The recognition follows four years of work involving Lambeth Council, partners and thousands of children and young people to embed children’s rights into decision-making, services and public spaces across the borough. As a result, Lambeth has been granted full Child Friendly Community status.
The Child Friendly Cities and Communities programme supports councils to put children’s rights into practice and create places where every child can thrive.
Lambeth joined the programme in 2021 and developed its action plan following consultation with more than 1,500 children and young people.
UNICEF UK’s assessment highlighted a wide range of achievements, including:
- Young Inspectors helping to shape and improve council and partner services.
- Children and young people influencing decision-making through initiatives such as Dinner with Directors, Youth Summits and Council Takeover Week.
- The introduction of children’s rights into Equality Impact Assessments, ensuring young people’s needs are considered in policy and service decisions.
- Young people helping to commission services and influence how funding is allocated.
- Child-led work on safety, tackling issues such as violence, sexual harassment and safe journeys to school.
- The removal of ‘No Ball Games’ signs and greater involvement of children and young people in designing parks, play spaces and public places.
- More than 200 council staff and 63 per cent of elected members receiving children’s rights training.
Word from the cabinet:
Cllr Alice Weavers, Cabinet Member for Children and Young People said:
“We are incredibly proud of our children and young people and that UNICEF UK has recognised Lambeth as a Child Friendly Community. This achievement reflects years of partnership working and, most importantly, the passion, creativity and leadership of children and young people across our borough.”
“From helping shape services and public spaces to influencing major decisions, young people can play a central role in making Lambeth a better place to grow up. This recognition celebrates that work, but it is also a commitment to go further in our ambitions to support youth work and youth participation.
“My priority as Cabinet Member for Children and Young People will be to strengthen youth participation, so that our young people have a greater say in decisions that affect them. We will continue to champion children’s rights and ensure the voices of children and young people remain at the heart of everything we do.”
Frances Bestley, Director of Programmes, UNICEF UK said:
“This recognition is a promise to Lambeth’s children and young people that their voices will be heard and their rights upheld. Across the borough, children and young people are already helping to shape local decisions, from influencing traffic-free initiatives at schools, to inspecting council services, and co-designing family, care-leaver, and autism hubs. Their efforts, together with the commitment of the council and its partners, will have helped to create lasting change. That’s what makes becoming a UNICEF Child Friendly Community such a fantastic achievement for Lambeth.”
Domenic Demeti, Youth Councillor, said:
“To me, Child Friendly Lambeth is Lambeth being a borough that is friendly for people under 25 in terms of being heard, being seen, being respected and being supported.”
Lambeth’s Child Friendly work is delivered through the One Lambeth partnership, bringing together council services, statutory agencies, schools, voluntary and community organisations, faith groups, and children and young people themselves.
