Tag: NSPCC

Keeping children safe in sport

  • New poll finds almost a fifth of parents surveyed are not confident they could spot the signs if their child was suffering abuse at a sports club
  • The week-long campaign kicks-off today (Monday, October 3) to help parents understand their role in keeping children safe and who they can turn to for help and support
  • The Scottish Football Association (FA), Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens and children’s charity Children 1st are backing the NSPCC’s ‘Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week’ campaign which empowers parents to raise concerns about safeguarding in sport.
  • Sir Bradley Wiggins CBE and former professional footballer Paul Stewart are also supporting the NSPCC’s campaign.

The NSPCC launch this sports safety campaign, backed by Scottish sporting bodies and Children1st, as new poll reveals almost a fifth of parents (15%) surveyed in Scotland are not confident they could spot the signs if their child was suffering sexual, physical or emotional abuse at their local sports club.

The research carried out by YouGov on behalf of the children’s charity also found that one in eight parents in Scotland were not confident they knew how to raise concerns with their child’s sports club about their child’s safety. The NSPCC wants to ensure that all parents have the knowledge and confidence to raise safeguarding concerns. The figures are based on 92 parents of children aged 3 to 16 years old who attend sports clubs across Scotland.

Furthermore, new data has revealed the number of contacts to the NSPCC Helpline from adults from across the UK with safeguarding questions or concerns about children in a sports setting has almost doubled in the last five years.

The campaign, backed by the Scottish Football Association (SFA), Netball Scotland and the Strathclyde Sirens, as well as abuse survivors Sir Bradley Wiggins and Paul Stewart, runs until Sunday, October 9. It offers advice and information to empower parents to play a key role in helping to keep their children safe in sport.

The campaign aims to provide parents and carers with the right knowledge and resources so they can make confident informed decisions when raising concerns with their child’s sport club. Advice tools and supporting information are available from the NSPCC and its Child Protection in Sport Unit (CPSU). Children 1st also provides a helpful guide for parents on finding a safe sports club for their child.

Ross McGowan, Wellbeing and Protection Co-ordinator at the Scottish FA, said: “We are pleased to support this campaign which aims to keep children safe from all forms of abuse in sport settings.

“We will work with our clubs and members to promote the campaign toolkit and encourage as many parents and carers as possible to understand the important role they play in the bigger safeguarding picture of sport.

“We hope that by promoting this campaign, more parents will ask those important questions around safeguarding when their child takes part in sports in Scotland, helping us to ensure our clubs are offering a safe, fun, and engaging environment.”

Claire Nelson, CEO of Netball Scotland and Strathclyde Sirens, said: “We are proud to once again be supporting NSPCC Scotland’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week. It’s vital that children get the opportunity to take part in sport safely and this campaign will equip parents with the knowledge they need to feel confident that their child is safe in a sport’s setting.

“As children begin to get out and about again after the pandemic, many parents and children will be feeling anxious about joining clubs and activities for the first time or resuming them. This campaign provides all the resources, tools and information parents need to empower families to get back to doing what they love – in a safe environment.”

Paul Stewart, a former Premiership and International footballer who played for Manchester City, Tottenham Hotspur and Liverpool, was sexually abused by a football coach as a child and now works to promote safety in sport, including advising the Scottish FA on safeguarding children in football.

He said: “It is absolutely vital that safeguarding is a top priority in children’s sport. And the importance of campaigns such as the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week, which raises awareness of the issue and empowers parents to play their part, cannot be understated.

“Strong safeguarding policies in sport clubs and good parental awareness of them make it much harder for abusers to target children in these environments. That is why it is so important that parents and carers know how to access safeguarding information for their child’s club, are able to identify signs of abuse and have the confidence to speak out about any issues.

“Every child should be able to enjoy sport without the risk of abuse.”

A free dedicated NSPCC helpline commissioned by British Cycling has been set up in response to a number of individuals speaking out about non-recent abuse, including former professional cyclist Sir Bradley Wiggins CBE, who revealed earlier this year he had been groomed by a former coach.

