Tag: letters

NSPCC: The importance of play as children grow up

Dear Editor,

A poll commissioned recently by the NSPCC has revealed that more than eight out of 10 UK parents believe in-person play has a positive impact on children’s wellbeing.

The YouGov survey of over 1,000 UK parents, with children aged 18 or under, also found that 62 per cent of respondents would like their children to have more time to play and almost a third (32 per cent) said playing with peers is the best way to enhance their child’s experience and promote learning and development.

Play is central to thriving childhoods.

This data highlights the benefits of all types of play, whether in-person or online, as children spend weeks away from school during the summer holidays.

The NSPCC-run service, Childline, is hearing first-hand about the challenges that some children face during this time.

Some young people tell us that they struggle to cope being out of their school routine, whilst others feel disconnected from their friends and, for some, home is not a happy environment.

Childline’s trained counsellors promote play as a helpful tool that children can use to support their wellbeing, reduce anxiety and release stress.  

Ensuring your child has a variety of different types of play,  will help them cope in difficult times, connect with others, build confidence and learn more about the world around them.

Whether it be playing a board game, football or visiting the Childline website and playing a game in our online toolbox, all types of play can be beneficial.

Children can get in touch with Childline 24/7 every day of the year on childline.org.uk or by calling 0800 1111.

Paul Johnson

Childline Team Manager

NSPCC Scotland

Letters: Volunteering with British Heart Foundation

Dear Editor,

Summer is the perfect time to try something new, so why not lend a hand in your local charity shop? The British Heart Foundation (BHF) is offering ‘taster’ sessions for anyone who wants to see what volunteering is all about.

So, whether you’re passionate about preloved, looking to meet new people, or keen to support the charity, we offer flexible volunteering roles for as little as an hour or two, without any long-term commitment.

Our volunteers are changing the way they gift their time to us. Fitting around life commitments like studying, family or work, we’re seeing an increasing number of people opting for ad hoc shifts. And that works for us!

With plenty of roles in store, through our Action Team, or remotely – yes you can volunteer from the comfort of your own sofa – give it a try for an hour or two. We will welcome you with open arms, and of course drinks and snacks too! Please do pop in for a cuppa or get in touch to find out more.

Every hour makes a difference, and no matter how much time you spend with us, you will be helping to fund lifesaving research.

Find a role to suit you by popping into your local shop or visiting 

bhf.org.uk/volunteer.

Yours sincerely,

Sarah Boardman

Retail Volunteering Operations Manager at the British Heart Foundation

Letter: Players of People’s Postcode Lottery support kittens in need

Dear Editor, 

With kitten season now in full swing across the UK, I would like to say a huge thank you to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for helping us look after kittens and cats in need. 

Last year we saw a 14% increase in unwanted litters coming into our care. This summer and beyond, we anticipate hundreds of kittens needing to be looked after by our expert teams.  

We work hard to be there for every cat that needs us. For mother cats and kittens, this includes extra food to keep cats’ energy levels high after giving birth as well as regular veterinary check-ups for mum and her litter. Our teams also hand-feed newborn kittens if the mother isn’t producing enough milk. 

This is why we are so grateful to players of People’s Postcode Lottery for raising more than £9.9 million to support the work of Cats Protection since 2018. Together we are making a better life for cats, because life is better with cats. 

Anyone wishing to adopt a cat or support Cats Protection, or seeking advice on cat welfare, can find out more at cats.org.uk  

Yours sincerely, 

John May 

Chief Executive, Cats Protection 

Letters: Make sure the next Government is accessible to the Deaf community

Dear Editor, 

The morning after the general election, 5 July, will be a historic moment for the UK. Whether it is delivered by a re-elected or newly elected Prime Minister, their speech to the nation will be a moment of national significance. 

It’s a moment that should be accessible to every voter in the UK, including the 87,000 members of the Deaf community who use British Sign Language (BSL). 

The Deaf community has continually been excluded during these key broadcasts from No. 10 because of the lack of a BSL interpreter. RNID has long tried to work with the Government to ensure that access is provided for the Deaf community.

