Thank you so much for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

This is an urgent appeal to help support the wonderful work of the Childline service in helping deal with the truly frightening and awful experiences that some children and young people are going through in these particularly scary and dark days under the shadow of Covid-19. 

With most children not attending school – and probably not returning to school until September - the NSPCC Childline service has seen a 300% increase in contacts from children and young people desperately seeking to talk to somebody about the issues they are facing. They feel concerned, anxious, unsafe and worried about the future. There are no teachers with whom they can share their fears or who are looking out for signs of anxiety and abuse. The statistics are frightening:

 1.  The counsellors (the majority of whom are volunteers) are handling an average of 650 – 700 sessions each day throughout the 12 Childline centres

2.   At this time it is reported that the counsellors are speaking to an average of 80 children experiencing suicidal thoughts and feelings every day. Please click on the link below to listen to one Childline Counsellor's experience.

 www.facebook.com/nspccsoutheast/videos/602827797245326/

3.   The NSPCC depends on voluntary donations for around 90% of its income each year and Childline for 80%.  Already, as a result of the pandemic the Society is forecasting its income to fall by at least £5m this year and this could be significantly more the longer the lockdown continues.

Most of you will have heard of Childline and the fantastic job it does in providing critical support to children who are anxious and/or suffering from some form of abuse.

What you may not know is that Childline costs £30,000 TO RUN FOR ONE DAY and relies on voluntary donations for 80% of its income.

I have therefore set myself the challenging objective to raise £30,000 in order that we can help this amazing service for ONE UNFORGETTABLE DAY during its particularly challenging times.

I have set up a Just Giving page for this initiative and have started the funding with a donation of £1,000 and aim to raise more myself through setting myself challenges and auctioning various wine and port lots. 

I have chosen 30th June 2020 as the situation is urgent and only likely to worsen in the near future - and I would like to ask you please to give serious consideration to also making a donation via this Just Giving page.(1)

All those who donate to this special cause will, if they would like, receive a ‘story of the day’ from the counsellors on shift that day pulled together into a momento book. At the same time we will be arranging a visit to one of the Childline centres at some stage in the near future for all who would be interested to see how the service operates.

I do hope you will join me in getting together as a funding group to support Childline for this special day.

I believe so strongly that we must continue to put Children First in these uncertain and strange times and continue to provide the critical and much needed urgent support for those who are in crisis.

With many thanks indeed. I cannot thank you enough.

Please stay safe and well.

Best regards

Mark

Footnote: I have been an active supporter of the NSPCC for 30 years. I am a member of Council and member of the NSPCC Finance (and Investment) Committee.

(1)  Alternatively cheques, CAF Cheques or credit/debit card payments would be very gratefully received. 

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.