NSPCC Scotland – Page 4 – The NEN

Referrals to local authorities about children being left home alone have DOUBLED since last year

Last year, the NSPCC’s Helpline made over 230 referrals to a local agency or service in Scotland where concerns about a child being left home alone or unsupervised was mentioned.
This summer holiday, the NSPCC is signposting parents and carers to advice on the charity’s website around leaving children home alone.

The NSPCC Helpline has made twice as many referrals in the last year to local authorities in Scotland about children being left home alone or unsupervised.

Between April 2023 and March 2024, the service, which provides help and advice for adults with concerns about the wellbeing of a child, sent 238 referrals to local authorities in Scotland following contacts about the issue. This is compared to 110 referrals during the previous 12 months.

Last year, the Helpline received 7,802 contacts about the subject from adults from across the UK, compared to 4,717 contacts between 2022 to 2023.

The increase in the number of contacts on this issue to the Helpline and the referrals made could be due to a number of factors, including a recent NSPCC Helpline marketing campaign, increased service capacity and greater public awareness about the risks of leaving children home alone.

More than half of these contacts (51%) on children being left home alone were deemed serious enough for the NSPCC Helpline to make a referral to a local agency or service with a view to further action being taken.

With schools in Scotland currently closed for the summer holiday, many adults might feel unsure about whether their child is ready to be left unsupervised or have concerns about another child being left alone.

For many parents, July and August can be particularly difficult as they are forced to balance the competing pressures of work and childcare. These challenges are likely to be even more acute this year as the cost-of-living crisis continues, forcing some parents and carers to work increased hours or take part-time jobs.

One adult contacted the Helpline with a concern about their neighbour, saying: “It’s two little girls I’m worried about, they must be about four and six; they’re left home alone quite a lot and that means they’re unsupervised with the family’s dogs.

“I’ve knocked a few times to see if they’re ok and they always say, ‘daddy will be back soon’ but it’s usually hours later when one of the parents comes back.”

There is no legal age limit for leaving children home alone, but the NSPCC would not recommend leaving any child under the age of 12 at home unsupervised, especially for extended periods of time.

A child who expresses concern about being left alone should never be without a parent or carer and for those young people who do feel comfortable, it is vital they are left with contact numbers for a parent, carer or trusted adult. Long periods of being unsupervised can lead to children feeling afraid or neglected.

One young person aged 14 told Childline: “I’m sick of being left on my own, mum expects me to just look after myself.

“There isn’t always food I can cook, I can’t go and see my friends or do anything fun, but she can.”

Should leaving a child alone be the only option for an adult, then the NSPCC’s website has tips for parents to help ensure the young person feels safe, as well as a quiz to assess if a child is ready to be left unsupervised.

Kam Thandi, Head of the NSPCC’s Helpline said: “It can be hard for parents and carers to know the right age to leave their child home alone as every child is different, and the first time being left unsupervised will differ for every family.

“It is vital that both the child and adult feel comfortable with any decision that is taken, and that if a young person is to be left home alone, they know how to contact a trusted adult and what to do in an emergency.

“For anyone who may need advice or is concerned about a child who might be at risk, our Helpline service can support you and the NSPCC website has a range of tips.”

Adults with concerns about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline by calling 0808 800 5000, emailing help@NSPCC.org.uk or completing our report abuse online form.

Childline is available for young people via the phone on 0800 1111 and online where there is a 121 chat on the Childline website.

You can find more information and advice on leaving children home alone on the NSPCC website.

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

Volunteers needed to help NSPCC keep children safe from abuse and neglect

Last year, the NSPCC delivered its Speak out Stay safe programme to nearly 63,000 children in Scotland
The assembly helps children understand abuse in all its forms and where to ask for help.
The charity rolled out a refreshed version of the programme earlier this year alongside a new promotional video and is encouraging schools across the UK to sign up
NSPCC Scotland is appealing for volunteers to help share these vital messages in primary schools

NSPCC Scotland has released new today which reveals that their Speak out Stay safe educational programme was delivered to 62, 986 children across 348 schools in Scotland last year (April 2023 to March 24).

Speak out Stay safe, which has been running since 2011, aims to help primary school children understand abuse in an age-appropriate way, as well as teach them where to ask for help.

