We believe that every child deserves a fair start in life, regardless of where they are from. Yet children continue to grow up in conditions shaped by decades of conflict, underfunding, structural poverty and decisions made far from their communities.
Our work focuses on two key areas: Children in Poverty and Children in Conflict. We do this through research, advocacy, campaigns, partnerships with local community organisations and listening to children - an approach we call 'collective impact'. We also bring our research and expertise to influence national and international forums, including the UN and EU, to advocate for children living in conflict.
We know that the whole of society benefits when children thrive, and failure to address the root causes of inequality leads to more harm. This is why we work towards changing systems so that children and their families are listened to and supported. Families and children know best what they need to see happen.
We want children and families to have the money, services and power they need to see the end of child poverty, both here and across the world.
Media
Recent Media
- No Summer Break From Poverty
- Vast majority of parents feel financial and emotional pressure every summer, research finds - UTV
- Most parents in NI feel financial pressure every summer, research finds - RTE News
- 'Being a dad can be lonely at times,' says group set up to support fathers | Belfast Live
- North Belfast project explores how poverty is affecting children’s education - Belfast Telegraph
- 'Being a dad can be lonely at times,' says group set up to support fathers - Belfast Live
- Charity boss slams Stormont for ‘ignoring experts and avoiding targets’ over poverty strategy – The Irish News
- Platform: It’s a political decision to keep children in poverty – The Irish News
- Little Voices, Big Impact: Children in east Belfast help award funding to community projects - VIEWdigital
Stories & Campaigns
SCHOOL HOLIDAY SUPPORT FOR FAMILIES
For Summer 2026 Save the Children UK have created an online resource alongside our campaign: No Summer Break From Poverty.
You can access information and resources on:
- Help with costs during the school holiday
- Free things to do with kids
- How to talk to your child about money and not having enough
Check it out here: School Holiday Support for Families | Save the Children UK
St Peter's Immaculata Young People speak out on Poverty
Ireland's Presidency of the European Council
Spark and spirit alive & well with Save the Children NI volunteers
Listen to Learn: Children's experiences in Northern Ireland
The Listen to Learn research project in North Belfast has worked with 77 primary school children to share their views on learning at home, in school, and in the community. This project, run in late 2024, was led by the North Belfast Primary Principal's Group and Save the Children, in partnership with the children's arts organisation Young at Art and sought to use creative arts as an inclusive methodology to enable children to explore and communicate their opinions and views through a series of facilitated workshops.
East BELFAST Early Learning Community
The EastSide Early Learning Community (ELC) is a collaboration with local partners working together in East Belfast to improve early learning outcomes for children in poverty. The ELC brings together families, professionals and organisations to test and develop joined up solutions to the root causes of educational inequality. Focused on one geographical area, the ELC addresses issues faced by local families in that place and looks to find long-term positive changes to supports and services. Currently the focus is on children's speech, language and communication and social and emotional development. It uses the best available evidence to inform practice and influence policy. Central to this approach is listening to and learning from children, families and local staff, empowering communities to create sustainable improvements in children’s lives.
INNOVATION FUND 2026
The Innovation Fund 2026, aligned to the EastSide Early Learning Community framework, funded 10 inspiring projects with a focus on strengthening parental mental health and well-being and parent–child attuned relationships.
15 organisations participated in a community showcase voting event designed to empower families and children in deciding what they would like to see funded within their local community. Almost 300 residents, including 68 children, had their say. The 10 highest‑voted projects went forward. Feedback was positive and demonstrated strong local appetite for this participatory approach to grant funding.
We’re excited to learn from this to strengthen participatory grant‑making led by children and explore collaborative funding around child poverty in Northern Ireland.
FAMILY GRANTS
Save the Children have been supporting families experiencing poverty through a grant programme for over 15 years providing the basic home essentials that every child should have. Since 2020 we have shifted our approach to offering vouchers for food and essentials, so families have the ability to choose what they need for their children. We partner with almost 30 referring organisations such as SureStart, Community Advice Service and the Family Support Hubs who hold trusted relationships with families and support them to access the grant programme. Over the last 6 years we have reached over 12,000 children with a direct investment of over 2 million pounds into family homes.
PROTECTING CHILDREN IN CONFLICT
In a time of increasing violence, where 1 in 5 children globally are growing up in conflict, it has never been more urgent for us at Save the Children to ensure that International Law is upheld. Our work focuses on the protection of children in conflict so that their rights and needs are at the centre of humanitarian responses, policy decisions, and accountability. To achieve this, we collaborate with government bodies, international humanitarian and human rights organisations, and academic partners across the island of Ireland, drawing on insights and perspectives from children and colleagues in conflict zones around the world.
Evidence is mounting that children in conflict zones suffer more acutely and in different ways to adults: children are seven times more likely to die from blast injuries, their bodies deteriorate faster from starvation and dehydration, and they are cognitively less equipped to deal with the enduring mental harm of prolonged violence. Our job is to translate thorough research into tangible action for children. We work with coalitions of experts to inform policy and strengthen systems, so that children in conflict are protected and perpetrators of violence against children are held to account.
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Find out more
For more information about our work in Northern Ireland, please call us on 028 90 431123 or click the link below to send an email.
