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Daycare Trust : Picnic in the park puts poverty in the spotlight

Two Cabinet Ministers, Rt Hon Ed Balls MP, Secretary of State for Children, Schools and Families, and Rt Hon Peter Hain MP, Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, took part in a very special 21st birthday party for national childcare charity Daycare Trust in St James's Park, London, on Tuesday, 31st July 2007. Over 150 children from local nurseries and children's centres joined in the celebrations, which were organised in partnership with the Campaign to End Child Poverty to highlight the link between childcare and child poverty.

Acrobats, stilt walkers, puppet shows and a giant bluetit giving a tour of the parks birds were highlights of an action-packed day, which also included an appearance by Dan Freedman, author of new football novel The Kick Off.

"Traditionally, 21st birthdays were when you got the key to the door," says Rita Stringfellow, Chair of Daycare Trust. "We feel that high-quality childcare opens doors for children and families in poverty, and we are using this occasion to shine a spotlight on what Gordon Brown needs to do to unlock a brighter future for poor children and their parents."

The party took place close to The Treasury, which the Campaign to End Child Poverty believes holds part of the solution to lifting Britain's children out of poverty. The Campaign is calling for £4 billion of extra funding to be spent on poverty reduction measures - and is calling for high-quality childcare to be provided where and when parents need it.

Hilary Fisher, Director of the Campaign to End Child Poverty, said: "3.8 million children are currently living in poverty in the UK today. To help families to get out of poverty good quality childcare must be easily available, when they want it, and at a price they can afford enabling parents to return to work or secure further education or training. The Government must give families on low incomes the choices and opportunities they need to balance work and family responsibilities, so we are calling on the Government to secure the provision of a sufficient supply of high quality, affordable, accessible childcare."

The picnic was sponsored by the Private Finance Initiative company Catalyst Lend Lease, and supported by the Royal Parks, with delicious healthy food kindly donated by Charlton House, caterers to HM Treasury, which had offered indoor accommodation for the event if the weather was wet.

"We wanted to make this a day to remember - for the Daycare Trust and for the many deserving children they invited to their birthday party," said Steve Endler, Sector Bid Director for Catalyst Lend Lease's Building Schools for the Future programme. "We understand what good childcare means to a child's future education and we share the Daycare Trust's commitment to giving children that vital start in life."