The NSPCC believes empowering children with this knowledge is vital as on average two children in a primary school class across the UK have experienced abuse or neglect.

Educating children on abuse and neglect helps them to recognise situations or signs which will enable them to share their concerns with a safe adult.

Earlier this year the children’s charity rolled out a refreshed version of the programme, with a new promotional video. The updated version of Speak out Stay safe, which is available to all UK primary schools, includes a range of resources – which varies depending on the age of the children. Schools can benefit from virtual assemblies, lesson plans and face-to-face workshops with NSPCC trained volunteers.

Prior to the coronavirus pandemic, Speak out Stay safe was delivered in more than 90% of all primary schools across the UK. This was affected due to the lockdown and using its refreshed service model, the children’s charity is ambitious to rebuild numbers and reach more children.

Speak out Stay safe volunteer, Karen Duncan (60) from Auchterarder, Perthshire, said: “Speak out Stay safe is a brilliant programme that helps children recognise what may be happening to them, that’s it not ok, and that they can speak to someone.

“I was a teacher for 30 years, but you don’t need previous professional experience of working with children to do this.

“The most important thing is that you are concerned about the wellbeing of children and would like to help keep them safe. The training and support are exceptionally good and it’s great to be part of a team with the same goal in mind.

“I feel I’m making a difference. If I can prevent abuse happening to one child, then I’ve done what I set off to do.”

Enola Butler, NSPCC Scotland Schools coordinator, said: “Speak out Stay safe is a vital safeguarding service in schools which helps them to understand what abuse is and where they can turn for help.

“We know many children might not be aware that they are experiencing abuse, and they might be scared about speaking out because they are worried about repercussions.

“Our volunteer numbers have reduced in recent years, and we would love to hear from anyone who is interested in joining us for just a few hours each month.

“Many volunteers have told us they feel privileged to be helping to spread these really important messages and we’d like to reach every child in Scotland to let them know that abuse is never their fault, and help is available.”

The programme is available in English, Welsh and incorporating British Sign Language and there is also a version of the programme for children with additional needs and disabilities.

To find out about volunteering visit: NSPCC | Volunteers

To sign up to Speak out Stay safe visit: https://learning.nspcc.org.uk/services/speak-out-stay-safe/

Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline seven days a week on 0808 800 5000, or email help@nspcc.org.uk.

Children can call Childline on 0800 11 11 or visit www.childline.org.uk.

New youth-led campaign launches across Scotland to tackle peer sexual abuse and harassment

NSPCC Scotland and The Young Women’s Movement have launched a national campaign this week to tackle peer sexual abuse and harassment across Scotland.

Young Women Know, is a youth-led campaign that began in Tayside with the ‘Oor Fierce Girls’, ‘Bold Girls Ken’, and ‘Brave Lassies Blether’ projects, which focussed on young women creating resources on healthy relationships, safe spaces, and consent.

Following the success over the past four years of these local campaigns, supported by Angus Council, Perth and Kinross Council and Dundee City Council, the Scottish Government’s ‘Delivering Equally Safe’ fund has been extended to roll-out the work nationally.

The young women involved have been at the heart of leading these campaigns over the past few years. Highlights have included hosting and speaking at many high-profile events including at the V&A in Dundee, Perth Art Gallery, Montrose Football Club and Angus Town and County Hall in Forfar and widespread media coverage by newspapers, TV, and radio.

Seven new Young Women Know ‘Champions’ have been appointed from across Scotland to lead the new national roll-out of the campaign, alongside some of the young women who led the Tayside campaigns. They will host workshops in schools, colleges, and youth groups to share the co-designed resources and raise awareness of what a healthy relationship looks and feels like.

In addition, a special event, sponsored by MSPs Maggie Chapman and Monica Lennon, was held at the Scottish Parliament this week (Tuesday, April 30) to celebrate the extension of Young Women Know from Tayside to the rest of Scotland.

Ashley Henderson, who has been involved with Oor Fierce Girls from the beginning, was thrilled to be chairing the Parliament event.