Sir Bradley said: “I back the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week campaign which strives to prevent abuse of any kind happening to children in sport. We must make sport safe for children, and make it easier for parents, and indeed all people in sport, to recognise and understand how they themselves can support a safer sports environment.”

As well as social media support from sporting clubs and figures across the country, virtual webinars for parents to promote safeguarding in youth sport will run throughout the week, including by the Premier League and another by The Young Gamers and Gamblers Education Trust (YGAM).

Michelle North, Director of the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit, said: “For many of us, it was playing at our local grassroots sports clubs as children where we first encountered a deep lifelong love and passion for sport.

“Every child and young person deserves to enjoy sport in an environment that is safe from abuse and harm and where they can play within a culture that advocates for their care and wellbeing.

“Parents and carers play a key role in keeping children safe in sport. This is why during the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week campaign, we want to empower parents and carers with the knowledge, information and confidence needed to uphold child safeguarding.”

For the latest news from the NSPCC’s Child Protection in Sport Unit, please follow @theCPSU on Twitter.

To support the NSPCC’s Keeping Your Child Safe in Sport Week on social media, follow the campaign using #SafeInSport

For more information about the campaign and to gain access to the supporting resources please visit: www.nspcc.org.uk/safeinsport

NSPCC issues advice for parents and carers to help support children with grief following the Queen’s death

Following the news about The Queen’s death children and young people have turned to Childline counsellors for support. They have discussed a range of different things, including:

  • Sadness for the loss of The Queen
  • Past bereavements that this has reminded them of (family members or friends passing away)
  • Issues around mourning in public and school’s announcements/assemblies
  • Feeling overwhelmed with all the news at the moment – with The Queen’s passing being one more sign of “how the world is getting worse”
  • The monarchy’s legacy
  • What the new King will do

Advice – for parents and carers

Following a huge and public loss like that of Queen Elizabeth II, it is normal for children and young people to feel the impact of the grief in their communities.

This may have raised questions for them about loss or remind them of their own experiences of bereavement.

There are a number of ways that adults can support children at this time:

  • Let them know that you’re there to listen to them and remind them that sharing how they feel can really help. Equally, give them space if they wish to be alone to process how they are feeling
  • Remind them that there are lots of small ways to let their feelings out. This could include expressing their feelings by doing something creative such as writing a letter to that person or keeping a diary of how they’re feeling
  • If they are upset about someone who has died, encourage them to think of the happy times they had with the person who died and share this with you so you can talk about them together
  • Remind them that it can take a long time to feel better if they have experienced a bereavement and that this is normal
  • If they are finding it hard to talk to you, let them know they can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice on 0800 1111 or www.childline.org.uk

Shaun Friel, Childline Director, said: “It is not surprising that the death of Her Majesty The Queen has brought up different feelings for children and young people. When big world events take place such as this, we often see them being raised by children in Childline counselling sessions.

“Those that have turned to our counsellors have talked about a range of things including sadness about her death, questions about loss and grief, and for some young people, The Queen’s death has reminded them about a bereavement they have experienced in their own lives which will feel very difficult for them.

“Others have highlighted that it feels like another piece of very overwhelming news at the moment.

“Death is a very natural and inevitable part of life, but its also a very overwhelming topic for children to process and understand. It is important that children know there is someone they can talk to if they are feeling worried or upset. Remind them that there are trusted adults who can listen to them and that they can always contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice.”

Sir Peter Wanless, CEO of NSPCC, said: “Everyone at the NSPCC is devastated by the death of Her Majesty The Queen. She was our Royal patron for more than 60 years, which was just one of the countless ways she made a huge difference to the lives of children in the UK. Our thoughts go out to her family, including our current patron the Countess of Wessex.

“Her Majesty The Queen supported the NSPCC in a number of ways, including attending our centenary thanksgiving service at St Paul’s Cathedral in 1984, visiting our national training centre in 1989 and hosting a reception at St James Palace in 2007 to mark the end of our FULL STOP appeal. The NSPCC’s Royal patron is currently the Countess of Wessex.  

