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Go on Mr Darling show a little love this Valentines Day to UK children living in poverty - 13th of Feb, 2009

Go on, Mr Darling, show a little love to 3.9 million UK children living in poverty, says the Campaign to End Child Poverty this Valentine’s Day.

The Campaign to End Child Poverty, a coalition of 150 leading charities and trade unions, has arranged for more than 120 Valentine’s cards, signed by Chief Executives and General Secretaries from its member organisations and other supporters, to be delivered to Number 11.

In the cards, the campaign calls on the romantically-named Chancellor to be a real darling and “show a little love in the Budget,” by investing £3 billion in tax credits and benefits to improve the lives of the 3.9 million UK children living in poverty. Without this sum, the campaign says, the Government’s promise to halve child poverty by 2010 and eradicate it by 2020 is severely at risk.

UK children’s commissioners are sending cards along with Jasmine Whitbread Save the Children, Martin Narey Barnardo’s, David Bull UNICEF, Brendan Barber TUC, Dave Prentis UNISON, and a wide range of Chief Executives and General Secretaries from children’s and other charities, social justice groups, faith groups, academics and trade unions.

Director of the campaign, Hilary Fisher, said: “We are calling on Mr Darling to live up to his name because, without urgent investment, the target to end child poverty will not be met.

“Child poverty is a blight that is likely to get worse as the recession bites and the cost of basic goods goes up. Families that are already struggling with poverty are in the front line and face increasing risk of severe poverty.

“The budget is a fantastic opportunity for the Government to keep its promise to do something about child poverty, and reverse the downward spiral for poor children.”

Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive of Save the Children also said that Alistair Darling has a chance in the Budget to prove that his heart is in the right place.

"Children in poverty aren't asking for a dozen red roses or a box of chocolates this Valentine's Day,” she said.

“Families are struggling to pay their heating bills or afford a decent meal, and they can't imagine how they could pay for a new winter coat.   "Help for these children should not be too much to ask when banks funded by the taxpayer are giving away billions in bonuses. It is simply not credible to say that the money doesn't exist.   TUC General Secretary Brendan Barber added:  “We have had a promise from the Government, now is the time for action. If £3 billion is the price of a fair society – to achieve our target of halving child poverty by 2010 – then we should pay it.”

So, which MP will receive the most Valentine’s cards this February 14? Our bet is it will be Alistair Darling.

ENDS For more information contact Chloë Bryan-Brown, 020-7278 3405, media@ecpc.org.uk. Images of the card are available.