Ashley (19) from Dundee, who is now studying English and journalism at Strathclyde University, Glasgow, said: “I jumped at the chance to be involved in a campaign to encourage healthy relationships, it’s a cause that has always been and still is very close to my heart.

“It was such an honour to be asked to chair because I feel so passionately about this and can talk about it for hours.

“Being involved with Young Women Know and the NSPCC has made me to gain way more confidence and helped me to get into university.

“Before I joined, I was a terrible public speaker and now I can do TV interviews with journalists I’ve never met before and speak in front of large audiences!

“This has been such a big part of my life, so I plan to stay involved with the rollout of the national campaign in Glasgow.”

Carla Malseed, NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Officer, said: “We launched this during the pandemic, when everything was online, so it’s all changed dramatically since then.

“One thing that hasn’t changed is how confident and articulate the young people are and the high standard of their work. It has been incredible to see what they have achieved.

“Getting to this stage is amazing, it’s nice to see so many of the young people grow in confidence.

“I’ve been completely blown away by how much they have been able to do, how confident and knowledgeable they have been and how well they have worked together to go out and deliver change.

“They have never been frightened to have uncomfortable conversations within school settings and with politicians.

“It’s so exciting to see the campaign being rolled out nationally now. We have some strong messages from these young people and brilliant resources and this next stage will be about testing these and finding out what works best across Scotland.”

Jenni Snell, CEO of The Young Women’s Movement (YWM), said: “Peer sexual abuse and harassment continues to harm young women and girls’ lives across Scotland. Working with young women to lead the campaign development and delivery has been pivotal to ensuring that the content is engaging, relevant and impactful.

“The roll-out of the campaign nationally by the Young Women Know Champions will enable us to reach a wider audience of young people, parents and educators to effectively tackle this issue and create a safer Scotland for young women and girls.”

For more information visit: https://www.youngwomenscot.org/young-women-know

Young people looking for support on any of the issues mentioned, can contact Childline on 0800 1111 or visit Childline.org.uk. Childline is there for all young people up until their 19th birthday. Call the police on 999 if you suspect someone is in immediate danger.

Letter: We need young women to lead a campaign that tackles unhealthy relationships

Dear Editor,

Alongside The Young Women’s Movement we are looking for six young women aged 16–18 from across Scotland to be part of a National Champions group to support the design and delivery of the national Young Women Know campaign.

This is a great opportunity to learn new skills, meet new people and make a difference to the lives of young women and girls in Scotland.

The Young Women Know project is a partnership project being run by NSPCC Scotland and The Young Women’s Movement. It was set up following an investigation into sexual harassment in Scottish schools carried out by the YWCA’s Young Women Lead committee in 2018.

It found that in Scotland in 2018, one of the things girls can experience in school is sexual harassment and the impact of this on young women is significant and can be long-lasting. It can negatively impact everything from their mental health to their relationships and career choices.

The investigation also found that young people were most likely to turn to the internet or their friends for advice on sex and relationships and almost half of students and teaching staff surveyed said the current curriculum did not adequately cover the issue of consent.

The national Young Women Know campaign aims to tackle unhealthy relationships and peer sexual abuse, with young women leading the change.

To apply to be a National Champion, visit: https://shorturl.at/binpS

The deadline is Wednesday, March 6.

Yours sincerely,

Carla Malseed

NSPCC Scotland Local Campaigns Manager

& Laurie Duffy

Collective Voice & Action Lead, The Young Women’s Movement

More than 100 families attend first event of new campaign in Edinburgh to help keep children safe from abuse

More than 100 families attended the public launch of the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS campaign in Edinburgh this week.

Children got to meet Pantosaurus, the campaign’s mascot, as well as play games and get their faces painted at the McDonald Road Library on Tuesday (October 17^th).

It was the first in-person event for the Talk PANTS campaign in Edinburgh, which will help protect young children from sexual abuse.

The year-long campaign was launched earlier this month (October 5) with an online event for professionals who work with children and families. It is being delivered by NSPCC Scotland, the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee and a wide range of partners across the city to spread the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS message.

Talk PANTS gives parents, carers and professionals advice on how to have simple, age-appropriate conversations with children to help keep them safe from sexual abuse.

