Matthew Reed : CEO, The Children's Society

In 19th century Dickensian Britain, poor children had two choices: begging on the streets or going to the workhouse. Edward Rudolph, a Sunday School teacher, felt there had to be a better way. 133 years ago he founded The Church of England Central Home for Waifs and Strays, which ran children’s homes all over the UK. Today, The Children’s Society has a different name and its work looks different, but its core value – that every child is unique and should be given the opportunity to become the adult they were meant to be – remains unchanged. While today’s children living in poverty might not be in the workhouse, many thousands are going to school cold and hungry. Sam Donoghue meets Matthew Reed, the current CEO, to find out what is being done.