The Safeguarding Children e-Academy is continuing with donations to charities working with children and young people across the country.
The academy, based in Ilkley, West Yorkshire, and one of the UK's leading providers of online child protection training courses, has 72 members across the country, predominantly Local Safeguarding Children Boards. It annually donates a sizeable percentage of its revenues to worthy causes and this year invited members to nominate deserving charities in their own areas.
See below the latest charities to benefit from donations:
Access to ‘Life-Saving’ Forced Marriage App made easier for schoolchildren
Virtual College’s Safeguarding Children e-Academy supports Home-Start Bedford Borough’s e-learning drive
Last month Safeguarding Children e-Academy gave Home-Start Bedford Borough £250 to support the running of e-learning workshops for volunteers who either do not have access to a computer or who do not feel confident in using one.
Many volunteers join Home-Start so that they can gain experience in family support services. Retention of volunteers is very important to Home-Start Bedford Borough and they continuously look for creative ways with which to do this.
‘E-learning is a great way to encourage volunteers who are looking to build their CV’s as many have not worked for a while. It will also mean that we have a record of competency regarding the volunteer’s skills especially pertaining to Safeguarding to Protect Vulnerable Children.’ Wendie Lovatt, Scheme Manager, Home-Start Bedford Borough
Home-Start Bedford Borough offers a unique service to families who are experiencing difficulties while bringing up children, many of whom are suffering social isolation, poverty and distress.
The safety and well-being of children is at the heart of everything they do. Home-Start Bedford Borough recognise that often the best way to help children is to support their parents, helping them to give their children the best possible start in life. They do this by recruiting and training volunteers, who are parents themselves, to visit families to offer informed, confidential support.
If you would like to support Home-Start Bedford, please call Wendie Lovatt on 01234 270601
Safeguarding Children e-Academy Helps CCHF – All About Kids Give Seven Disadvantaged Children a Break
After finding out about our charity scheme, CCHF All About Kids, formerly known as The Children’s Country Holidays Fund, contacted us requesting a donation to fund breaks for disadvantaged children referred to them. Our donation of £2177 will allow seven children to attend a break with CCHF.
The breaks take place at CCHFs residential centre in the Sussex countryside which offers a safe environment where the children can participate in a varied range of enjoyable, but challenging, activities. The leaders along with trained volunteers facilitate camping, cycling, swimming, trips to the beach and countryside.
The breaks are delivered throughout the year during schools holidays and on weekends. CCHF All About Kids is all about: Building the children’s confidence; enabling them to become more positive about their future; Realising the benefits of healthy eating, exercise; Consideration of others and spending quality time with positive role models.
Tracy True, of CCHF All About Kids said “With no statutory funding we rely 100% on voluntary donations. It costs over £600,000 a year for us to run our service; your donation will allow seven disadvantaged children to attend one of our breaks.”
CCHF All About Kids is a registered charity, established over 125 years ago. They exist to improve the lives of severely disadvantaged children aged seven to eleven through residential activity and respite breaks. Since being founded they have helped in excess of 2 million children.
The children CCHF helps children that live in the poorest and most seriously deprived areas, primarily of London, but also the surrounding boroughs. Each individual child will be facing their own difficult personal circumstances. However, they will all be struggling with one or more of the following issues:
- Living in a family subsisting on a low income.
- Having no opportunity of any other break away from their current circumstances.
- Having witnessed or experienced emotional, physical, sexual abuse or neglect.
- Living in inadequate housing, where their natural play areas are surrounded by violence, crime or drugs.
- Caring for an ill sibling or parent or have suffered a bereavement.
Abby Dacres, Safeguarding Children e-Academy Manager, commented “Helping to send children from some of the most deprived areas of the UK on a life changing holiday is exactly why we established the Safeguarding Children e-Academy charity fund.”
If you would also like to make a donation to CCHF All About Kids please visit:
www.cchf-allaboutkids.org.uk/supportus.htm
£2000 towards Cots for Tots £1 Million appeal
The Cots for Tots Appeal is raising £1 million to support the expansion of the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit at St Michael’s Hospital, Bristol, by providing a Suite of 4 intensive care cots and associated state of the art equipment. The Appeal will also be creating a 12 bed Family Accommodation Suite for parents to stay close to their baby whilst on the Unit.
