Tackling poverty one of biggest challenges of our times - Cammy Day

Edinburgh City Council has increased support to foodbanks

We’ve made really good progress over the last three years responding to the recommendations put to the city by the Edinburgh Poverty Commission in 2020 – not least managing to help 20 per cent more people to access the benefits they are entitled to, and an extra 19 per cent of residents into work or learning.

Edinburgh City Council’s budget decision to allocate an additional £500,000 investment in actions to address poverty this year is undoubtedly helping to increase support to foodbanks and other frontline services tackling poverty.

It’s also promising that we’ve retained Edinburgh’s 95 per cent record for positive destinations for school leavers, and as part of our Housing Emergency we’ve been able to build more new council homes this year than the previous two years combined.

And yet, 17 per cent of people in our incredible city are currently living in poverty, including 20 per cent of all children.

These levels are unacceptable and this Challenge Poverty Week has been an opportunity for the city to come together to work on how we tackle this.

We’ll also be debating the findings at Policy and Sustainability Committee, when we meet later this month.

Without additional urgent action, one in five children in this city – Scotland’s most affluent city – will continue to grow up in poverty. So, we have clear asks to the Scottish Government and the UK Government on the support we need to meet the poverty targets we have set together.

We also know there is much more we can do by working with local partners, so we’ll work on a refreshed partnership led programme to improve the impact of our work to prevent destitution.

Tackling poverty is not something we can do alone, and we are lucky to have such a great number of incredible organisations and charities in our city, not to mention a huge generosity of spirit from volunteers and those who deliver this support on the ground.

Next year will mark the mid-point between the publication of the Edinburgh Poverty Commission's final report and our city’s target to end poverty by 2030.

We must be more motivated than ever to take all steps necessary to give the very best future we can for Edinburgh’s children and young people.

Tackling poverty in the face of the rising cost of living is one of the greatest challenges of our times.

​Cammy Day is leader of Edinburgh City Council