What is London Challenge Poverty week?

London Challenge Poverty Week has been running annually since 2018 and is held every year in the week around the UN Day for the Eradication of Poverty on 17 October.  

Through a programme of events and activities, the week aims to bring Londoners together to: 

• Increase the visibility of the reality of poverty in London; 
• Encourage positive debate and discussion about poverty; and 
• Show what is being done to tackle poverty and call for the changes we need to end it.

In Tower Hamlets, 56% of children live in poverty, and 39% of adults.

Why is it needed?

“This year London Challenge Poverty Week is needed more than ever. Many in our city have had £20 a week cut from their Universal Credit and increasing costs  including significant increases in fuel prices, will push people further into poverty. 

We need to come together to demonstrate what this will mean: that more will go hungry, lose their homes or be cold this winter. 

And we must call for an urgent commitment from politicians and decision makers, activists, employers, employees, trade unions, public services, voluntary organisations and local communities, to come together and challenge poverty once and for all.”

How can we get involved?

• Go to www.londonchallengepovertyweek.org.uk
• Share this post.
• Share other key messages on social media.
• Ask your local politician what they’re doing to challenge poverty in your area.
• Talk to the media.
• Share your own lived experiences, and what your organisations and neighbours are doing to challenge poverty.

How we’re challenging poverty

Since we were founded in 2014, we always set out to purposely work with talented communities facing barriers to work within Tower Hamlets.

Many of our makers were previously unemployed despite their incredible skills. We pay fair, living wages, because this borough has the worst child poverty rate in London. We’ve paid over £100,000 to local women since.