All Aboard to End Child Poverty - FirstGroup Joins the Fight to Help the UK's Poorest Children

Save the Children and the UK's largest transport provider FirstGroup joined forces today to drive home a clear message to Government - end child poverty in the UK

Tuesday 26 February 2008

As part of FirstGroup's partnership with Save the Children, the transport company unveiled six strikingly branded buses that highlight the plight of the UK's poorest children. Part of this eye-catching fleet was today showcased outside Parliament, before the buses take the message to millions of people in towns and cities across the UK in the coming months.

The hard-hitting message on each bus asks "Guess how many UK children live in poverty? - 1 in 3."

The vehicles form part of Save the Children's campaign to hold the Government to its promise of halving child poverty within two years (by 2010) and ending it completely by 2020.

Jasmine Whitbread, CEO of Save the Children UK and Moir Lockhead, Chief Executive of FirstGroup Plc, will launch the buses in Parliament Square, at 2.30pm on Tuesday 26th February.

They will be joined by students from Envision, a charity that encourages young people to participate in social and environmental projects. At 3pm the students will meet Jane Kennedy MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, at the Treasury, Parliament Street, to demand the Government ends child poverty.

The bus unveiling takes place on the same day that Save the Children launches Why Money Matters, a major new research book on child poverty which demonstrates the importance of increasing the incomes of the poorest families.

FirstGroup and Save the Children have formed a two-year partnership worth £1 million, in corporate donations, in-kind support and fundraising initiatives. Following the launch, the buses will head back to key cities across Britain to spread the shocking truth about child poverty to millions of people who will see the buses every day.

Jasmine Whitbread said:

"We are delighted to be delivering this campaign message with FirstGroup. With this support, we will be able to step up our work on behalf of the UK's poorest children. These buses will bring a powerful message onto the streets across Britain.

As part of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, Save the Children is calling on the Government to invest £4 billion in the poorest families to keep its promise of halving child poverty by 2010"

First will support Save the Children's UK programmes, which help children living in poverty in the UK. Their support will help Save the Children to continue and further its work with local organisations, bringing relief to the children most in need.

Moir Lockhead said:

"Today marks a further milestone with Save the Children that will support their campaign message on a much wider scale. This is our biggest charity partnership ever and I look forward to seeing our buses drive home the message and seeing our 38,000 staff lending time and support to a series of exciting initiatives and planned events over the next two years."

FirstGroup roared into action just last week with the launch of the latest First Monster challenge; a 120k duathlon around Loch Ness in Scotland in aid of Save the Children. Stars including TV personality Nell McAndrew and TV presenter and adventurer Ben Fogle are supporting the event and it is hoped that First Monster will this year draw in even more participants and beat last year's sponsorship figure.

Moir Lockhead added:

"First Monster was a great success last year and we expect a huge public turn out both in Inverness and at our regional First Mini Monster events around the country. Together with these family-based fun initiatives, we are also creating an employee payroll giving scheme; all of which should provide much needed financial support to Save the Children in their battle to stamp out child poverty."

Did you know?

  • 1 in 3 children in the UK live in poverty after housing costs - that's 3.8 million children
  • The number of children living in relative poverty increased last year by 200,000
  • Families living in severe poverty make ends meet on £7,000 a year or £19 a day. This money has to cover everything after housing costs - gas, electricity, water, other household bills, food, clothes such as school uniforms, winter coats and shoes, transport costs and other recreational costs such as school trips or after-school clubs
  • The UK has 4th largest economy in the world but among the highest level of relative poverty among OECD nations.
  • A recent Unicef report said the UK was ranked last, out of 21 developed countries, in a table of children's well-being.

- Ends -

Photocall - what, when, where?

  • 2.30pm Tuesday 26th February at Parliament Square London SW1 Branded buses with Big Ben in the background, 14 children campaigning against UK Child Poverty with Save the Children CEO and CEO of First Group PLC
  • 3pm Tuesday 26th February at The Treasury, Parliament Street SW1 Branded buses, 14 child campaigners and Jane Kennedy MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury.

Media Contacts:

Save the Children Media Office: 020 7012 6841

FirstGroup: PR Manager Niall Dowds
Tel: 01224 650 011or email niall.dowds@firstgroup.com

First UK Bus: Head of Public Relations Kelly Kilner
Tel: 01224 650004 or email kelly.kilner@firstgroup.com

Notes to Editors

  • The Rt. Hon Jane Kennedy MP, Financial Secretary to the Treasury, will be meeting with the students from Envision at 3pm.

Save The Children

  • Save the Children is the world's independent children's charity. We're outraged that millions of children are still denied proper healthcare, food, education and protection. We're working flat out to get every child their rights and we're determined to make further, faster changes. How many? How fast? It's up to you.
  • For more information about Save the Children, please visit the website: http://www.savethechildren.org.uk/
  • Save the Children is part of the campaign to End Child Poverty: http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/

FirstGroup

  • FirstGroup plc is now the world's leading transport company with revenues of over £5 billion a year. We employ over 135,000 staff throughout the UK and North America and transport more than 2.5 billion passengers a year.
  • The Group is Britain's largest bus operator running more than one in five of all local bus services. A fleet of nearly 9,000 buses carries 3 million passengers a day in more than 40 major towns and cities.
  • The Group is the UK's largest rail operator with four passenger franchises - First Capital Connect, First Great Western, First ScotRail and First TransPennine Express - and one open access operator, First Hull Trains.
  • The Group operates one quarter of the UK passenger rail network, with a balanced portfolio of intercity, commuter and regional services, carrying almost 270m passengers per annum.
  • The Group operates rail freight services through FirstGBRf.
  • The Group operates the Croydon Tramlink network on behalf of Transport for London carrying almost 25 million passengers a year.
  • http://www.firstgroup.com/