Public Health Report Highlights Child Poverty in Cornwall and Isles of Scilly

The heads of public health and children’s services in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly have issued an urgent call to action to tackle child poverty across the region.

Their plea forms the focus of the 2025 Director of Public Health Annual Report, titled Growing Up In Poverty: The voices of babies, children and young people from Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly.

27,000 Children Living in Poverty

The report reveals that more than 27,000 children and young people in Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly live in relative poverty, which equates to one in five. That means in every average-sized classroom of 25 pupils, six are living in poverty.

Alongside key facts and figures, the report features contributions from hundreds of children, young people, parents, carers and professionals, who have shared their experiences of poverty through art, storytelling and other creative means.

Call for a Child Poverty Taskforce

To help bring about real change, the report includes a recommendation to create a multi-agency Child Poverty Taskforce. It also highlights some of the positive work already happening across Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly to support families who are struggling.

The report’s main author, Dr Eunan O’Neill, Director of Public Health for Cornwall, described child poverty as a “crisis that cannot be ignored.”

Dr Eunan said:

“Poverty affects every aspect of a child’s life, including their physical health, social and emotional wellbeing, education and their future aspirations. The evidence from babies, children, and young people in this report gives voice to a crisis that cannot be ignored.

“Poverty is not inevitable. It is shaped by policy, systems and choices and it can be changed. This report is a call to action for all of us. We are committed to working with our partners, communities, and most importantly, our babies, children and young people, to respond to what this report tells us. We will use it to shape our strategies, inform our services, and challenge ourselves to do better.

“I hope this report inspires reflection, compassion, and action, so that Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly can be a place where every child thrives.”

“A Crisis Point”

Co-authors Kate Evan-Hughes, Strategic Director for Together for Families at Cornwall Council, and Katie Ash, Director of Public Health for the Council of the Isles of Scilly, stressed that child poverty undermines every child’s right to be heard, to be safe, to be healthy, and to thrive under the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC).

Cllr Thalia Marrington, Cabinet Member for Community Safety and Public Health, said:

“I welcome this report from our Director of Public Health and the light it shines on an issue that, like he says, is reaching crisis-point.

“We know that poverty is a driver for so many problems in society, ruining and holding back lives. This is why I would urge everyone to read this report and reflect on how we can all help to make a better future for our children and young people.”

“We Simply Cannot Allow This to Continue”

Cllr Hilary Frank, Cabinet Member for Children, Families and Schools, said:

“It is an uncomfortable truth that more than 27,000 babies, children and young people across our communities are growing up in relative poverty.

“For many, this means going without basic necessities – living in a cold home, going to school or bed hungry, not having a warm winter coat, or being denied the chance to try new things or hobbies.

“We simply cannot allow this to continue which is why this report, and the recommendations it includes, are so important. Please take the time to read it and help us to end child poverty in our communities.”

You can read the full Director of Public Health Annual Report here: https://www.cornwall.gov.uk/health-and-social-care/public-health/public-health-annual-report/