LONDON,(RUSHPRNEWS)10/02/2008–The United Kingdom will witness the largest ever event to End Child Poverty, this Saturday, 4th October, when thousands of people and over 130 partner organisations (including the UK Autism Foundation) will march from Millbank to Trafalgar Square via Westminster.

The Campaign to End Child Poverty has organised this massive march to call on the Government to ‘Keep The Promise’ they made, to eradicate poverty in the UK. According to the latest statistics coming from the campaign, over 5.5 children are in the United Kingdom are in poverty. New figures released by The Campaign to End Child Poverty show 174 constituencies in Britain have 50 per cent or more children living in or on the brink of poverty. This is the first time the number of children in struggling families has been calculated.

Birmingham Ladywood tops the list of the grim league table with 81 per cent - or 28,420 - of its children in struggling families. And within Ladywood one ward, Aston, has 87 per cent of its youngsters are in poverty.

Supporting the campaign is Ivan Corea of the UK Autism Foundation who said: ‘The credit crunch is devastating families with autism. Many are faced with increased food bills, fuel bills, some face re-possessions. We are urging the Government to step in and help the vulnerable and the marginalised financially….this must include an increase in tax credits, the disability living allowance and the carer’s allowance.’

The UKAF has released a newsletter with a lead story and an appeal to Prime Minister Gordon Brown on Autism and the Credit Crunch. There are over 500,000 people with autism in the UK. According to UK researchers 1 in 100 children are on the autism spectrum.

UKAF’s call for the Prime Minister and the Chancellor of the Exchequer to increase the allowances and tax credits for the poor was backed by Baroness Uddin of Bethnal Green. In Tower Hamlets Bethnal Green and Bow has a high proportion of children who are below the poverty line. Baroness Uddin has been campaigning tirelessly on child poverty in East London for over a decade. Lady Uddin is supporting the Campaign to End Child Poverty.

Lee Scott MP, the autism campaigner in the House of Commons is also supporting the efforts of the UK Autism Foundation. Scott has championed the cause of autism in Westminster and is the Patron of the UKAF.

According to campaigners, 1 in 3 children live in poverty in the UK today. Poverty is doing damage to society and campaigners are appealing for a better future for all children.Parents, carers and children with autism and Asperger’s Syndrome are joining the march. The UKAF is urging people to join the march. . The message to the Government is loud and clear. They must take urgent steps to help the poor and to eradicate poverty.

The UK Autism Foundation is committed to helping the poor - the charity is aiming to raise £10 million to build the first ever state-of-the-art AUTISM CENTRE in London, to build an AUTISM SCHOOL to service the needs of children with autism from Tower Hamlets to Redbridge and to build up a fund to give grants to the poor - for example grants for holidays and for independent assessments.

Thousands of people are meeting at Millbank, near Lambeth Bridge at 11 30 am on Saturday 4th October followed by a march through Westminster to Trafalgar Square. Family fun will follow at 1400 with speakers at Trafalgar Square. The Children’s Society celebrity campaigner Sophie Ellis Bextor will be among them.

For further particulars please see the organiser’s website:
http://www.endchildpoverty.org.uk/promises

For the UK Autism Foundation website:
http://www.ukautismfoundation.org

UK Autism Foundation

Woodford Business Centre
113-115 George Lane
South Woodford
London E18 1AB
United Kingdom