“We know that during this moment of national shock and mourning, many children will be feeling anxious. Support is available for children struggling with anxiety at Childline: Worries about the world | Childline”

NSPCC: Talk PANTS next week!

NSPCC will host a virtual event next week to celebrate success of campaign to help keep children safe from sexual abuse

  • NSPCC will host a virtual event on Wednesday, September 14 to celebrate the positive impact and legacy of Talk PANTS! Campaign
  • Event will coincide with Pantosaurus’ birthday

Almost 300 carers and professionals in the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland have been trained to communicate important messages to parents and children that will help prevent sexual abuse.

They have been trained as part of the Inter Islands Talk PANTS! campaign, which was launched almost a year ago by the NSPCC and the islands’ protection committees.

The NSPCC’s Talk PANTS! resources give parents, carers and professionals advice on how to have simple, age-appropriate conversations with children about sexual abuse. With the help of a colourful animated character, a friendly dinosaur called Pantosaurus, it helps children understand that their body belongs to them and to recognise when something is not okay, and how to tell someone if they are upset or worried.

As part of this campaign, the resources were translated into Scottish Gaelic and Pantosaurus toured the islands, visiting the HebCelt Festival in Stornoway on the Isle of Lewis, the Cunningsburgh Show in Shetland and the Orkney Agricultural Show. In Orkney, 200 children coloured in Pantosaurus’ pants on the show day alone, and NSPCC staff and volunteers distributed thousands of parents guides and talked to families about the Talk PANTS! resources.

During the past year, campaign activities and events have included soft play sessions in the Western Isles run by the Rape Crisis team and the colourful and entertaining Pantosaurus music video being shown at cinemas on Orkney and in Stornoway.

Over a thousand Pantosaurus and the Power of PANTS books have been delivered to local libraries, and health visitors have handed out the paperback version to families, childminders and teachers to encourage them to read the book to as many children as possible.

The NSPCC also recently created Talk PANTS! resources in partnership with the Makaton Charity, which use symbols and signs to help communicate the messages to people with communications difficulties.

These resources will enable parents and teachers of children with a range of educational needs to share the Talk PANTS! message so they can understand the PANTS rules. Talk PANTS! resources are also available in British Sign Language and can be downloaded for free on the NSPCC website.

Many members of the islands Protection Committees have been instrumental in the campaign’s success including Police Scotland, Rape Crisis, Early Learning and Childcare in Orkney and the army cadets in Shetland to name just a few.

To thank everyone involved and celebrate the campaign’s achievements to date and its legacy, the NSPCC is hosting a virtual event on Wednesday, September 14, with fellow members of its steering group and protection committees.

Guest speaker Rachel Wallace, NSPCC Local Campaigns manager for the Midlands, in England, will explain more about the Talk PANTS! Makaton resources and participants will be shown a selection of stunning photos from NSPCC Scotland’s tour of the islands on the day, which also falls on Pantosaurus’ birthday.  

Tam Baillie, Chair of Public Protection Committees in Orkney and Shetland and the Western Isles, said: “It has been great to see how each of the islands has embraced the PANTS campaign, working in partnership with the NSPCC. 

“The enthusiasm and inventiveness of different island approaches has brought a wide range of activities all targeted at getting simple messages across in a fun way to young children about the importance of keeping themselves safe. 

“The use of cartoons, dance and song has made it engaging with children, parents and professionals, and it has been an inspiration to be part of the joint efforts. We are all looking forward to celebrating the work done and hearing about how it will endure through ongoing legacy work.”    

Mubashar Khaliq, Local Campaigns Manager at the NSPCC, said: “Each year in Scotland, Police record more than 5,000 sexual offences committed against children. We started this campaign because it’s crucial that we do all we can to help prevent abuse from happening in the first place.

“Talk PANTS 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 keeping safe and 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.”

Gail Sayles, Local Campaigns Manager for NSPCC Scotland, said: “It has been so wonderful to see our Talk PANTS messaging reaching people in some of the most remote parts of the UK. It was great to chat with families at the events who already knew about our campaign, either from school or their local nursery. Many of the children would sing the song at us and give Pantosaurus a high five!