With the help of a colourful animated dinosaur, called Pantosaurus, it helps children understand that their body belongs to them, that they have a right to say no and they should tell a safe adult they trust if anything makes them feel upset or worried.

At the family event there were refreshments, a Bookbug session, colouring in, games and Talk PANTS materials for parents and carers to take away.

Carla Malseed, Local Campaigns Manager at the NSPCC, said: “We were amazed at the turnout in McDonald Road Library. It was great to see how thrilled the children were to meet Pantosaurus.

“This campaign doesn’t use scary words or talk about sex, instead we focus on the PANTS rules that help children understand important messages, like their body belongs to them and they should tell an adult if they’re upset or worried about something.

“We hope this campaign will provide parents with the knowledge and skills to be able to talk about this difficult topic with their child from a young age, to help prevent abuse.”

Over the coming year, local PANTS champions will be trained to deliver the campaign messages and resources to other professionals and families through webinars and workshops, and awareness raising events will be held across Edinburgh for parents, carers and children.

The campaign materials and resources for parents, include a British Sign Language PANTS video, a Talk PANTS with Makaton guide, which is designed to be used to deliver the PANTS message to children with Additional Support Needs, and a Pantosaurus film. There are also resources for teachers to use in primary schools.

Find out more about Edinburgh Talk PANTS here.

Parents and professionals can also find out how to Talk PANTS here. The adult guides include ones for foster carers and parents with learning disabilities.

Anyone with concerns about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC’s free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice.

Edinburgh talking PANTS tomorrow!

Campaign being launched in Edinburgh to help keep children safe from sexual abuse

A campaign to help protect young children from sexual abuse is being launched in Edinburgh tomorrow with an online event for professionals who work with children and families in the city.

The year-long campaign is being delivered by NSPCC Scotland, the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee and a wide range of partners across the city to spread the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS message.

Talk PANTS gives parents, carers and professionals advice on how to have simple, age-appropriate conversations with children to help keep them safe from sexual abuse.

The online launch, which will run from 2pm to 4pm on Thursday, October 5, will explore how we can better prevent and respond to child sexual abuse, using PANTS, and the next steps of the campaign.

The online event is open to all professionals who work with children and families in Edinburgh, and it will take place on Microsoft Teams.

NSPCC Scotland’s Assistant Director Karen Head will introduce the event, and this will be followed with the personal story from a mum whose daughter was sexually abused. There will also be speeches from Stuart Allardyce, Director of Lucy Faithfull Foundation / Stop It Now! Scotland, Laura Brown, Edinburgh Child Protection Lead Officer and NSPCC Scotland’s Local Campaigns Manager Carla Malseed.

Carla Malseed, Local Campaigns Manager at the NSPCC, said: “Each year in Scotland, Police record more than 5,000 sexual offences committed against children. It is crucial that we do all we can to help prevent abuse from happening in the first place.

“The Talk PANTS campaign is about helping start difficult, but vital, conversations with children from a young age about sexual abuse and their right to be safe.

“We don’t talk about sex or use scary words but focus on rules that help children understand important messages, like their body belongs to them and they should tell an adult if they’re upset or worried.”

NSPCC Scotland’s Assistant Director Karen Head, said: “We are delighted to be launching this campaign in Edinburgh to help prevent sexual abuse and keep children across the city safer.

“The Talk PANTS message and Pantosaurus animation makes it much easier for parents, carers and professionals to tackle this topic in a straightforward, fun and light-hearted way that children can understand and easily put into practice.”

Lillian Cringles, Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said: “This campaign will help families and professionals have these important conversations with children about their bodies and help keep them safe. I urge as many professionals, parents and carers as possible to come along to our events in Edinburgh over the next few months.”

The first event for parents, carers and children aged 3-11, will be held at the McDonald Road Library on Tuesday, October 17 from 3 to 4.30pm. Also, a PANTS coffee morning will be held at the new NSPCC Community Hub in Leith on Wednesday, November 1, from 10.30am until 11.30am.

Other events throughout the year will promote the campaign materials and resources for parents, which includes a British Sign Language PANTS video, a Talking PANTS with Makaton guide which is designed to be used to deliver the PANTS message to children with Additional Support Needs and a Pantosaurus film. There are also resources for teachers to use in primary schools.

