Southampton City Council partners with UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) in bid to be recognised as a Child Friendly City
Southampton City Council will work with children’s charity the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK) towards international recognition as a UNICEF UK Child Friendly City
UNICEF UK logo indicating a candidate for child friendly city status, and the child friendly Southampton logo
The ambitious three-to-five-year partnership will see councillors, council staff, stakeholders and local organisations turning to children’s rights – as set out in the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child – to guide decisions that affect children and young people in Southampton.
Southampton City Council joins eight other councils in the UK taking part in the UNICEF UK Child Friendly Cities & Communities programme which works with councils to put children’s rights into practice. The partnership was announced today, Monday 21 February, with the unveiling of a short poem which encompasses the passion for supporting children and young people in the city and our aspirations for the future. Child Friendly City Ambassadors will be unveiled in the coming weeks with more information on exciting upcoming celebration activities soon to be announced.
The right of the child to have their views heard and taken seriously, for example, will mean that children will experience meaningful engagement in the design, delivery and place shaping of Southampton. Children will also actively inform and engage with all strategy and policy, with new strategic commitments expressed in child friendly terms to support children’s inclusion and participation in civic policy creation.
Braydon and Emily, members of the Southampton Voices Unite Children in Care Council share their thoughts on what Child Friendly Southampton should look like:
“A Child Friendly Southampton should be a safe, friendly, clean environment for people especially children. It should be something for people to be excited about and mean we are a city where people that haven’t before want to visit and keep coming back.
“It should be an enjoyable place to be and there should be more action in dealing with issues within the city to ensure it is a safe place for all of us. We’d also like to see more variety for younger people to get us interested in being more involved in the city.”
Councillor Peter Baillie, Cabinet Member for Children’s Social Care and Child Friendly City Champion at Southampton City Council said:
“We have a clear vision and plan to invest in our children and young people, placing them at the heart of Southampton. It’s fantastic that we can deliver this vision with the support and guidance of UNICEF UK.
“There are already so many great groups, activities and initiatives that support and enhance life for children and young people in our city and embarking on this journey with UNICEF UK will raise further awareness of these. In addition, the partnership provides further exciting opportunities for us and the entire Southampton community to intertwine children’s rights, interests and voices so they are at the centre of all that we do.”
Following the launch, Southampton City Council will work with local children and young people to understand which areas, or ‘badges’ they think should be prioritised to make Southampton more child-friendly – feeling safe, or staying healthy, for example.
The council will need to show evidence of sustainable progress in six badges to be recognised as a UNICEF UK Child Friendly City. Progress will be closely monitored by an independent panel of experts in human rights, child wellbeing and public services, as well as an advisory board of local children and young people.
If recognised as a UNICEF UK Child Friendly City, Southampton will join cities and communities in close to 50 countries taking part in this global programme.
Naomi Danquah, Director of Child Friendly Cities and Communities at the UK Committee for UNICEF (UNICEF UK), said:
“We are delighted to welcome Southampton to the UNICEF UK Child Friendly Cities and Communities programme and applaud the city on its commitment to prioritise the rights and voices of its youngest residents.
“As our newest candidate UNICEF UK Child Friendly City, there is a real sense in Southampton that upholding children’s rights is a city-wide endeavour. We’re excited to see how the council brings the community together over the next few years, including local partners and businesses, to make a tangible change to the lives of Southampton’s children and young people.”
