Anti-Poverty Strategy 2024 to 2027

This strategy, and supporting action plan, evidence Stockton-on-Tees Borough Council's ongoing commitment to tackling poverty and improving the lives of the Borough's residents. It is aligned and supports other key strategic plans including our 2023-2026 Council Plan, A Fairer Stockton-on-Tees Framework (our Strategic Framework for Tackling Inequalities) and Powering our Future programme.

The effects of the coronavirus pandemic, twinned with the current cost of living situation, have resulted in more of our residents experiencing poverty. 

• inequality is a challenge in our Borough - our Borough is home to around 200,000 people, with areas of places of affluence sitting alongside areas of deprivation
• more than 25% of our wards are in the 10% most deprived in the country
• there is a gap of up to 19 years in average female life expectancy between the most deprived and least deprived wards

We are committed to fighting these inequalities, our aim through our Anti-Poverty Strategy is that every resident in our Borough should have the right to live a fulfilling life, one which is fair and equal.  Our ambition is for all our residents to live fulfilling lives, free from the effects of poverty. To achieve this, we will continue to work at a local, regional, and national level to address the policies and practices that cause, prolong, or exacerbate poverty. 

This strategy is built on a partnership approach and is owned by our partners who have an essential role to play in preventing and reducing poverty in our Borough. This includes public agencies, the voluntary, community and social enterprise sector, businesses, and most importantly our communities themselves. We will continue to have community conversations as hearing the voices of those with lived experience of poverty is essential if we are to address both current and meet evolving needs. We plan to gather feedback on a regular basis to understand the impact we are having in supporting those experiencing poverty in our Borough and will update our action plan appropriately.