End Parenting Poverty
lobbying campaign
Client
End Parent Poverty
Year
2025
End Parenting Poverty is a national campaign calling for urgent reform to Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP), one of the lowest in Europe. Spearheaded by activist Grace Carter, the campaign seeks to highlight how the current policy fails modern families, driving thousands into debt, early returns to work, and long-term disadvantage. Aphra partnered with Grace to build a bold movement demanding legal and political change.
OBJECTIVE
To change UK law by reforming SMP through:
Reaching 100,000 petition signatures to trigger a parliamentary debate
Shifting public and political perception of parenting-related financial support
Securing cross-party MP support and media backing
Framing low maternity pay as a human rights issue
Strategy
Aphra built a comprehensive campaign strategy rooted in human-first storytelling, digital mobilisation, and political momentum. Key strategic pillars included:
Branding & Messaging: Aphra developed the campaign’s identity—from its powerful “End Parenting Poverty” name and tone of voice to visual assets and core messaging around dignity, rights, and economic survival.
Narrative Building: Positioned SMP reform as a human rights issue, not just a financial one. Developed content strands focused on real-life stories, children’s futures, and systemic inequality.
Campaign Tactics:
Utalising Grace Carters 24k LinkedIn followers to address the issue and gain traction for signatures.
A central protest in Westminster with video content and placards featuring a 6-year-old campaigner.
Petition drive with email-to-MP tools and a media-focused legal opinion on human rights violations
Digital and social content plan, including a behind-the-scenes campaign documentary.
Visual campaign collateral for allies and solidarity moments.
Strategic media pitches to national outlets.
Community Mobilisation: Used personal narratives to empower parents to take part and amplify the cause
Impact
84,000+ petition signatures and rising (04 June 2025)
National media and influencer engagement underway
High-performing digital content including videos with 11,000+ views and thousands of engagements
Parliamentary interest building with targeted MP outreach underway
Solid campaign foundations laid for future moments including flash mobs, MP meetings, and televised discussion.
"Aphra isn’t just an agency — they’re part of the movement. From day one, the team understood the urgency and built a campaign that felt powerful, human and impossible to ignore. They’ve helped turn an idea into action, and action into real momentum for change."
Grace Carter