To book a place at the online launch event, visit: Edinburgh, Talk PANTS launch event for professionals Tickets, Thu 5 Oct 2023 at 14:00 | Eventbrite

Find out more about Edinburgh Talk PANTS here.

Parents and professionals can also find out how to Talk PANTS here. The adult guides include ones for foster carers and parents with learning disabilities.

Anyone with concerns about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC’s free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice.

Campaign being launched in Capital to keep children safe from sexual abuse

A campaign to help protect young children from sexual abuse is being launched in Edinburgh with an online event for professionals who work with children and families in the city.

The year-long campaign is being delivered by NSPCC Scotland, the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee and a wide range of partners across the city to spread the NSPCC’s Talk PANTS message.

Talk PANTS gives parents, carers and professionals advice on how to have simple, age-appropriate conversations with children to help keep them safe from sexual abuse.

The online launch, which will run from 2pm to 4pm on Thursday, October 5, will explore how we can better prevent and respond to child sexual abuse, using PANTS, and the next steps of the campaign. The online event is open to all professionals who work with children and families in Edinburgh, and it will take place on Microsoft Teams.

NSPCC Scotland’s Assistant Director Karen Head will introduce the event, and this will be followed with the personal story from a mum whose daughter was sexually abused.

There will also be speeches from Stuart Allardyce, Director of Lucy Faithfull Foundation / Stop It Now! Scotland, Laura Brown, Edinburgh Child Protection Lead Officer and NSPCC Scotland’s Local Campaigns Manager Carla Malseed.

“The Talk PANTS campaign is about helping start difficult, but vital, conversations with children from a young age about sexual abuse and their right to be safe.

NSPCC Scotland’s Assistant Director Karen Head, said: “We are delighted to be launching this campaign in Edinburgh to help prevent sexual abuse and keep children across the city safer.

Lillian Cringles, Chair of the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee, said: “This campaign will help families and professionals have these important conversations with children about their bodies and help keep them safe.

“I urge as many professionals, parents and carers as possible to come along to our events in Edinburgh over the next few months.”

The first event for parents, carers and children aged 3-11, will be held at the McDonald Road Library on Tuesday, October 17 from 3 to 4.30pm.

Also, a PANTS coffee morning will be held at the new NSPCC Community Hub in Leith on Wednesday, November 1, from 10.30am until 11.30am.

To book a place at the online launch event, visit: Edinburgh, Talk PANTS launch event for professionals Tickets, Thu 5 Oct 2023 at 14:00 | Eventbrite

Find out more about Edinburgh Talk PANTS here.

Parents and professionals can also find out how to Talk PANTS here. The adult guides include ones for foster carers and parents with learning disabilities.

Anyone with concerns about the welfare of a child can call the NSPCC’s free and confidential helpline on 0808 800 5000 for advice.

Talk pants at McDonald Road Library!

FREE FAMILY FUN DAY – 17th OCTOBER

Free family fun day with @NSPCC_Scotland at McDonald Road Library on Tuesday 17 October, 3pm to 4.30pm. Free activities, snacks and meet Pantasaurus.

Find out more at www.edinburgh.gov.uk/talkpants

Talk PANTS is a partnership between the Edinburgh Child Protection Committee and NSPCC Scotland. The aim is to protect children from sexual abuse by encouraging parents, carers and professionals to have conversations with children in an age-appropriate way about how to stay safe.

The campaign aims to raise awareness of the PANTS rule across the city. PANTS helps children understand that they have a right to say no and if they need to speak out about something, someone will listen.

There is a range of resources available for parents, carers and professionals who work with children.

Charity appeals to people of Edinburgh to become ‘Friends’ of NSPCC Scotland and help raise funds

The people of Edinburgh are being asked to become ‘Friends’ of NSPCC Scotland by signing up as a volunteer to help raise funds for the charity.

The children’s charity works in schools and communities across the country to protect children and prevent abuse and neglect, aiming to transform society for every childhood.

Around 90 per cent of the charity’s income comes from generous donations from the public, and its work could not continue without their help.

