Blog
Giving a voice to the voiceless
01st November 2019
Beth Prescott joined TLG in September taking up the position of Policy Lead, bringing with her a wealth of experience working within the political sphere as aide to a Cabinet Minister. Her heart and passion is to give a voice to the voiceless and ensure TLG's experience within the children's sector is being heard by key influencers.
If the last 8 years have taught me anything, it is that God calls each and every one of us to play our part in the political sphere, however big or small a part that may be.
If we are to be the voice for the voiceless, to stand up for justice and to help those in need inevitably that must mean getting mixed up in politics and advocacy one way or another.
While I was spending those 8 years building experience in the political sector and charity sector, TLG had also more recently begun to reflect on how our unique position can help raise awareness of the struggles faced by children in the UK today.
It was two corresponding journeys that God brought together in perfect timing in September this year, when I started my first day as Policy Lead at TLG.
This role was the start of something new and ground-breaking for TLG, an exciting opportunity for us to widen our impact even further.
It has not taken long for something to become clear: TLG's voice needs to be heard.
In a society where a child from a poorer background is four times more likely to be excluded than one who is not, where almost two thirds of children say they 'worry all the time' and where 3 million children are at risk of hunger in the school holidays, we need to listen to the voice of struggling children.
TLG Education Centres, Early Intervention coaches and Make Lunch clubs are doing incredible work in meeting the needs of children and families in communities across the UK. Every day I have worked for TLG so far, I have been more and more inspired by the work they do and the children who have been helped by them.
But it is time to build on that. To get to the very core of why children and families require our services in the first place. To tackle those big issues in the very place where decisions are made. To work with key decision makers to ensure the education and wellbeing of children is a priority.
God is already opening doors and bringing opportunities for us to input into important discussions. Earlier in October, Tim Morfin and I attended the Gun and Knife Crime Summit hosted by the Evangelical Alliance. At this event so many great organisations doing vital work in supporting young people and tackling the rising tide of gun and knife crime came to the table to discuss how we can work together to turn that tide.
This month I also attended the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on School Food, which regularly discusses holiday hunger among other issues. Just this week I was back in the Palace of Westminster attending the APPG on Fit and Healthy Childhood, hearing them discuss their 'Mental Health Through Movement' paper on how we can use movement and excercise to help children's wellbeing.
The next few weeks hold a lot of uncertainty over who will be running our country by Christmas and what will happen in the aftermath.
One thing is for certain though, whoever is in Government and whatever happens, TLG will be speaking up for the children and families we work with ensuring that whoever is in Government pays vital attention to the issues facing so many today.
We need to stand up and be that voice of the voiceless, to speak into the big issues in the very corridors where the decisions are made and to work unrelentingly to ensure policies are being made that prioritise education, support and wellbeing of children.
It is my job to make sure we do just that.
