Local Assembly Member hosts
Little Village
birthday celebrations
at City Hall
Wandsworth-based charity, Little Village, which donates clothes, equipment and toys for babies and young children to local families, celebrated their third birthday on Tuesday evening at City Hall. Local London Assembly Member, Leonie Cooper AM, who hosted and spoke at the event praised the charity for the “huge difference they have made to local families in our community needing that bit of extra support”.
During the event, guests including local MP, Dr Rosena Allin-Khan, heard from the CEO of Little Village, Sophia Parker, about how the charity has significantly grown its operations over the last three years.
Little Village started as a small-scale project in a living room in Tooting and now helps families across Wandsworth, Southwark and Camden backed by a network of over 150 volunteers.
The charity now runs out of St Mark’s Church in Upper Tooting, with volunteers handing out items such as baby grows, high chairs and buggies donated by people in the community.
In her speech to open the event, Ms Cooper highlighted the fact that in only three years, the charity has given out over 190,000 items, with a value of £1.4 million, to families in some of the most challenging circumstances.
However, each speaker underlined the fact that in one of the wealthiest countries and cities in the world, organisations such as Little Village should not need to exist.
The latest stats from the End Child Poverty Coalition show that over 30% of children in Wandsworth are living in poverty, after housing costs have been taken into account.
The Coalition has attributed low household income and the increasing costs of living as major factors contributing to rising rates in child poverty, and has also called on the Government to end the freeze on Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit.
Local London Assembly Member, Leonie Cooper AM, said:
“It was an absolute privilege to host Little Village’s birthday celebrations in City Hall. In the last three years, they have made a huge difference to local families in our community needing that bit of extra support.
“Through their inspirational work, they have also demonstrated how the circular economy can be used to ensure that items that one family might no longer require can be donated to those in need.
“It has to be reiterated that in one of the world’s richest economies, organisations such as Little Village should not need to exist.
“With the right political will, we can turn the tide on child poverty which is a mark of shame on our society. It is vital that the Government urgently intervenes on the scourge of low pay and reconsiders some of the extremely harmful benefit reforms that they have enacted”.
ENDS
Notes to editors
- More information about the Little Village charity can be found here;
- The latest stats from the End Child Poverty Coalition show that over 30% of children in Wandsworth are living in poverty, after housing costs have been taken to account;
- The Coalition has attributed low household income and the increasing costs of living as major factors contributing to rising rates in child poverty, and has also called on the Government to end the freeze on Child Benefit and Child Tax Credit;
- Leonie Cooper AM is the London Assembly Member for Wandsworth and Merton.