On 30 January 2026, Gateshead Foodbank joined the No Child Left Behind UK coalition, a campaign led by the National Education Union (NEU), to help families struggling with the cost of living in Gateshead, Tyne and Wear. The move marks a shift from providing only emergency parcels toward integrated, school‑based support designed to catch families before they reach a financial crisis.
The foodbank will work closely with primary schools in high‑deprivation areas such as Felling, Deckham, and Bensham to offer extra support to parents and children. As part of a newly formed Gateshead School‑Food Alliance, the programme will place financial inclusion advisors in schools to help families manage household bills and make sure they are receiving the benefit payments to which they are entitled.
This is part of a larger plan to create a local school alliance that identifies and supports families who are struggling but have not yet asked for help. Pilot school‑based services and food‑support projects are expected to begin in the Summer Term (April 2026).
The No Child Left Behind UK coalition, led by the NEU and supported by a broad civil‑society coalition, is also pushing for national policy change. Its aims include introducing Universal Free School Meals for all primary pupils and the abolition of the two‑child benefit cap.
Local leaders and campaigners say the new approach is necessary because child poverty is extremely high in parts of Gateshead — for example, a Gateshead Council report and local reporting put child poverty in Felling at around 56%. Jackie Beeley, spokesperson for Gateshead Foodbank, said: “We are seeing families in Felling where the choice isn’t just ‘heat or eat,’ but which child gets a full meal today. Joining this coalition isn’t just about food; it’s about structural change.”
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