Volunteers reading with children under street lamps as families can’t afford indoor lights

At a time when keeping the house warm feels like a luxury, paying for after-school clubs for four children is not an option for Anthonia.

With the cost of living soaring, the single mother narrowed down her priorities to two things: food and shelter.

The Brixton mother works part-time, but the money she earns does not stretch enough to enrol her school-aged children in the classes they want – and with free activities increasingly difficult to find as funding is cut, her children feel frustrated.

Anthonia said: “When I cancel something such as when I did their swimming lessons, they wanted it to be replaced by something else.

“They look around and see so many things being taken away from them. They don’t understand when I say it’s because the cost of living is going up.”

Rising household bills have stripped many parents of their capacity to keep their children engaged outside school hours.

So, when volunteers from Doorstep Library arrive at the homes of families like Anthonia’s for weekly reading sessions, it is not rare for a parent to say, as Anthonia often does, “Just when I need you, there you are”.

The charity’s chief executive Katie Bareham said: “We have mothers who say, ‘You are the only adult I’ve spoken to all week’. A lot of our families are socially isolated, so bringing volunteers into homes is great for not only the children but parents, too. It helps them feel part of the community.”

Doorstep Library provides 20 home-reading projects to support primary school aged children living in poverty on deprived housing estates across five London boroughs – namely Lambeth, Camden, Ealing, Westminster and Hammersmith & Fulham.

They aim to instil a love of reading in the children and encourage them to read widely and for pleasure. Their ultimate goal is to encourage parents to adopt a daily habit of reading aloud with their children, making it a norm in the family’s routine.

The charity is one of the organisations we will be seeking to fund in our On the Breadline Christmas Appeal in partnership with the Childhood Trust.

Ms Bareham added: “It’s about bonding and quality time. It’s that time where a family can sit together and enjoy the book and momentarily forget about their stress, a time to have some fun as well as make real academic progress.”

Of course, quality time with the children can be hard to achieve if the parent is consumed with worries of putting food on the table, Ms Bareham said. Volunteers have sat under street lamps reading with children because the families can’t afford to put the lights on indoors.

When they notice a home is struggling like this, they signpost them to local services that can support them and actively help families to access what they need.

“If the parent feels better supported and less stressed, they are more likely to give their child that time. While they are lost in a book together, they aren’t thinking about the different stresses they have to battle – and that can help both the parent and child’s wellbeing."

Yetunde has two boys who have benefitted from the charity’s service for three years.

Yetunde said. “When the volunteers are here, I can finally sit back and make a cup of tea for myself. It takes the pressure off me both mentally and financially because I don’t have to worry about buying books. Doorstep leaves books here for the boys to read and they can keep them for as long as it takes to finish the book."

She added: “They absolutely love the sessions and their confidence has grown so much. I can’t buy toys unless it’s Christmas or a birthday, and putting them in after-school clubs is out of the question. So knowing Doorstep is there is such a relief. I wouldn’t be able to cope without them.”

Our Cost of Living Christmas Appeal, On the Breadline, has partnered with Comic Relief and The Childhood Trust, a charity that helps children in poverty in London. Donations made into our partnership with The Childhood Trust will be given out in grants to organisations that help children in poverty in London. Donations made into our partnership with Comic Relief will go to organisations across the UK (including London) helping people on the breadline of all ages cope with the cost of living.

How you can help

To help children affected by the cost of living crisis who live in London, donate here.

To help children and communities affected by the cost of living crisis wherever they live in the UK, donate here.