A public service announcement is just that, but by not including deaf people the Prime Minister is removing their right to have the information at the same time as everyone else. 

RNID has written to both Sir Kier Starmer and Rishi Sunak offering them the use of our interpreter for their victory speech on 5 July. Their speech to the nation will be the start of a new chapter in our country’s history and they cannot lock the Deaf community out. 

I encourage all your readers to join our call and sign our letter to make this election inclusive of everyone at rnid.org.uk 

Yours sincerely, 

Michael Quinlan 

Advocacy Manager at RNID 

Letter: Don’t leave Scotland behind on animal welfare

Dear Editor

TODAY (10th June) an important new cat welfare law will come into effect – but only for pet cats in England. This new legislation will mean all pet cats in England must be microchipped, ensuring they have the best possible chance to be reunited with their owners if they go missing or are injured.

Cats Protection is campaigning to make sure cats in Scotland are not left behind on this important feline welfare issue. Figures from our Cats and Their Stats report 2023 shows over a quarter of cats in Scotland – around 240,000 – are currently not microchipped.

This means that if they become lost they may never be returned home, and their owners may never know what has happened to them. It also puts a strain on Scottish animal charities, who may end up rehoming stray cats because they’re unable to trace their owner.

Animal welfare is a devolved issue, and we’re urging the Scottish Government to take action to introduce compulsory microchipping of pet cats. In addition to the new law for cats in England, microchipping has been compulsory for dogs in Scotland since 2016.

As a nation of animal lovers, we must ensure that animal welfare standards in Scotland keep up with the rest of the UK.

To find out how to support our campaign, please visit cats.org.uk/campaigning

Yours sincerely

Alice Palombo

Advocacy & Government Relations Officer for Scotland

Letters: NSPCC launches new resources for dads as Father’s Day approaches

Dear Editor,

The NSPCC has launched new resources designed to encourage more fathers and male carers to take an active role in their children’s early development. And with Father’s Day just around the corner the charity wants more dads to sign up.

Look, Say, Sing, Play is a set of fun and science-based resources which have been helping new parents since being launched in 2019. It provides activities that can be enjoyed with babies and toddlers to help encourage higher quality interactions and build stronger bonds.

Parents are encouraged to Look at what their baby is focusing on and how they react, Say what they’re doing and copy the sounds their baby makes, Sing along to their favourite tune and Play simple games and see what their baby enjoys. 

There has been a strong take-up of the service by mums, but only 10% of sign-ups were from dads, so the NSPCC held focus groups with expectant dads and those with new babies and toddlers, to see how to encourage more men to sign up.

The charity also worked with Father Support Workers and other professionals to understand how they’d like to use Look, Say, Sing, Play.

We found that fathers and male carers preferred to have outdoor and more physical activities that they could enjoy with their children, and they wanted to get more information about the science behind the programme.

As a result, Look, Say, Sing, Play with Daddy has been created with a whole range of free activities specifically designed to enable professionals working with dads and male caregivers to support them in early attachment, brain development…and having lots of fun with their 0-2 year olds.

The activity book created by the NSPCC features a four-week programme of activities that parents can do with their young children, with several options of varying activities suggested for each week.

Parents and carers can sign up to the main Look, Say, Sing, Play activities at www.nspcc.org.uk, with resources for dads and male caregivers available on NSPCC Learning.

Yours sincerely,

Carla Malseed

NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Manager

Letters: Volunteers Week and Big Help Out

Dear Editor

This June brings two celebrations of the amazing work carried out by people who give up their spare time to help charities across the UK. Cats Protection will be marking these events – Volunteers Week (3-9 June) and The Big Help Out (7-9 June) – by saying a huge thank you to our 9,000 volunteers who help 157,000 cats every year.

From hands-on cat care, helping in our shops or running fundraising events, Cats Protection volunteers make an incredible difference to help cats and their owners. Thanks to them, we’re able to rehome around 30,000 cats every year, run services to support cat owners fleeing domestic abuse and those grieving the loss of a cat, and campaign for better animal welfare legislation.

