Barnardo’s and AstraZeneca team up on the Young Health Programme to support thousands of children, young people and families in the UK 

Children and young people living in poverty in the UK will gain better access to healthy food, help create a healthy living toolkit and become advocates for health policy thanks to a new partnership announced today between the children’s charity Barnardo’s and AstraZeneca, as part of the pharmaceutical company’s Young Health Programme UK.  

Around 2.6 million children in the UK are living in food insecure households (18% of all children)* with a lack of access to a nutritious diet which can create life-long impacts on their health.  

Those benefitting from the partnership will include children and young people with experience of growing up in care, who are living alone for the first time and young carers with responsibilities for parents or siblings.   

The ambition is that around 50,000 young people and families with children living in poverty and experiencing health inequality will be supported by the end of the three-year partnership.  

AstraZeneca’s Young Health Programme is a global initiative, aiming to provide education for young people to feel empowered to make informed choices about their health and catalyse a global, youth-led advocacy movement. It combines community programmes, research, advocacy, and the development of young leaders, with a focus on underserved communities.   

The funding from the pharmaceutical company will help to create a Healthy Living Fund open to children and young people supported by Barnardo’s.

Eligible young people will be able to apply for up to £300 in vouchers for groceries, white goods, small appliances or other cooking equipment which will be issued within 24 hours. This funding will enable the young people take control of their own diet and increase both their access to healthy food options and their capacity to cook healthy meals. A balanced diet is an important part of maintaining good health. The World Health Organisation recommends eating a minimum of 400g of fruit and vegetables a day to lower the risk of serious health problems, such as heart disease, stroke and some types of cancer. 

The programme also involves the creation of an educational Healthy Living and Advocacy Toolkit developed by and for young people. Barnardo’s will work with a dedicated group of 12 children and young people with lived experience of poverty who will take part in workshops - sharing their experiences of struggling to afford food, healthy diets, and taking part in advocacy training.   

Over the course of the programme the group of 12 young people will be supported to find a health issue they are passionate about and want to advocate for, supporting them to drive change for young people in the UK.  

Together, AstraZeneca colleagues and Barnardo’s will support the group to create a toolkit which will focus on healthy living and may include practical guidance, peer-to-peer encouragement, how to advocate for themselves in their local community and easy-to-cook nutritious recipes reflecting different cultural diets.   

The toolkit will be shared to amplify the voices of young people experiencing poverty and health inequality through social media platforms, Barnardo’s website, and potentially children's services workers, schools, foodbanks, local authorities, the NHS and AstraZeneca colleagues.   

Sharing the toolkit with young people across the UK will make sure the programme is not only addressing the immediate need for access to healthy food experienced by young people in poverty, but also empowering them with the skills and knowledge they need to build and maintain a healthy lifestyle and to take part in youth-led advocacy.  

Barnardo’s chief executive Lynn Perry said:  

“Too many children and young people are growing up in poverty and food insecurity, having to get by without healthy meals and worrying where the next meal comes from. The lack of access to a nutritious diet increases their risk of developing conditions such as cardiovascular disease and diabetes, creating life-long impacts on their health and wellbeing. Sadly, the cost of eating a healthy diet means it is out of reach for too many young people.   

“This partnership will offer more children and young people better access to nutritious food and the skills and knowledge needed to build and maintain a healthy lifestyle. We hope it will contribute to a reduction in poorer health experienced by young people living in poverty, so they can move into a brighter future with hope and confidence.  

“We are incredibly grateful to AstraZeneca for this vital funding and its commitment to work in partnership with us to support and empower children and young people who are struggling, and to help give them the chance to thrive.”  

 AstraZeneca’s UK Chair, Shaun Grady said:   

"Every young person deserves the chance to lead a healthy and fulfilling life. Through our partnership with Barnardo’s, we aim to inspire and provide the tools needed for young people across the UK to overcome the barriers of health inequality and take charge of their futures. By working together, we hope to create lasting opportunities that enable young people to thrive and build a healthier, more equitable future for themselves and their communities." 

To find out more about Barnardo’s and how you could help support children, young people and families, visit barnardos.org.uk.