Last year (2022/23) the NSPCC run service, Childline, delivered 8,599 counselling sessions to children living in Scotland. The Childline bases in Aberdeen and Glasgow delivered 29,741 counselling sessions to children and young people across the UK.

The top five main concerns for children were mental and emotional health and wellbeing; family relationships; friendship issues; bullying and school/education problems.

In the same year, 70,379 children from 373 schools in Scotland took part in the NSPCC’s online Speak out Stay safe programme which teaches children how to recognise the signs of abuse and neglect and where to get help.

The NSPCC now needs to build a group of passionate volunteers in [Glasgow] they can call upon for an extra pair of hands to support at local events and initiatives.

People can also choose how they would like to get involved by creating a bespoke role for themselves related to their own hobbies and interests, and they can volunteer ‘as and when’ without the need for regular time commitments.

Sandra Jones, NSPCC Scotland Community Fundraising Manager, said: “The NSPCC couldn’t continue with its work without support from the public.

“Our amazing volunteers help us raise money and awareness of our vital work to support communities and protect children and young people.

“We need people who could spare a few hours to help at local fundraising and awareness events such as Childhood Day collections, acquiring prizes for events or assisting in-person events to make sure they run smoothly.

“This is a great opportunity to meet like-minded people and enjoy new experiences and to be part of the NSPCC and our mission to end child cruelty.”

A key role for volunteers is to share news about the charity’s work with the public, organisations and in the local community, for example on social media, to help promote a positive image of the NSPCC and let people know about upcoming fundraising events and initiatives.

The NSPCC appreciates that work, family and friends come first and, with that in mind, this role offers flexibility to fit in with your lifestyle. Volunteers only need to commit to a couple of hours a month, but if they want to do more that would be great.

Volunteers get a designated point of contact, regular newsletters, ongoing support with the right information and tools including access to training opportunities through the volunteer portal, knowledge and learning, and a discount portal.

Jacqueline Jones from Glasgow helped at a recent Childhood Day collection on Buchanan Street. She said: “I heard about the NSPCC when my six-year-old was singing the Pantosaurus song one day after school.

“I realised the song passes some vital information on to children to help protect them and their bodies and from this moment I was a big fan of the charity!

“I was a little nervous about fundraising on the street but after being paired up and given some words of wisdom from Sandra I found my flow quickly and had an amazing time. I cannot wait to do it again.”

Jodie Cullen, an Operations Analyst at Morgan Stanley, also helped at the Childhood Day collection in Glasgow, she said: “It was such an amazing day; I really enjoyed my first experience of volunteering with the NSPCC, everyone was so welcoming and in great spirits.

“The arrival of the Rock Choir was a fantastic surprise and added to the already upbeat atmosphere!”

Some examples of volunteer roles include:

Community crafts – this involves using your crafting skills whether it’s knitting or making jewellery to create items to be sold or donated to raise funds for the NSPCC. This role could include a craft group you are already a part of, setting up a new group or joining an existing group, and selling your items at craft fairs organised by others or yourself.
Cookery – use your cookery skills to produce items that can be sold or donated.
Walking groups – this could involve an existing walking group or you could set up a new one to do sponsored walks, such as climb Ben Nevis in Scotland
Auctioneer volunteer – this could involve hosting an auction and presenting items for sale, keeping track of bids and concluding sales by striking a gavel when the highest bid has been reached
Community challenge events volunteer – this would involve using your practical skills to set up a new group or join an existing one and co-ordinate local or overseas challenge events such as mountain biking through the wilds of Iceland
Christmas volunteer – you could join our Walk for Children in December or attend a Childline Merry Little Christmas Concert or help collect donations at a festive event
Community quiz co-ordinator – including organising prizes and a local venue
Book scheme co-ordinator – includes organising donations of books from the local community which can be picked up by members of the public for a donation

While volunteering is suitable for a whole range of people, the NSPCC would be particularly keen to hear from people with the following qualities and skills:

Passionate about helping young people and children
Enthusiastic and personable
Work well within a team
Great communication and social skills

If you are interested, email: sandra.jones2@nspcc.org.uk

Any adult concerned about the welfare of a child or young person can call the NSPCC helpline for free on 0808 800 5000. Children can call Childline at any time on 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk.