wales, Save the Children Wales, NEA Wales, Action for Children, NSPCC Cymru, WLGA, Citizens Advice, NPHS Wales, Catch 22/Communities that Care, Shelter Cymru, the Frank Buttle Trust, Fairbridge Cymru, Consumer Focus Wales, TUC Wales and the Office of the Children's Commissioner for Wales.
4. The End Child Poverty Network Cymru, operational since 2001, is supporting the Government's vision that no child in Wales should be living in poverty by 2020.
5. Children in Wales is the national umbrella organisation for voluntary, statutory and professional organisations and individuals who work with children and young people in Wales. www.childreninwales.org.uk.  Children in Wales was established in March 1992 and became a registered charity in 1993.  It aims to promote the interests of children, to improve services in Wales and to put children high on the Welsh agenda.  We work closely with our members who comprise professionals, policy makers and consumer groups to improve the lives of all children living in Wales, but especially young children, those affected by family instability, children with special needs or disabilities, and those suffering the effects of poverty and deprivation.  We collect and disseminate information about children and promote good practice in children's services through research, policy and practice development, publications, conferences, seminars, training and access to an extensive library and information service.  Children in Wales has offices in Cardiff and Caernarfon.
6.  The International Day for the Eradiation of Poverty takes place on Saturday 17 October 2009  http://www.idrc.ca/en/ev-104360-201-1-DO_TOPIC.html
7. For further information regarding this press release contact : (Welsh or English Language)

Anita Myfanwy,

Development Officer of the End Child Poverty Network Cymru at

Children in Wales

Tel: 029 2034 2434

E-mail: anita.myfanwy@childreninwales.org.uk   

or (English Language only)

Sean O'Neill

Policy Director

 Children in Wales

Tel: 029 2034 2434

E-mail: sean.oneill@childreninwales.org.uk