“The Power of Pants book is already a firm bedtime favourite with many families, and parents told us they were so pleased to be given a copy. Everyone also valued the Gaelic resources and I felt so proud that we had been able to deliver on a need that was prized so highly. 

“This campaign has made a real difference and we hope that continues in the future too. It feels like we have lit a spark on the islands, for sure.”

Professionals and volunteers working with children and families who would like to attend this free event on Wednesday, September 14 from 3-5pm can book a place, visit: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/inter-island-pants-campaign-celebration-legacy-event-tickets-388530684737

To find out more about Talk PANTS and  access resources and tools to help keep children safe from abuse, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/keeping-children-safe/support-for-parents/pants-underwear-rule/

To watch the Pantosaurus video visit: www.youtube.com/watch?v=-lL07JOGU5o

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

Letters: Body Image

Dear Editor,

For a lot of children and young people, body image is a great concern. Going through physical body changes and developments is challenging enough, yet with outside influences such as social media, young people can feel even more pressure to look a certain way to fit in.

Every summer, we are confronted by advertisements asking if we are ‘beach body ready’. Here at Childline, we have seen just how much these advertisements, messages and perceptions can affect the way in which young people view themselves.

Between April 2021 and March 2022, Childline delivered 5,085 counselling sessions on the topic of struggling with eating and body image in Scotland and across the rest of the UK – a 6% increase from 4,787 in 2019/20.

We believe one of the reasons that children and young people are feeling low about their appearance is the increasing amount of time they spend on social media, particularly since the pandemic. Some young people in Scotland have told Childline’s trained counsellors that they feel insecure and self-conscious about their weight after seeing images of others on social media platforms.

Here at Childline, we would like to remind all children that the service’s counsellors are here to support them and that they don’t have to cope alone.

They can contact our counsellors on 0800 1111 or online at www.childline.org.uk, where they can visit the ‘my body’ advice page and also speak to other young people who might be feeling the same away via moderated message boards.

Paul Johnson

Childline Team Manager, Aberdeen

More than 100 online child abuse crimes in Scotland every month Online Safety Bill delayed, NSPCC warns

  • Charity urges next Prime Minister to keep the promise made to children and families and commit to passing Online Safety Bill as a national priority
  • NSPCC say children will carry the considerable cost of further delay to social media regulation

More than 100 online sex crimes will take place against children in Scotland every month the Online Safety Bill is delayed, NSPCC research indicates.

The charity’s analysis of Police Scotland crime data found that online child sexual abuse offences had more than doubled over the last decade.

The data shows 1,298 Indecent Image offences and crimes of Communicating Indecently with a Child were logged in the year to March– up from 543 just ten years ago.

The NSPCC said the growth in crimes and the scale of abuse taking place against children should serve as a wake-up call for the next UK Prime Minister to make the Online Safety Bill a national priority.

The charity said it underlines the urgent need for Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak to commit to passing the legislation in full and without delay.

It warned the disturbing reality of delay is more children being groomed on their smartphones and tablets, being contacted by offenders in the summer holidays, and coerced into acts of online sexual abuse in their bedrooms.

The landmark Online Safety Bill was due to pass through the House of Commons last week but was postponed until at least the autumn when a new Prime Minister will be in place.

The NSPCC first secured the commitment to regulate social media four years ago in a bid to combat the inaction of Silicon Valley to abuse taking place against children on their platforms.

The legislation would put a duty of care on companies for their users and mean they would have to put measures in place to prevent and disrupt child abuse on their sites and protect children from harm.

The charity is concerned the delay could result in the Bill being watered down despite years of failed self-regulation by tech firms putting children at increased risk.

Frida*, who is a survivor of online abuse, said: “The abuse that I experienced started ten years ago when I was 13. It is sickening that since then the number of young people being abused online has grown dramatically.

“Being groomed has had a horrific impact on my life and I want no other young person to endure that. I know this delay to the Online Safety Bill will see more young people like me experience harm when it could have been prevented, and that is devastating.”

The NSPCC has written to both Conservative leadership candidates saying, ‘delay or watering down of the Bill will come at considerable cost to children and families. It would represent the reversal of an important manifesto commitment that commands strong levels of public support’.

