At Cities for Children, our aim is to protect what we frame as the “right to a childhood” for children in urban poverty - the right to read, to play and to feel safe. We see, count and care about vulnerable children who fall through the cracks of mainstream education services and those offered by larger organisations.

We believe that “happy memories build resilience” for vulnerable children to keep coping and hoping and be able to learn better. Our programmes are designed to promote learning, play and wellbeing for children in urban poverty. We prioritise the agency of young people in determining their needs and best interests and help tap their potential through participatory programmes.

Since 2016, we have developed holistic creative learning programmes to promote both learning and wellbeing for almost 4,000 children from mobile communities on the margins of cities, including those from Afghan refugee, internally displaced and migrant families in informal settlements in Pakistan. Most recently, we have developed creative learning sessions for children from refugee backgrounds in London.