Children sleeping on piles of clothes, says charity

A charity has reported that children are sleeping on floors and makeshift beds made from piles of clothes.

Care Zone, a furniture bank based in Peterborough, with a warehouse on the city's outskirts, aims to spend £80,000 this year on providing beds and mattresses to local families. Ashley Wilcox from Care Zone stated that families approach them seeking assistance with basic furniture.

Wilcox highlighted the severity of the situation, saying, "Many children are sleeping on a pile of clothes, or maybe just on the hard floor. That's not good enough."

Peterborough City Council confirmed its collaboration with local charities to assist as many families in crisis as possible.

Care Zone's warehouse stocks a variety of items, from beds and sofas to long-life food. The organization is part of the council's crisis resilience fund, a network that offers food parcels, advice, and other services.

Last year, Care Zone's volunteers cleaned and repaired donated furniture and household goods, distributing over 3,500 large items and 425 smaller items like saucepans and tin openers. Of the 1,900 individuals who utilized Care Zone's services last year, approximately 845 were children.

The warehouse is currently filled with new mattresses, ready for distribution to families in need. Wilcox described the plight of families in temporary accommodation, noting, "There might be a family of five in one single room sharing a few beds, sleeping on the floor, nowhere to cook."

He emphasized that addressing bed poverty is a priority due to its detrimental impact on children's education. "For children in particular, a good night's sleep is really essential," Wilcox explained. "By giving them a bed, they have a much better chance at doing better in school."

Care Zone accepts donations from anyone and provides assistance to individuals referred by organizations such as the council or their GP.

Esther Baffa-Isaacs, from the city council's poverty prevention team, acknowledged that "much more we can do" to reach those in crisis. She mentioned that the authority recently sent letters to 3,200 households in the city identified as being in a "crisis state," to ensure they were claiming the correct benefits and knew where to find support. "That was what it came down to, just saying, 'you have help'," she stated.

A recent study by Policy in Practice revealed that residents in Peterborough are missing out on £92 million in unclaimed benefits. Baffa-Isaacs described child bed poverty as a "significant" issue that the authority is "very keen to do more" about, reiterating its impact on educational attainment.

Data from the Department for Work and Pensions for 2024 and 2025 indicates that about one-third of children in Peterborough are estimated to be living in poverty, compared to a UK average of 26%.

Zameer Ali, Peterborough City Council's cabinet member for communities and public safety and a Labour councillor, assured that the authority is "doing everything" to reach people. He highlighted language barriers as a potential problem and stressed the importance of making information as easy to understand as possible, especially for parents who might rely on their children for translation.

Ali urged residents to seek help if needed, stating, "We don't want you to go without and we certainly do not want you or your children to fall into any form of hardship. What you need to do is reach back to us and say 'I need help'."