YouGov research for the NSPCC found more than four fifths of UK adults think the Online Safety Bill should deliver strong and comprehensive measures to protect children from online child sexual abuse.

NSPCC Chief Executive, Sir Peter Wanless, said: “With every second the clock ticks by on the Online Safety Bill an ever-growing number of children and families face the unimaginable trauma of preventable child abuse.

“The need for legislation to protect children is clear, commands overwhelming support from MPs and the public and builds on the UK’s global leadership position in tackling harm online. Robust regulation can be delivered while protecting freedom of speech and privacy.

“There can be no more important mission for Government than to keep children safe from abuse and the next Prime Minister must keep the promise made to families in the election manifesto and deliver the Online Safety Bill as a national priority.”

Online Safety Bill amendment: No hiding place for child sex offenders

Greater powers to tackle child sexual abuse online will be introduced through an amendment to the Online Safety Bill, the Home Secretary announced yesterday (Wednesday 6 July 2022).

The amendment will give Ofcom extra tools to ensure technology companies take action to prevent, identify and remove harmful child sexual abuse and exploitation (CSAE) content.

Ofcom, the UK’s regulatory authority for telecommunications, will be able to demand that technology companies such as social media platforms roll out or develop new technologies to better detect and tackle harmful content on their platforms. If they fail to do so, Ofcom will be able to impose fines of up to £18 million or 10% of the company’s global annual turnover, depending on which is higher.

Home Secretary, Priti Patel said: “Child sexual abuse is a sickening crime. We must all work to ensure criminals are not allowed to run rampant online and technology companies must play their part and take responsibility for keeping our children safe.

“Privacy and security are not mutually exclusive – we need both, and we can have both and that is what this amendment delivers.”

The National Crime Agency estimate there are between 550,000 to 850,000 people in the UK who pose a sexual risk to children. In the year to 2021, there were 33,974 obscene publications offences recorded by the police, and although some improvements have been made, it is still too easy for offenders to access harmful content online.

Access to such content online can lead to offenders normalising their own consumption of this content, sharing methods with each other on how to evade detection, and escalation to committing contact child sexual abuse offences.

Digital Minister, Nadine Dorries said: “Tech firms have a responsibility not to provide safe spaces for horrendous images of child abuse to be shared online. Nor should they blind themselves to these awful crimes happening on their sites.

Rob Jones, NCA Director General for child sexual abuse, said: “Technology plays an extremely important part in our daily lives and its benefits are undeniable.

“But it is also a fact that online platforms can be a key tool in a child abuser’s arsenal. They use them to view and share abuse material, seek out and groom potential victims, and to discuss their offending with each other.

“Identifying these individuals online is crucial to us uncovering the real-world abuse of children.

“We are taking significant action in this space and, alongside UK policing, we are making record numbers of arrests and safeguards every month.

“While this will always be a priority, we need tech companies to be there on the front line with us and these new measures will ensure that.”

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “We need urgent action to protect children from preventable online abuse. Our latest analysis shows online grooming crimes have jumped by more than 80% in four years.

“The Online Safety Bill is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to ensure children can explore the online world safely.

“This amendment will strengthen protections around private messaging and ensure companies have a responsibility to build products with child safety in mind. This positive step shows there doesn’t have to be a trade-off between privacy and detecting and disrupting child abuse material and grooming.”

The amendment will support innovation and the development of safety technologies across the technology industry and will incentivise companies in building solutions to tackle CSEA which are effective and proportionate.

The government-funded Safety Tech Challenge Fund is demonstrating that is it is possible to detect child sexual abuse material in end-to-end encrypted environments, while respecting user privacy.

You can also read the Home Secretary’s op-ed for the The Telegraph.

NSPCC warns of worrying levels of online child abuse as grooming crimes in Scotland continue to rise

Figures obtained by the NSPCC reveal online grooming crimes recorded by Police Scotland reach almost 3,000 in five years, with offences against under 13s rising by more than 60%.

