Bradford makes it into the top three most challenging places to be a child

Bradford has been named as one of the most challenging places to be a child in England in a report by the Children’s Commissioner, which described the current situation as a “state of emergency”.

Bradford was found to be the third hardest place for children to grow up. Hounslow in West London came in second, with Middlesbrough named as the most challenging place to be a child.

The report, titled the Childhood Lottery, identified Cheshire East, Merton, Surrey, Richmond upon Thames and Hertfordshire as the least challenging places to be a child.

“Every day in England, on average, about 1,600 children are born,” explained Rachel De Souza, the Children’s Commissioner, in the foreword to the report. “After a short time, something defining happens to those children.

“They leave hospital and travel home. This will be the most important journey of their lives. Where that journey ends, in what postcode, will define who they will become, because of what they experience and the variation in the services which will be available to them.”

Responding to the story on LinkedIn, Chris Bunting, the director of Birth to 19, the training, research and development arm of leading education provider St. Edmund’s Nursery School and Children’s Centre, said that an early years strategy must be at the heart of any response that comes on the back of the report.

“There can’t be a return to short-termism – Bradford has long been one of the most deprived areas of England,” he added. “The evidence has been with us for years now. It’s time to act.”

Among the recommendations from the authors of the Childhood Lottery are prioritising children when it comes to devolution and establishing a children’s emergency fund.

Bradford to get a new train station

The Labour government has announced that Bradford will get a new train station at Bradford Interchange, which it said marked a major milestone in the delivery of Northern Powerhouse Rail.

The Department for Transport said that it would replace the current but “outdated” station that had been in place since the 1970s, which would deliver a “modern transport hub” that the city of Bradford deserved.

The decision to build Bradford’s new station at the interchange in the city centre is a long-term commitment to the city and the wider north,” said Henri Murison, chief executive of Northern Powerhouse Partnership.

“By unlocking the regeneration of the Southern Gateway, we will see homes and jobs for this city which otherwise would not be built or come here.”

Commenting on news of the announcement, Imran Khan, leader of the Labour group on Bradford Council, called it a “vital piece of the jigsaw in our long-term vision” for the district and a “game-changer” for the north of England.

 “We worked incredibly hard on this over many years with mayor Tracy Brabin and our team of councillors, led by former council leader Susan Hinchcliffe, with MPs and partner organisations, as it was fundamental to our regeneration drive for the district,” he added.

“Thankfully we now have a Labour government that is delivering for Bradford.”

The leader of Bradford Council, Reform UK’s Stephen Place, said that the announcement of a new train station was a “major milestone” for Bradford and that the government’s commitment to boosting national rail connectivity in the city would help remove “one of the city's biggest barriers to growth”.

"We have always been clear that a city centre station delivers the greatest regeneration benefits,” he went on to say.

"A new station with faster connections to Leeds, Huddersfield and Manchester will be a catalyst for investment and regeneration of the Southern Gateway, which will bring new homes and jobs."

New children’s mayor of Leeds to “prioritise mental health support”

Leeds has a new elected children’s mayor and he is looking to deliver on his manifesto promise of prioritising mental health support for children and young people.

Describing the honour of becoming the children’s mayor of Leeds, Bahrawar Ahmad said that he was grateful to the support he had received.

He added: “I'm excited to work with the Leeds Children's Mayor team and use this incredible platform to champion mental health, bring my manifesto to life and make a meaningful difference to the lives of young people across Leeds.”

The 10-year-old also took the opportunity to highlight the seriousness of mental health problems in young people, explaining that one in five had “experienced a mental health condition that seriously affected their life”.

The adult lord mayor of Leeds, Stephen Holroyd, described the children’s mayor programme as an effective way of getting young people involved in politics and the “democratic process”.

“I really enjoyed listening to the manifesto presentations made by each of the candidates and was amazed by their passion, in-depth understanding and ideas to tackle complex issues,” he went on to say,

“Each finalist is truly inspirational, and they should all be extremely proud of their achievement.”

According to the World Health Organization, one in seven 10–19-year-olds experience mental health conditions – which remain “largely unrecognised and untreated”.

Local Labour MP calls on government to make Bradford a priority for No10 North

A local Labour MP has written to the government requesting that Bradford be considered as an “early priority” for No10 North, one of the branches of the still new Office for the Prime Minister and Cabinet.

Imran Hussain, who represents Bradford East, said that he had asked Louise Haigh, first secretary of state, for a meeting to discuss what needs to be done to “unlock” the district’s “enormous economic potential”.

While he welcomed the creation of No10 North and the government’s commitment to deliver good growth in every postcode, he urged those promises to be transformed into meaningful action.

“But that commitment must now translate into investment and delivery for places such as Bradford,” he said. “Bradford is one of the youngest and most diverse cities in the country, with major strengths in manufacturing, culture, education and enterprise.

“Yet too many opportunities are being held back by poor connectivity, delayed decisions, fragmented responsibility and insufficient investment.”

Hussain acknowledged that the task at hand wouldn’t be easy, pointing to issues around poverty and deprivation. As the Centre for Cities Outlook observed at the start of the year, Bradford had one of the lowest living standards in the UK.

“Investment in Bradford is therefore not simply about correcting historic inequality. It is an opportunity to generate growth across West Yorkshire and contribute billions of pounds to the wider economy,” the Labour MP went on to say.