Gets Active Youth Advisory Group launch Cost-of-living Report
Gets Active Youth Advisory Group launch Cost-of-living Report
In 2022, Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) established a Youth Advisory Group linked to the Gets Active Project – a range of holiday programmes providing healthy food and activities to children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds – and today they are publishing the results of a survey of over 200 young people, highlighting how they are impacted by the rising cost-of-living.
The survey results show the effects of high inflation and low incomes on parental financial stability, cost-cutting measures, experiences of deprivation (e.g. hunger, cold) and the impact on education and social participation.
- Half (49%) of young people surveyed were worried about parents/carers not having enough money for the things they need;
- Half (50%) of young people reported their household using less heating to save money;
- Nearly a third (29%) of young people said their household had been cutting back on food;
- A third (33%) of young people reported feeling colder more often;
- A fifth (21%) of young people said they experienced feeling hungry more often, and 14% reported skipping meals because they could not afford it;
- A fifth (19%) of young people felt unable to concentrate in school because of feeling hungry or being worried about money for food; and
- A quarter (24%) of young people have had to say no to trips or social activities in the last year because they could not afford it.
These stark findings highlight the serious harm that poverty and the cost-of-living are inflicting upon our children and young people, and the urgent need to address these challenges and inequalities.
The Gets Active Youth Advisory Group intends to use this research and engage with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a set of tailored policy recommendations unique to the Northern Ireland context. By doing so, they aim to contribute to meaningful change and improve the lives of children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Read the full report here.
Gets Active Youth Advisory Group launch Cost-of-living Report
Gets Active Youth Advisory Group launch Cost-of-living Report
In 2022, Children in Northern Ireland (CiNI) established a Youth Advisory Group linked to the Gets Active Project – a range of holiday programmes providing healthy food and activities to children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds – and today they are publishing the results of a survey of over 200 young people, highlighting how they are impacted by the rising cost-of-living.
The survey results show the effects of high inflation and low incomes on parental financial stability, cost-cutting measures, experiences of deprivation (e.g. hunger, cold) and the impact on education and social participation.
- Half (49%) of young people surveyed were worried about parents/carers not having enough money for the things they need;
- Half (50%) of young people reported their household using less heating to save money;
- Nearly a third (29%) of young people said their household had been cutting back on food;
- A third (33%) of young people reported feeling colder more often;
- A fifth (21%) of young people said they experienced feeling hungry more often, and 14% reported skipping meals because they could not afford it;
- A fifth (19%) of young people felt unable to concentrate in school because of feeling hungry or being worried about money for food; and
- A quarter (24%) of young people have had to say no to trips or social activities in the last year because they could not afford it.
These stark findings highlight the serious harm that poverty and the cost-of-living are inflicting upon our children and young people, and the urgent need to address these challenges and inequalities.
The Gets Active Youth Advisory Group intends to use this research and engage with a wide range of stakeholders to develop a set of tailored policy recommendations unique to the Northern Ireland context. By doing so, they aim to contribute to meaningful change and improve the lives of children and young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Read the full report here.