Analysis of Freedom of Information data from Police Scotland shows that in 2021/22 there were 636 offences of Communicating Indecently with a Child, compared with 429 in 2017/18 – a 48% rise. For victims under the age of 13, there was a steeper rise with 369 in 2021/22 and 226 in 2017/18.

Data* from 41 UK police forces across the UK show an 84% rise in these crimes since 2017/18, with a total of more than 27,000 offences in the past five years.

The NSPCC says the sheer scale of offending shows the vital importance of ensuring that the Online Safety Bill effectively tackles child sexual abuse and has practical suggestions for how this is best done.

This should include giving the regulator, Ofcom, the powers to proactively tackle abuse in private messaging, making platforms work together to stop grooming pathways and stopping offenders from using social networks to organise abuse.

One 15-year-old girl who was groomed on multiple sites told Childline: “I’ve been chatting with this guy online who’s like twice my age. This all started on Instagram but lately all our chats have been on WhatsApp.

“He seemed really nice to begin with, but then he started making me do these things to ‘prove my trust’ to him, like doing video chats with my chest exposed. Every time I did these things for him, he would ask for more and I felt like it was too late to back out.

“This whole thing has been slowly destroying me and I’ve been having thoughts of hurting myself.”

Sir Peter Wanless, NSPCC Chief Executive, said: “Online grooming is taking place at unprecedented levels and only concerted action will turn the tide on this tsunami of preventable abuse.

“The crucial Online Safety Bill is the opportunity to deliver the legislative change we urgently need to address head on these preventable crimes against children.

“We strongly welcome the Government’s ambition to deliver world-leading legislation. But as it seems increasingly clear that the pandemic has resulted in a long-term increase in the abuse threat, the current proposals must go further now to tackle online sexual violence and prevent avoidable abuse.”

The charity is asking the public to email their MP to support amendments to the legislation that aim to improve its response to child sexual abuse.

The NSPCC has set out a five-point action plan for the Online Safety Bill to systemically prevent avoidable child sexual abuse.

Polling shows widespread public support for the measures to be adopted so the legislation achieves its ambition of giving children receive a higher standard of protection online.

  1. Give the regulator powers to proactively tackle abuse in private messaging

Two thirds of child abuse is currently found in private messaging so the NSPCC welcomes that it will be in scope of the Bill.

But the charity wants Ofcom to be given power to proactively require firms to use technology to detect and disrupt grooming and the sharing of child abuse images.

  1. Make platforms work together to tackle grooming pathways

The NSPCC knows grooming doesn’t just happen on one site and offenders use well known grooming pathways to target children.

Companies should have a clear legal duty to address cross platform harm and legally co-operate with each other to disrupt grooming.

  1. Stop offenders from using social networks to organise abuse – breadcrumbing

Offenders perfectly legally use social media to form networks, then advertise a sexual interest in children and signpost to illegal child abuse content hosted on third party sites.

The NSPCC wants the Bill amended to combat the waysoffenders facilitate abuse on social media, which it says could prevent millions of interactions with accounts that contribute to grooming.

  1. Adopt a Violence Against Women and Girls Code of Practice

The Government should commit to a statutory code of practice on violence against women and girls to ensure the Online Safety Bill has a systemic  and enforceable focus on online sexual violence.

  1. A children’s watchdog that represents children’s needs

Children make up one in five UK internet users but are inherently vulnerable, according to the NSPCC. The charity said the Online Safety Bill can achieve its ambition to give children a higher standard of protection by creating a statutory watchdog to promote children’s interests, funded by a levy on the tech industry.

This user advocacy body would ensure child protection is front and centre of regulation, prevent harm by acting as an early warning system to flag emerging risks and call for swift action. This would be similar to the role played by Citizens Advice in the energy and postal sectors.

Letters: NSPCC – Pride 2022

Dear Editor,

June is Pride month and events such as Pride Glasgow and Edinburgh Pride, this Saturday (25th June), will be celebrating the history of gay rights and related civil rights movements. 

Pride is a great way to encourage young people to feel comfortable to talk about their sexuality and gender identity, especially as at Childline we have delivered more than 4,000 counselling sessions to young people in Scotland and across the UK over the last year with worries about these issues.

