Child poverty is so bad on a Welsh estate that mums live off energy drinks so that their children can eat, it has been reported.
The Queensway 1 area in Caia Park, Wrexham, was recently ranked the 9th poorest in Wales on a Welsh Government index.
The estate, which is home to several families, has faced cuts in services and even the closure of the anti-poverty Communities First scheme in Wrexham, the Daily Post reports.
Cllr King, a former Wrexham council leader who runs The Venture playscheme on the estate, said: "The most important figures are the child poverty figures released in April which show Caia Park was had the first and second worst areas in Wales. In fact three out of the top four were on the estate.
"It has been a steady decline," he said.
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"Children are now coming to The Venture, not to play, but to get something to eat because they are starving.
"They are suffering from malnutrition and its unbelievable that's happening in a first world country and we know that children born into poor families are more likely to have health problems."
"There are no other housing estates in the UK where this happens, it has the largest concentration of child poverty anywhere."
Church army officer Chris Lawton said although St Mark's Church had suffered vandalism, there is a growing sense of community.
However he added children have been hungry and the church has launched a Holiday Hunger scheme to feed young people who do not have access to paid school dinners.
"It's very sad," he said.
"We initially only had one or two families turning up at most to our food bank, now we can have 14-15 families."
Wrexham and Caia park have had a major problem with car arson in recent years and on Brym Eglwys outside the church, the remains of another burned out vehicle stained the road.
Although crime levels are high, local Brian Hyde said he feels safe in the area.
"That is the first incident I have seen on this road in 15 years," he said: "Everbody knows everybody else here and they look out for each other.
"Queensway does have its problems, but over here I do feel safe and it is quite quiet."
The Given to Shine charity is now delivering half of its 200 parcels a week to struggling families on Caia Park.
"We are seeing mums in hospital," she said.
"They are living off energy drinks just so their children can eat. It is heartbreaking.
"We have definitely seen a massive increase since the summer months. The little amount people earn is having to spent on energy bills."
Working over at The Venture, community councillor Colin Powell said: "Not a lot has changed here in the last 15 years. It does feel as though the estate has been abandoned by Wrexham council.
"Wrexham is fairly affluent place but Caia Park is not getting the help it needs."
Cllr King added: "There are some positives in Caia Park, there is a community spirit, and there are a lot of hard working people, working ridiculous hours an low wages, in jobs that other people would not do.
"But it needs a large increase in funding to bring it back to where it was years ago and the council could be doing more and the council needs to do more."
Wrexham council said in a statement: "The council ran the Communities First operation in Caia Park and Hightown between 2013 and 2018, until the closure of the programme.
"The council has maintained a Communities for Work team based on the Caia Park Estate and in Plas Madoc since this time and this project, funded by European Social Fund is expected to continue to 2023 with funding of £1,977,350 confirmed.
"This employability support programme was expanded in 2018 with the addition of the WG’s Communities for Work Plus programme, which increased the number of participants eligible for employability support.
"As per the Communities for Work programme, Communities for Work Plus is delivered across two operations on the Caia Park Estate and in Plas Madoc, and is worth a total of £431,300.
"The Legacy Fund was launched for an initial period of 2018/19 to 2019/20, and the council has used this fund to provide andadditional officer to work in each of the Caia Park and Plas Madoc operations, as well as a training budget and barriers fund to further complement the Communities for Work teams, which totals £90,000.
"The project is based out of the Caia Park Partnership offices. Through this combination of employability support, more than 200 people have been supported into paid employment to date.
"The council also used the Legacy Fund to create and Employability Support Grant worth £146,447, which was available to previous providers of Communities First services. Applications for financial support were approved for the two years of the fund from The Venture Playground Ltd. as lead for the Wrexham Youth & Play Partnership (which also includes Gwenfro Valley ICC) and the Caia Park Partnership.
"The council has supported the Caia Park Partnership to secure Asset Transfer arrangements and physical improvements to its buildings on Prince Charles Road, which has led to the creation of the Hwb element of the Partnership and also the extension of the Sparkles Day Nursery, which received funding through the Vibrant & Viable Places Programme.
"The council is currently supporting the assignment of the lease at the Red Dragon Public House, and planning permission is being sought for its conversion into a new, modern convenience store; and is currently working to support the granting of a lease to Wrexham Youth & Play Partnership for the Gwenfro Valley site.
"We have also used the Enabling Natural Resources and Well-being Grant, worth £477,035, for Wrexham’s Green Infrastructure Project, based three days per week in Caia Park.
"The council identified the Nant Silyn site in Pont Wen, Caia Park for new council house building, and a scheme of 14 units was approved by planning committee earlier this year.
"Gwenfro & Hafod y Wern Schools have been modernised / built as part of the 21 Century School programme with total investment of £10,285,000.
"The council has invested heavily, and continues to be committed to delivering and achieving the Welsh Housing Quality Standard by December 2020. Major investment and significant programmes of work have been ongoing since 2013, this includes large programmes of work in the Caia Park estate.
"Caia is the largest area where properties have, and continue, to receive major refurbishment works when empty, as well as new and efficient central heating systems, electrical rewires, and the recently commenced external works programme.
"In addition, the council’s Void Refurbishment Programme has seen investment of £5,220,000 in the Caia Park Estate in the last 12 months.
"The council has also facilitated repair works to the Venture Playground through Community Benefits approaches."
Around 200,000 children are living in poverty in Wales, with 90,000 living in severe poverty, Poverty and Social Exclusion reports.
The highest concentrations of child poverty are in Rhondda Cynon Taf, Wrexham and Cardiff communities, according to Senedd Home .
The Welsh Government blamed the UK Government, saying: “Analysis by a range of respected organisations has predicted a significant rise in levels of poverty, including child poverty, in the coming years as a direct result of the UK government’s tax and welfare reforms.”
