Tackling Poverty Together Strategy 2026-2036

The Tackling Poverty Together Strategy 2026-2036 sets out a ten-year, borough-wide commitment to tackle poverty. Our vision is for Gateshead to be a place where poverty is prevented, dignity is upheld, and root causes are tackled through collective action and lived experience. This principle guides every aspect of our strategy. It is a partnership strategy for Gateshead, aligning the work of the council, public services, the voluntary, community, faith and social enterprise (VCFSE) sector,businesses and residents around a shared ambition to reduce poverty and inequality over the next decade.

Context and case for change

Poverty in Gateshead has intensified in recent years due to the combined impact of COVID‑19 and the ongoing cost of living crisis. While crisis support remains essential, the strategy recognises that long‑term solutions are required to reduce reliance on emergency responses and enable people to move out of poverty sustainably. Poverty is understood not only as low income, but as a multidimensional experience that affects people's health, wellbeing, choices, confidence and ability to participate fully in society. Many residents face structural barriers, in‑work poverty and fragmented support systems, which require coordinated, whole system change.

The strategy adopts a shared definition of poverty as a lack of material resources to meet basic needs and participate fully in society, driven by inadequate income and rising household costs. Drawing on extensive engagement with residents, the strategy recognises poverty as structural and systemic, closely linked with poor health, digital exclusion, insecure work, stigma and geographic barriers to services. Particular attention is given to groups and areas experiencing the highest levels of inequality, including lone parents, disabled people, care leavers, larger families, minority ethnic communities, unpaid carers and residents in both deprived neighbourhoods and rural areas. Consideration is given to the specific support required for residents facing in-work poverty, which continues to rise. 

Principles, core aims, and strategic commitments

Our principles set out "how we behave" and all activity is guided by them:

• treating people with dignity and respect
• a focus on prevention, protection and pathways out of poverty
• delivery through systems change, partnership working and shared accountability

Our commitments and considerations set out "What partners promise to do differently"

• tackle poverty together as a strategic priority
• consideration of poverty in all decision making
• borough-wide and partnership driven approach
• tackling stigma, blame and judgement
• placing living and lived experience at the centre of design and decision-making
• prioritising the most affected communities and groups 

Core aims set out: "What change residents should see": five interconnected core aims that provide a clear framework for action: 

1. Protection - addressing immediate needs and preventing harm from deepening
2. Prevention - tackling the drivers that push people into poverty
3. Pathways - creating sustainable routes to stability and independence
4. Participation - ensuring people experiencing poverty have genuine influence over services and decisions
5. Partnership and systems change - delivering a coordinated, accountable and continuously improving response across organisations

Priority themes for action 

The strategy focuses delivery through five thematic work areas, each supported by an annual action plan:

• financial resilience and inclusion - strengthening financial security, increasing access to ethical financial products, and removing digital, literacy and language barriers
• better skills, good jobs and an inclusive economy - improving digital and language skills, enhancing employability support, and creating clearer pathways into learning and decent work
• participation and voice - embedding lived experience in service design, maximising income, promoting inclusive employment, and campaigning for wider systemic change
• access high-quality, holistic and localised services - developing joined up, trauma‑informed and locally accessible support, including "tell it once" approaches and improved service navigation
• strategic focus and systems change - embedding poverty as a strategic priority across organisations, building workforce capability, undertaking poverty audits and developing innovative, cross system solutions

Delivery, governance and accountability 

The strategy is intended to be a living document, responsive to changing needs and external conditions throughout the ten-year period. Implementation will be led through an annual, coproduced action plan and overseen by a Tackling Poverty Together Sub‑Committee of the Gateshead Health and Wellbeing Board. This governance structure will ensure shared accountability, transparent progress monitoring and strong alignment with the borough's health and wellbeing agenda. 

Monitoring and evaluation will balance quantitative data with qualitative evidence from residents lived experiences, enabling learning, adaptation and continuous improvement.