Notes to editors

Who is sending Mr Darling a Valentine Card?  Sir Al Aynsley Green, Children's Commissioner for England, 11 Million; Sue Berelowitz, Deputy Children's Commissioner for England, 11 Million; Keith Towler, Children's Commissioner for Wales, 11 Million; Anne Longfield, Chief Executive, 4Children; Lizzie Chambers, CEO,  ACT The Association for Children's Palliative Care; Clare Tickell, Chief Executive, Action for Children; Mark Lyonette, Chief Executives, Association of British Credit Unions Ltd; Mary Bousted, General Secretary, ATL; David Holmes, Chief Executive, BAAF British Association for Adoption and Fostering; Martin Narey, Chief Executive, Chair of End Child Poverty, Barnardo's; David Speirs, Councillor, Bath and North East Somerset Council; Gerry Morrissey, General Secretary, BECTU; Hanne Stinson, Chief Executive, British Humanist Association; Stephen Joseph, Executive Director, Campaign for Better Transport; Margaret Lochrie, Chief Executive, Capacity Consultants; Cath Walder, Director, Care Co-Ordination Network UK (CCNYK); Philippa Gitlin, Director, Caritas Social Action Network; Chris Wright,  National Director: Operations and New Business, Catch 22; Laurie Moran, Chief Executive, CEFET; Roy Endacott, Chief Executive, CHICKS Country Holidays for Inner City Kids; Kate Green, Chief Executive, Child Poverty Action Group; Elaine Clowes, Chief Executive, Children's Links; Mike Lindsay, National Coordinator, Children's Rights Alliance for England; Niall Cooper, National Coordinator, Church Action on Poverty; David Harker, Chief Executive, Citizens Advice Bureau; Dr Carole Easton, Chief Executive, CLIC Sargent; Anne Duffy, Chief Executive, Community & District Nursing Association; Max Weaver, Chief Executive, Community Links; Srabani Sen, Chief Executive, Contact a Family; Christine Lenehan, Director, Council for Disabled Children; Chris Tapp, Director, Credit Action; Billy Hayes, General Secretary, CWU; Emma Knights, Joint Chief Executive, Daycare Trust; Alison Garnham, Joint Chief Executive, Daycare Trust and ECP Board Member; Ruth Lister, Professor of Social Policy, Department of Social Sciences, Loughborough University; Colin Hampton, Coordinator, Derbyshire Unemployed Workers Centers Vanessa Stanislas, Chief Executive, Disability Alliance; Simone Baker, Chair, Disabled Parents Network; Hilary Fisher, Director, End Child Poverty (ECP); Anita Myfanwy, Development Officer, End Child Poverty Network Cymru; Norman Kerr, Director, Energy Action Scotland; Clare Caves, Company Secretary, European Anti Poverty Network England; Brian Lamb, Board Member, Every Disabled Child Matters; Jon Davies, Chief Executive, Families Need Fathers; Helen Dent, Director, Family Action; Sally Gimson, Director of Communications, Family and Parenting Institute; Derek Walpole, Chief Executive, Family Fund; John McDonald, Director, Family Holiday Association; David Bartlett, Joint Chief Executive, Fatherhood Institute; Katherine Rake, Director, Fawcett Society; Fiona Weir, Chief Executive, Gingerbread; Frances Crook, Director, Howard League for Penal Reform; David Howarth, Director, Joint Educational Trust; Jennifer Clarke, President, Junior League of London; Camila Batmangheldjh,  Chief Executive, Kids Company; Dea Birkett, Director, Kids in Museums; Eric Prescott, Chief Executive, Leonard Cheshire; Rabbi Danny Rich, Liberal Judaism; Dr Ute Navidi, Chief Executive, London Play; Mark Goldring, Chief Executive, Mencap; Scott Barker, Managing Director, Moneyline Services UK; David Ashley, General Secretary, Musicians Union; Chris Keates, General Secretary, NASUWT; Val Duncan, Secretary, National Assembly of Women; Mark Lever, Chief Executive, National Autistic Society; Belinda Phipps, Chief Executive, National Childbirth Trust; Paul Ennals, Chief Executive, National Children's Bureau; Purnima Tanuku, Chief Executive, National Day Nurseries Association (NDNA); Jenny Saunders, Chief Executive, National Energy Action; Kevin Flynn, Chair, National Unemployed Centres Combine; Wes Streeting, President, National Union of Students; Christine Blower, Acting General Secretary National Union of Teachers (NUT) Tim Poil, General Secretary, Nationwide Group Staff Union; Guy Palmer, Director, New Policy Institute; Frances Dowds, Northern Ireland Anti Poverty Network (NIAPN); Andrew Flanagan, Chief Executive, NSPCC; Sue Robertson, Director, One Parent Families Scotland; Graham Bennett, Director, One World Action; Kate Wareing, UK Poverty Director, Oxfam; Mark Serwotka, General Secretary, PCS; Adrian Voce, Director, Play England; Steve Alexander, Chief Executive, Pre-School Learning Alliance; Gordon Taylor, Chief Executive, Professional Footballers Association; Celia Atherton, Director, Research in Practice; Jackie Ballard, Chief Executive, RNID; Leo Tyler, Chief Executive, Royal College of Paediatrics and child Health Colette Marshall, UK Director, Save The Children; Jasmine Whitbread, Chief Executive, Save The Children; Irene Audain, Chief Executive, Scottish Out of School Care Network; Laurie Heselden, Regional Campaigns and Policy Officer, SERTUC; Adam Sampson, Director, Shelter; Sue Cohen, Director, Single Parent Action Network SPAN; Tim Jeffery, Chief Executive, Spurgeon's; Sue Killen, Chief Executive, St John Ambulance; Kevin Williams, Chief Executive, TACT; Lesley Mercer, Director of Employment Relations, The Chartered Society of Physiotherapy; Bob Reitemeier, Chief Executive, The Children's Society; Gerri McAndrew, Director, The Frank Buttle Trust; Fiona Blacke, Chief Executive, The National Youth Agency; Peter Kelly, Director, The Poverty Alliance and ECP Board Member ; Ian Wylie, Chief Executive, The TreeHouse Trust; Brendan Barber, General Secretary, Trades Union Congress; Richard Exell, Senior Policy Advisor TUC and ECP Board Member; Kevin Rowan, Regional Secretary, TUC Northern Region; Victor Adebowale, Chief Executive,Turning Point; Leona Smith, Head of Engagement, turn2us; Jolanta Lasota, Chief Executive, turn2us; Catherine Law, Professor of Public Health and Epidemiology, UCL Institute of Child Health; Ivan Corea, Chief Executive, UK Autism Foundation; Eileen Devaney, UK Coalition Against Poverty UKCAP; David Bull, Chief Executive, UNICEF; Dave Prentis, General Secretary, UNISON; John Hannett, General Secretary, Usdaw (Union of shop, distributive and allied workers; June O'Sullivan, Chief Executive, Westminster Children's Society; Pamela Fitzpatrick, Management Committee, Women's Budget Group; Sarah Jackson, Chief Executive, Working Families; Sarah Payne, Chief Executive, YWCA; Paul Nicolson, Chairman, Zaccheaus 2000; Chris Pond, ECP Board Member Patricia Lewsley, Northern Ireland Commissioner for Children and Young People Steve Broach, ECP Board Member Fran Bennett, former director of Child Poverty Action Group

• What is the promise? In 1999, the new Labour Government committed to halving child poverty by 2010 and eradicating it by 2020.

• What is child poverty? 3.9 UK children live in poverty. One in seven grows up homeless or in bad housing, They are two and a half times as likely to suffer chronic illness as toddlers, and more likely to leave school at 16 with few qualifications.

• Who are we? The Campaign to End Child Poverty is a coalition of 150 organisations working to eradicate child poverty in the UK. It is formed from children's and other charities, social justice groups, faith-groups, trade unions and others concerned about the unacceptably high levels of child poverty in the UK. For more information, visit www.endchildpoverty.org.uk. • The comments in this release represent the views of the Campaign to End Child Poverty and do not necessarily reflect the views of member organisations.