The Child Friendly Unicef Programme
UNICEF UK’s Child Friendly Cities and Communities initiative is a global programme encouraging local services to commit to fulfilling children’s rights. The aim is to create a city or community where the voices, needs, priorities and the rights of children play an integral part in public policies and programmes, as well as being involved in the decision-making process.
Our commitment
The Redbridge Joint Partnership Plan for 2025 (PDF 2.39 MB) includes a commitment to work towards Redbridge becoming a UNICEF-accredited “Child Friendly Borough”.
The UNICEF Child Friendly Cities and Communities programme brings together UNICEF UK and local government to put children's rights at the heart of children's public services. With our partners we will look at practical ways to embed children’s rights within local services.
In a Child Friendly Community all children:
- Understand their rights
- Have a say about decisions that affect them
- Can express their views freely and are encouraged and supported to do that
- Can access good health, education, transport and other services
- Feel safe and protected from discrimination and harm
- Can enjoy public spaces and meet other children freely
Age range of children involved
The UNICEF programme is based on the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child. This says that a child is anyone under the age of 18. However, for vulnerable young people, including those in care or that have special educational needs, the programme would cover young people up to the age of 25.
In Redbridge we would like to include all children and young people aged 0 to 25.
How far have we come?
Residents told us they want Redbridge to be a great place for children and families, so we have been working with UNICEF UK’s global Child Friendly Cities & Communities initiative to make our borough more child friendly.
Since the programme began in 2019, we have listened to thousands of children and young people to understand what life in Redbridge is like for them and what they want to see improved. They told us their priorities were feeling safe and secure, being healthy, and improving their local places and activities.
Using their feedback, we developed the Child Friendly Redbridge Action Plan and have been delivering it over the last three years with schools, youth groups, families, services and partners. This work has helped us respond directly to the issues children and young people raised and strengthen our borough-wide approach to children’s rights.
We are now moving toward formal recognition by UNICEF UK as a Child Friendly Community, demonstrating our ongoing commitment to making Redbridge a place where every child feels valued, included and able to thrive.