NEW research charting the attitudes of children to poverty in Britain shows that North-East kids believe that not having a safe place to play nearby is the biggest sign of poverty.

Children in the North-East are also more likely than their peers in the rest of the country to think not eating breakfast before going to school is an indicator of being poor.

The research reveals that over three quarters of children in the North East (78 per cent) consider not having a place to play safely nearby as a sign of poverty compared with a UK average of only 24 per cent.

While almost two thirds (62 per cent) view not eating breakfast before going to school as a sign of poverty compared to a UK average of 23 per cent.

Government figures show that 32 per cent of children in the North-East are at risk of living in poverty.

The research was commissioned by the Dare to Care: Make time to help end child poverty campaign and records the attitudes of children aged 7-16 towards poverty in this country.

The specialist research involved face-to-face interviews with more than 700 children and was conducted during the summer by independent children's research agency, LVQ.

Around 1 in 3 children (3.8 million) live in poverty in the UK, many well below the poverty line.

The UK has one of the worst rates of child poverty in the industrialised world but efforts to change this can be successful.

The research is designed to underline how communities and individuals can make their own mark in helping to combat child poverty in this country through volunteering.

Dare to Care aims to recruit 35,000 volunteers from October 2007 through to March 2008 to help combat child poverty.

Further key North East findings include: * A higher proportion of children in the North East (42 per cent) than anywhere else in the UK think that not having books at home is a sign of poverty. (UK average: 20 per cent) * Half of children (51 per cent) think that not being able to afford to go on a school trip is a sign of poverty compared with the UK average of 44 per cent * One in three children (36 per cent) think that not having all the school uniform is an indicator of poverty compared to a UK average of 40 per cent * Not being able to give a present at a friend's birthday party is considered by 30 per cent as a sign of poverty compared to a UK average of 28 per cent Dare to Care is run by CSV, the UK's leading volunteering charity and the Campaign to End Child Poverty, a coalition of 90 organisations.

Hilary Fisher, Director of the Campaign to End Child Poverty says: "It is interesting that for children it seems the visible indicators of poverty are the ones that they are most sensitive about.

"Not being able to afford to go on school trips or the correct uniform leads to uncomfortable questions from their peers and in some cases can lead to bullying."

Sue Farrington, Director of Corporate Affairs at CSV, said: "People throughout the country have enormous potential to use their skills, time and energy to respond to what children are telling us are important indicators of poverty.

"Volunteers can run breakfast clubs, improve the reading skills of children, support families with debt, mentor pupils who are bullied and create safe places to play.

"Giving time can help end the poverty of experience that far too many children face in this country."