The NSPCC's aim is to protect children from cruelty, support vunerable families, campaign for changes to the law and help raise awareness of child abuse. It has a vision - a society where all children are loved, valued and able to fulfil their potential. For over 100 years it has been protecting children and is the only children's charity with statutory powers, enabling it to safeguard children at risk. It was largely as a result of the NSPCC's campaigning on behalf of vulnerable children that enabled changes to legislation to ensure people like those responsible for the death of Baby Peter were brought to justice. The NSPCC successfully campaigned to amend the homicide laws to introduce a new offence of "causing or allowing the death of a child". Because of the NSPCC's work in this area those found guilty in the Baby Peter case face higher sentences than might otherwise have been the case.
Every day the NSPCC helplines receive thousands of calls from worried and distressed children, parents, family members and concerned members of the public. The two Helplines take over two million calls every year but tens of thousands go unanswered as limited resources means there are not enough counsellors to answer all the calls. Last year ChildLine received 2.3 million calls, approximately one third were unanswered. The NSPCC helpline received 95,000 calls, approximately 15,000 were unanswered. Over 9,000 of these calls were so serious that they had to be referred to the police or children's services.
Over the next 3 years, the Child's Voice Appeal aims to raise £50 million to expand the NSPCC helplines, text and online counselling services. If you would like to help support this area please visit www.childsvoiceappeal.org.uk
So far we have raised in excess of £26,000. To put this into perspective, that's the equivalent of paying for the rigorous training and induction of around 15 volunteer counsellors.
Each of these counsellors will answer calls from 200 children in their first year alone. Together, that's about five medium sized primary schools' worth of children receiving essential support, and the counsellors having skills for life to support children through ChildLine.
This money is already being used and therefore already having a huge impact on children 'today'. Thank you to everyone who has helped us get this far.
The NSPCC is now also training all counsellors to be able to talk to children online through the new Childline online site which launched in October 2009. For the first time ever, children are able to have 1-2-1 support through instant chat. This is a really exciting development for Childline and the NSPCC!
Lots of our events have already taken place and we've still got more to come. If you'd like to join in and help raise funds for the NSPCC please visit https://nspcc.tributefunds.com/fund/Baby+P/showFund to set up your sub fund.