Among these concerns, young people spoke to trained counsellors about experiences of coming out; questioning their sexuality or gender identity; gender dysphoria; discrimination and prejudice to sexuality or gender identity; and self-acceptance.

It can be a worrying time for young people who are facing these concerns, and it can be tough for parents and carers to know how to help.

One way for parents and carers to help their children feel confident to speak up is by simply having a conversation with them. Just by having a chat, or perhaps looking at some of the advice on the Childline or NSPCC websites, parents can help give young people the confidence to be proud of who they are.

Childline is also here for them. They can speak to a trained counsellor over the phone on 0800 1111 or via email or on a 1-2-1 chat via the Childline website.

Adeniyi Alade

Head of Childline

NSPCC Scotland

NSPCC Scotland encourages people to support Childhood Day to help keep children safe

As thousands of people come together across Scotland and the rest of the UK today to back the NSPCC’s Childhood Day, the charity is emphasising that everyone has a responsibility to keep children safe from abuse and neglect.

NSPCC Scotland is calling on communities to play their part in a collective effort and is encouraging people to log any concerns they have about a child, contact the NSPCC if they are unsure and support Childhood Day by donating.

Childhood Day is the NSPCC’s flagship day of fundraising that takes places on the second Friday in June every year.

Adults and children around Scotland are getting behind Childhood Day to help keep children safe, with communities hosting fundraising events and schools taking part in the NSPCC’s Big Breaktime. This is an extra hour of play where they can remember the special things about childhood whilst raising vital funds for the charity.

Caroline Renton, Supporter Fundraising Manager for NSPCC Scotland said: “Last year, the NSPCC Helpline made 897 referrals about abuse and neglect to agencies in Scotland. With the support of local people, ringing the NSPCC Helpline if they have concerns about any child, we can help protect children from abuse.

“As people get behind Childhood Day today, they demonstrate an understanding that we all have a responsibility to play our part to prevent abuse and neglect.

“There will be volunteers in towns and cities throughout Scotland collecting for the NSPCC, so we would be extremely grateful for your support.”

This year Lidl GB, who have supported the charity for five years and Sky Cares, Sky’s commitment to supporting the communities where their customers and employees live and work, are sponsoring the NSPCC’s Childhood Day as retail and media partners respectively. Both partners have helped to raise awareness of Childhood Day, as well as holding their own activities with their colleagues across the UK to help raise vital funds.

Following the launch of Childhood Day in April, the NSPCC has been encouraging people to volunteer at cash collections scattered across Scotland between May and early June, take part in the Big Breaktime, fundraise by hosting an event in their community or donate to the charity.

People can still get behind Childhood Day today and support the NSPCC by donating at nspcc.org.uk/donate

The NSPCC is urging anyone with concerns about a child, even if they’re unsure, to contact the NSPCC helpline to speak to one of the charity’s professionals.

You can call 0808 800 5000, email help@nspcc.org.uk or fill in the online form.

Letters: Schools invited to take part in The Big Breaktime on Childhood Day

Dear Editor,

Next month, for Childhood Day, schools across Scotland and the rest of the UK will come together to raise funds for the NSPCC. This will help us deliver our services and support children across the country.

Childhood Day is the charity’s flagship fundraising event, when the public are encouraged to embrace their inner child, celebrating play to put the fun into fundraising.

As part of the celebration on 10 June, we are encouraging schools and nurseries to take part in The Big Breaktime – an extra hour of play with pupils, staff and parents being encouraged to give a small donation towards funding vital NSPCC projects, like Childline.

https://youtu.be/mMcOHBaKkN0

Schools can sign up for The Big Breaktime via the NSPCC’s Childhood Day hub The Big Breaktime | NSPCC From there, they will be able to download lots of exciting resources to help them plan a Big Breaktime in their school.

To sign up to the Big Breaktime, all you have to do is visit the NSPCC website, search for The Big Breaktime and fill in your school’s details with the registration form.

Paul Cockram

Head of Fundraising

NSPCC Scotland