A new charity providing support for Newham’s most deprived children is looking for volunteers who can help boost their chances of a good start in life.

Start Young UK is in the process of being registered with the Charities Commission. It is the brainchild of local residents Angela Caroo, Marilyn Matthews and Ricky O’Garro.

Angela said: “Many people just don’t realise how many deprived children there are in our Borough. We want to bring that to people’s attention and rally as many volunteers as possible to do what we can to give them the things they need. They just don’t have the basics like school uniforms and computers. But it is more than that, we want to give people the opportunity to sponsor a child and we are looking for volunteers who can mentor them or provide work experience opportunities.”

The venture is still in its early stages with a registered charity number imminent. The team has already been working to get support from local organisations like the Scouts, churches and companies. Children will be referred through schools and other educational settings.

The idea came after Christmas when they decided to distribute 30 gift parcels to two nearby schools, but were inundated with requests for help from 100 families. In the end they provided 400 parcels.

According to the charity Trust for London, more than half of Newham’s children live in poverty, 52 per cent compared with 38 per cent in typical London boroughs.

If you would like to get involved in Start Young UK or can offer basic items and services, please contact: startyoung21@gmail.com.

They are particularly keen for support in the following areas:

Tech & Web Design
Sponsor Buddies
Companies that would like to support/sponsor
Admin Staff
Accountants who would like to support
Local Businesses
Uniform suppliers
Parents that have second hand uniform
Funding opportunities

www.startyounguk.com

This story was originally published in our June 2021 print edition (Issue 6) and was updated on 27 October 2021 with a new email address for this charity.

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