The Childhood Trust

14/04/2026

Meet Ralph, a local Londoner and keen runner. This year, Ralph is taking on the London Marathon in a gingerbread man costume, aiming to break the Guinness World Record for the fastest marathon in a gingerbread outfit while raising awareness and funds for The Childhood Trust. 🏃

The idea came from Ralph’s daughter, who suggested he dress as a gingerbread man and even created a special gingerbread drawing to inspire him.

The time to beat? 3 hr 14 min 15 seconds! ⏱

“It's not every day you get to do something silly for a great cause, and so I'm embracing that. I hope I bring a smile to a few people who read the story, or spot me go by on the day. I'd encourage everyone to check out the fantastic work that The Childhood Trust is doing, to donate if they can, and to look out for and support others in their communities however they are able to.”

A massive thank you to Ralph for choosing The Childhood Trust to support as part of his marathon journey.

Let’s help him reach his £2,500 fundraising goal and send him our best wishes for the rest of his training! 👇

https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/ralph-wilson

10/03/2026

‘Transformed spaces transform lives’

Every child deserves a space to sleep peacefully, play freely, learn confidently and grow. Yet in London, 1 in 3 children are living in poverty in London and many are growing up without beds, desks or adequate flooring in their home. 

At The Childhood Trust, we transform the bedrooms of children living in poverty in London – because every child deserves a safe space to call their own.

Our new mural in Shoreditch brings this message to life. With thanks to Cain and you can visit the mural wall at Great Eastern Street in Shoreditch until 30th March.

01/11/2025

We have joined the other 66 signatories backing letter to the government asking for child poverty targets to be set as part of the upcoming child poverty strategy.

Are you with us? Vote 🗳️ 👇

36% of London’s children live in poverty.

That statistic needs to change.

To change it, we need to monitor it. To monitor it, we need to measure it.

29/10/2025

About Monday... We brought together the best in London for the 2025 London Child Poverty Summit.

And what an incredible way to start with a spoken word performance from Harriet Ekpo. ‘Finding the Bridge’ was a powerful reminder of the real lives behind the statistics, and the reason we all need to act now.
Meeting, connecting and talking is great but moving beyond conversation. The post-event Action Pack is landing in inboxes soon, featuring all the key next steps, the AI Governance discussion, and your calls for a working groups. Stay tuned!

20/10/2025

🚨 Ticket Update 🚨

London Child Poverty Summit

Some of you may be seeing “sold out” messages – but don’t worry, tickets are still available! 🎟️

This confusion may be due to an ongoing AWS outage affecting Eventbrite.

If you're having trouble booking, please DM us here or email us at [email protected] – we’ll make sure you’re sorted.

We'll provide an update once we know more from AWS. Thanks for your patience!

For young people in London and charities supporting youth. The Childhood Trust invites you to join the London Child Poverty Summit 2025.

15/10/2025

The final countdown will start soon ⏰

We would love to see you at our London Child Poverty Summit. The time to get your tickets is now.

Why attend? 🤔

- Ask the panel, featuring experts from The Alan Turing Institute, London School of Economics, AI Youth, Toynbee Hall and a youth voice representing young people.
- Choose from one of four interactive workshops, including: Early Years & AI with the University of Cambridge and SEND & Technology with 4in10
- Discuss with peers who holds responsibility for helping young people navigate digital tools – and what happens when that responsibility is unclear.
- Plus, it’s a chance to connect with charities and organisations across our network.

Let’s get together and start creation solutions.

Register now. Young people are invited to attend free of charge 👇

Link in bio.

09/10/2025

For London charities. For the future of London’s youth.

See you on 27th October.

📍Mary Ward House, WC1H 9SA

08/10/2025

“Adults should stay informed so they can guide, not just judge, and support teens in using tech safely.”
London resident, age 18.

This year’s London Child Poverty Summit has been co-created with young people, and we want to make sure their voices are heard within the conversation on the day.

If your London charity is attending our annual event, you can bring the young people you work with free of charge.

We have deliberately created space for youth to be heard and to shape the solutions we build together for a healthier, safer, and fairer London.

Join us for networking and discussion on children in a digital age at this year’s Summit.

Mon 27th Oct, 9:30am
Mary Ward House, Tavistock Place.

06/10/2025

Ending child poverty can’t be solved alone.

It requires a unified front which is why we bring London charities and partners together, in person, every year.

The London Child Poverty Summit is your dedicated day to connect and build real partnerships that amplify impact across the UK’s capital.

This year, the event will focus on children in a digital age - the ups, downs, challenges and opportunities but most importantly, the solutions which are ‘yet to be determined.’

If your work is focused on creating a healthier, safer and fairer future for children and young people in London, then it’s time to save your space.

Let’s get together.

Monday 27th October | 9:30 - 5pm | Mary Ward House, Tavistock Pl, London | Tickets £25

03/10/2025

“The more I use AI for emotional support, the less I feel dependent on loved ones – I’m more emotionally distant.”

Calling London charities supporting young people 📢

Join us at The Childhood Trust’s London Child Poverty Summit, Monday 27th October at Mary Ward House, Tavistock Place, London where we’ll discuss children living in a digital age.

Our agenda, co-created with young people, includes:
- Welcome from our Chief Executive Josephine McCartney and host Rob Smith
- Live Q&A
- Panel: How is AI shaping and shifting the mental health and wellbeing of young people?
- Workshops: Children’s Digital Lives
- Fireside chat. What can we in the room today do to support young people?
- Collective Action. A call from young people.

Grab your ticket via Eventbrite. Search for London Child Poverty Summit. Tickets are priced at £25.

If you are a young person and would like to attend, please get in touch.

09/09/2025

✨ Transforming Spaces Spotlight ✨

Last week, we had the joy of teaming up with our long standing partner and her team on a special project.
This makeover was for a three-year-old girl who shares her room with her big sister on weekends. The girls needed new beds, room to play, a spot to study, and a place to relax.

Now, their bedroom is a haven - thoughtfully decorated to reflect both of their personalities and interests. 🌸
The family’s reaction was pure joy, and it was such a privilege to collaborate with Katharine and her team on bringing this special space to life. 💕

18/08/2025

📢 We’re still looking for early years practitioners to take part in our first-of-its-kind study with
 
If you work in early years education or care, we’d love to hear your views on how AI-powered toys could shape children’s earliest years, from the potential benefits to the risks and challenges.  
 
You can choose to join a focus group with peers, or take part in a one-to-one interview, whatever works best for you. We know how busy your schedule is, so we’ll fit around your availability in August and September. Your insights will be vital in helping us understand how these technologies could influence children’s learning and development before they become everyday playthings.   
 
If you’d like to take part (or know someone who might), click the link in the comments or scan the QR code below to contribute to our research today. Let’s make sure children’s futures are shaped by evidence, not just technology!🌟