Barnardo’s has provided almost £400,000 to families since July, with parents seeking help for food, clothing and beds as well as activities to stop children missing out during the school holidays.
New analysis from Barnardo’s Child Poverty Fund shows that more than 1,800 applications, worth just over £395,000, were approved in the period 1st July – 31st August, with an average grant of approximately £200 per application.
Active since November 2024, Barnardo’s Child Poverty Fund provides targeted, practical support to families who already access Barnardo’s services.
While families this summer have sought help to afford necessities like food, clothing, household essentials and energy costs, applications also reveal parents struggling to afford the “ordinary” summer experiences of childhood – including days out, summer activities, and opportunities to play. These applications frequently describe day trips such as picnics in the park or visits to the seaside as a way of reducing isolation, supporting mental wellbeing, and giving families the chance to spend time together.
Ellie, a 26-year-old Mum of three from Woking, said her family tends to “hibernate” during the busy summer holidays and spend more time at home, avoiding crowds and inflated prices.
“My kids love going away,” said Ellie, who home schools her children. “Especially to the caravan park where I used to go when I was little. They can just be kids, socialising with other people of all ages, from other backgrounds. They’ll make friends with anyone. But the cost of a week in a caravan during school holidays is crazy – so we try and go when it’s colder and cheaper instead.”
Ellie, who spent her summers at the same caravan park she now takes her children to, described the importance of “making memories as a family”, after losing her Mum to cancer when she was just 10 years old.
“I want my kids to have the same memories to look back on when they’re older that I do,” said Ellie. “But it’s hard when you’re counting every penny.”
Ellie lives with degenerative muscular dystrophy, which also affects her seven-year-old daughter, Claudia. Husband and father Nathan, 27, works full-time as a water engineer, but Ellie fears he may eventually have to give up work to care for the family as her condition deteriorates – something she says they simply could not afford.
Ellie said: “I don’t want my kids to have rubbish lives – so if that he’s means he’s got to stay at work, then I’ll just stay in pain.”
Barnardo’s says stories like Ellie’s reveal that poverty during the summer is about both material hardship and social exclusion, with parents struggling to keep households afloat whilst protecting children from the stress and pressure they are under.
Barnardo’s ambassador, actress Michelle Collins, remembers her single-parent mother working hard to maintain that same sense of “normalcy” for she and her sister – working three jobs at once so they didn’t have to face the stigma of joining the free school meals queue.
Michelle said: “Sadly, parents today are still having to work incredibly hard just to maintain basic necessities for their families – and the summer holidays bring even more pressure. Every parent wants their child to feel like everyone else – to be able to enjoy a day out, have fun and make those childhood memories without constantly worrying about money.
“I remember the sacrifices my mum made to make sure we didn’t feel different or go without. No parent should have to choose between paying for the essentials and giving their child the chance to enjoy their summer.”
Even seemingly small everyday costs can quickly mount. Ellie’s daughter Claudia, whose muscular dystrophy condition is more advanced than Ellie’s, falls over between 10 and 20 times a day – meaning she regularly rips leggings and tights which then need to be replaced. The family are currently saving to buy a £900 motorised wheelchair, as Ellie now struggles to push Claudia and her brother in a buggy.
Barnardo’s analysis of its Child Poverty Fund suggests families with disabled children can face additional financial pressures on top of the rising cost of everyday essentials.
Its West Yorkshire Keyworker Service, which supports children and young people with learning disabilities and/or autism, recorded more than 60 approved applications – often pointing to pressures including disability-related costs, specialist activities, sensory equipment and family wellbeing.
Lynn Perry, chief executive of Barnardo’s, said: “For many children, summer means freedom, days out and time with friends and family. But for parents already struggling to make ends meet, the school holidays can bring weeks of additional worry. The fact that families we support have needed 1,800 grants since the beginning of July shows the scale of the financial pressure in communities up and down the UK.
“Our frontline workers across the country are seeing families who can’t afford the basics – from food and clothing to beds and essential household items. These families aren’t asking for luxury. The average grant from our Child Poverty Fund is around £200, but that relatively small amount can help put food on the table, give a child some new summer shoes when last year’s are feeling tight, or allow a family under enormous pressure to spend some positive time together – making memories that can last a lifetime. That’s something every family deserves.”
This summer, Barnardo’s has also partnered with the National Trust to provide free passes to families it supports, helping them enjoy days out together without the additional cost.