People across Northern Ireland urged to support children from Northern Ireland in NSPCC’s first Childhood Day.
This June, the NSPCC is urging people across Northern Ireland to buy a badge to show their support for Childhood Day and help thousands of children across Northern Ireland.
Badges are available across Northern Ireland in outlets including Matalan, Bob & Berts, Haldane Fisher, The Abbey Centre and in all Lidl stores. NSPCC Northern Ireland is encouraging everyone to buy a badge and support Childhood Day to celebrate all children and their right to a safe childhood.
Every penny raised from the badges will help NSPCC provide services to children in Northern Ireland including Childline, the NSPCC’s private and confidential 24/7 counselling service for children and young people up to the age of 19 and also our Speak Out Stay Safe programme for schools.
This programme delivers ground-breaking assemblies to teach primary school children how to keep themselves safe from abuse and neglect. In 2017/18 we spoke to 67,129 children in 356 Primary Schools in Northern Ireland. This included 12,931 pupils across the South Eastern Education Authority area.
During the assemblies, NSPCC staff and volunteers use resources specially devised for younger and older primary school age children. Linking directly to the curriculum, and with the help of “Buddy” the mascot, Speak Out Stay Safe helps children to understand abuse in all its forms and recognise the signs that it’s happening, learn how to protect themselves from all forms of abuse and recognise both how to get help and the sources of help available to them, including Childline. The sale of just two badges could enable NSPCC to deliver Speak Out Stay Safe to one primary school child.
Catherine Nuttall, Head of Fundraising for NSPCC Northern Ireland, said: “We are delighted that Northern Ireland has been chosen to launch the first NSPCC Childhood Day. We know that childhood shapes who we become, but abuse never should.
“It makes children see the world differently, and we want to do everything we can to ensure that we give children that voice to speak up about abuse, or talk about anything else that is worrying them.
“Donating just £2 for a badge can go a long way towards helping us run our vital services such as the Speak Out Stay Safe service, which gives children that voice. We want everyone across Northern Ireland to join us throughout June to recognise all these life-changing conversations and show your support for our vital work.”
People across Northern Ireland can support Childhood Day by:
Getting a badge – show your support and your donation will help fund life-changing conversations.
Donating – go online to make a generous donation and help give children a voice when no one else is listening
Sharing on social media – show your support on social media using the hashtag #everychildhood
Organising a fundraising event – there are lots of ideas on our website at:
Karen Walker, Schools Manager of NSPCC Northern Ireland Schools Service, said: “It’s so important for children to have a voice, to know who to speak to, and that they shouldn’t stop speaking out until action is taken.
“Our aim is to reach every child in every school across Northern Ireland but we can’t do that without funds so we hope the people of Northern Ireland will show their usual unfaltering generosity by supporting Childhood Day to help keep our children safe from abuse and neglect.”
Badges are available throughout June from outlets including Matalan, Bob & Berts, Haldane Fisher, The Abbey Centre and at all Lidl stores.