Our volunteers come from all walks of life and all ages, united by a shared love of cats. We’re always happy to welcome new volunteers, whether it’s a one-off for a couple of hours or a long-term slot.

Volunteering is a great way to meet new people, learn new skills and make a difference in the community.

To find out more about volunteer opportunities at Cats Protection, please visit cats.org.uk/volunteering

Yours sincerely

Julie Meredith 

Head of Volunteering, Organisational Engagement and Inclusion

People and Culture

Cats Protection 

Letter: Education must be at heart of general election campaign

Dear editor

For too long, our children’s education has been sidelined and underfunded. The general election is a critical moment for politicians of all parties to change this.

Parents and teachers will be expecting politicians to explain how they will solve the growing crises in education – affecting everything from crumbling, unsafe school buildings, to the worst teacher recruitment and retention crisis in a generation, and special educational needs provision – where there is a huge and increasing mismatch between children’s needs and the resources available for schools to support them.

School leaders and their staff nevertheless do everything in their power to ensure children receive the best possible education. But it is becoming harder to shield pupils from the impact of these problems.

NAHT’s election manifesto for England sets out solutions to the crises facing our schools which have been informed by dedicated school leaders who know better than anyone what is needed.

We are calling for immediate practical steps – including urgent plans to invest in school buildings, help for schools to support children with special educational needs, and the school workforce.

A series of pay rises are needed for teachers and school leaders over the course of the next parliament to restore the value of pay following years of real-terms cuts and once again make teaching a competitive graduate career.

All candidates and political parties must prioritise education in this election campaign, and heed these proposed solutions – committing the funding to deliver them and help ensure all children receive the education they deserve.

Doing so is not only vital for children’s learning and social development, it will also set them up for a happy and productive adulthood in which they contribute to the country’s future economic prosperity.

Paul Whiteman,

general secretary of school leaders’ union NAHT

Letter: Deaf Awareness Week – More than a quarter of deaf people ignored in public

Dear Sir/ Madam,

Major new research from charity RNID has revealed the negative attitudes and behaviours that deaf people and people with hearing loss experience on a regular basis.  

The research of 8,151 people found that more than a quarter (27%) of deaf people and people with hearing loss are ignored by most people in public settings.

More than two thirds (67%) told us they have experienced negative attitudes or behaviours in the last year, and almost half (48%) said they also experience this from their own family members.  

54% said people tell them ‘It doesn’t matter’ when they struggle to understand, which we know can make people feel like they don’t matter. 47% have experienced people shouting at them.

The impact of this can be huge: people tell us they feel excluded, lonely, and disrespected. Often these experiences cause people to withdraw, to avoid others, and even hide that they are deaf or have hearing loss. 

We want people across the UK to stand with us and say that the way deaf people and people with hearing loss are treated really does matter. We know the public want to help, so we’re urging people to follow our three simple tips to be more inclusive, and learn some simple BSL phrases for everyday conversation.

To get involved, visit rnid.org.uk  

Yours sincerely,

Crystal Rolfe, Director of Strategy at RNID

Letter: You’re not alone …

Dear Editor

This May we celebrate Deaf Awareness Week (6-12 May).

Did you know that nine out of ten deaf children are born to hearing parents? A great many parents tell us they knew very little or even nothing at all about deafness before they had a deaf child.

So it’s hardly surprising that many such parents find themselves feeling confused, unprepared and worried about what the future might hold.

The National Deaf Children’s Society is here to help you give your deaf child the very best start in life. With the right support, there’s absolutely no reason why they shouldn’t grow up confident, happy and fulfilled.

We’re here for you. We can provide support for all of you who are new to the journey, through our extensive resources – from our Helpline, 0808 800 8880, and our wealth of expertise, right through to the friendship and reassurance of our fantastic community.

Find out more by visiting our website www.ndcs.org.uk

Susan Daniels OBE,

Chief Executive, the National Deaf Children’s Society