Beckham kicks off child poverty drive

Published on Saturday 14 November 2009 19:07

VICTORIA Beckham spoke out about childhood poverty yesterday after taking her eldest son to visit some of the poorest children in America.

The former Spice Girl and Brooklyn, ten, took part in activities run by the Save the Children charity during a two-day trip to Clay County, Kentucky. Beckham said the visit had shown her the need for all children to have an equal start in life and helped her son learn about the responsibilities of his generation.

The mother of three and Brooklyn took part in a number of programmes last week, including teaching football, reading to toddlers and providing literacy and nutrition tools to parents.

During a visit to Big Creek Elementary School, in Oneida, the pair took part in a book bag exchange, where toddlers were given bags filled with books, and read one of their favourite stories, Duck In The Truck.

Beckham also met school principals and teachers to try to understand the challenges they face and the support provided by Save the Children's programmes. Clay County, in the south-east of Kentucky, is one of the poorest counties in America, with a childhood poverty rate of 47.8 per cent and an average household income of $19,728 (about 12,000).

Beckham said: "We have to make sure every single child has a fair and equal start in life. Seeing Save the Children's innovative programmes in action, I know that we can begin to reverse the childhood poverty crisis.

"I'm pleased Brooklyn is learning that, by helping and joining other children, he can play a role in making his generation the greatest yet."

Mark Shriver, managing director of Save the Children's US programmes, who accompanied the Beckhams on the visits, said: "By advocating a fair start for all children, Victoria is setting a powerful example for learning about and understanding the challenges confronting too many children in America today.

"Instilling in Brooklyn the value of generational responsibility, she knows that a better sense of unity among children will make a future America and global community even greater. These trips create invaluable awareness– building and advocacy. We look forward to continuing to work with Victoria to ensure that every child in America gets a fair start in life."