in the North West
The NSPCC is the UK's leading charity specialising in child protection and the prevention of cruelty to children. The NSPCC’s purpose is to end cruelty to children. FULL STOP. Its vision is of a society where all children are loved, valued and able to fulfil their potential.
With the help of the NSPCC, countless children, young people and their families in the North West have been offered help, support and protection so they can enjoy their childhoods. The funds raised at the Snowflake Ball benefit projects like Jigsaw House and There4me.
The NSPCC’s work in the North West is vital to protecting children and young people from abuse, working with families and others to prevent it from happening in the first place and helping children and young people overcome their damaging experiences and fulfil their potential.
The NSPCC and ChildLine have now formally joined together in a move that will ensure even stronger services and a more influential voice for children and young people. The ChildLine service, now within the NSPCC, has counselled nearly two million children and young people and every day around 4,500 children call ChildLine.
Earlier this year, we had the opportunity to see one of the many local projects which receives funds from the Snowflake Ball.
The NSPCC Child Protection Team have the Jigsaw House project in the Macclesfield Borough and Congleton, focusing upon children who are caught up in domestic violence and, those children who have to give evidence in the criminal court following abuse - Child Witness Support programme.
It means so much to be able to see the results of all our work - and to know that we make a significant difference to the lives of children and families both locally and throughout Great Britain.
Three of the four There4me teams are based in the North West: Liverpool, Salford and Warrington. 75% of young people do not tell anyone about sexual abuse that they are suffering at the time it is being inflicted on them. Two thirds of these children never tell anyone about it.There is overwhelming evidence that children and young people find it difficult to seek professional advice about abuse they are experiencing. They don’t know who to turn to or who to trust. Despite very careful publicity limited to the North of England and Northern Ireland only, to date the total number users of the There4Me3 service has already reached over 58,000. Advisers have had over 37,500 one on one advice sessions with children (1-2-1) totalling nearly 13,500 1-2-1 hours.
The other parts of the site are proving as popular: Ask Sam, the online ‘agony aunt’ has received over 10,360 letters, Message Board has had over 31,600 messages and Private in-box has recorded 38,500 email messages between advisers and users.
It saves lives, finds refuge for children in danger on the streets and gives hope to thousands of children who believes no one else cares about them. In the North West there are ChildLine counselling teams in Manchester and Liverpool.
Childline has recently joined with the NSPCC to secure its future and continue the vital point of access to children and young people in need of support. It will enhance and strengthen the NSPCC capacity to be someone to turn to for children and compliment the ‘There4me.com’ service. The brand and telephone number will not be changed.