Lauren Vincent from Tots for Cots said "The funds donated will greatly help support our Appeal by contributing to the suite of 4 intensive care cots. There is an increasing demand for the specialist care, treatment and surgery provided by the medical team in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit as the Unit is the only one of its kind in the South West region able to provide surgery for premature and critically-ill babies.
As more and more babies are surviving and care for babies born as early as 23 weeks becomes possible, the Unit is experiencing unprecedented demand for the specialist cots and equipment is greatly needed for life-saving care.
We greatly appreciate the generous support of the Safeguarding Children e-Academy of our Cots for Tots Appeal and this donation will make a real difference to reaching our goal to open the new cot suite in January 2012. This will enable the staff to treat many more babies every year."
For more information about how you can get involved or to make a donation to the appeal, please visit www.cotsfortots.org.uk or call 0117 927 3888
Safeguarding Children e-Academy continues its support for Great Mercy Orphanage, Kenya
Great Mercy Orphanage in Kenya is home to over 60 Kenyan children whose lives have been blighted by poverty, violence and disease. The orphanage and associated school was founded by Judith Mutange when she began giving lessons to local children in her home. Her small school quickly grew into a way for her to help neglected and orphaned children in the local area. As both the school and orphanage continued to expand, Judith and her husband Evans received funding from a US based NGO, World Orphans, for a dedicated building.
Finding funds to support the running of the Great Mercy Orphanage is always a challenge. Last year the Safeguarding Children e-Academy made a donation that enabled the orphanage to buy an adjacent patch of land. The land has been converted in to a market garden that has not only helped the orphanage become more self-sufficient and supplement the orphan’s diets with fresh vegetables but is also used to teach the children valuable horticultural skills.
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When the orphanage contacted us again for support in providing essential, but relatively expensive, health and hygiene products we had no hesitation in donating £200. The donation is to be used to buy supplies that will help keep the orphanage a healthy and clean environment for the children to grow up in , many of whom are suffering from HIV/Aids and are particularly susceptible to disease.
Abby Dacres, Safeguarding General Manager, said “To know that our donations are having such a profound effect on children lives, who otherwise wouldn't have anywhere else to go is hugely rewarding. We are honoured to have been asked to help Great Mercy Orphanage with their life changing work.”
Safeguarding Children e-Academy supports local befriending service
When the Safeguarding Children e-Academy discovered that Bradford and Airedale Mental Health Advocacy Group’s Befriending Service was facing closure we decided we had to act and made an emergency donation of £2000. The befriending service provides support to people experiencing mental ill health. Through volunteer befriending, it helps those who have become socially isolated due to their mental ill health.
Anne Ludgate, befriending service project co-ordinator “The befriending service and my post was due to finish at the end of August and we view this donation as a vital lifeline,” she said. “It will enable the service to continue on a limited scale until the end of November. During this time we hope to secure funding.”
Abby Dacres, Safeguarding e-Academy Manager, said: “The Safeguarding Children e-Academy is based in Ilkley and when we found out that the befriending service run by Bradford and Airedale Mental Health Advocacy Group was under threat of closure we knew we had to help.”
If you would like to nominate a charity in your area please click to email us on:
info@safeguardingchildrenea.co.uk
AFRUCA celebrates their 10th anniversary with help from the Safeguarding Children e-Academy
Africans Unite Against Child Abuse (AFRUCA) campaigns for the welfare of African children within the UK and was established in May 2001 in the aftermath of the death of Jude Akapa, Victoria Climbie and Damilola Taylor, all children of African descent.
AFRUCA has garnered praise for its role in speaking out on key issues affecting African children in the UK. They have achieved this by targeting policy makers, service providers, addressing issues affecting children within the community and focusing heavily on denouncing the trafficking of African children.
AFRUCA will be using the donation to produce a 10th Anniversary Booklet which will help highlight AFRUCA’s amazing achievements over the past decade. Sarah O’Gorman, Training Co-ordinator for the charity said ‘’Please accept my huge appreciation on behalf of everyone at AFRUCA for the Safeguarding Children e-Academy’s generosity – we are so pleased that you considered our work.’’
Safeguarding Children e-Academy donates £2000 to Caritas project to support vulnerable young women
The Safeguarding Children e-Academy has supported Caritas Diocese of Salford with a £2000 donation. Caritas provides a range of professional and volunteer-supported services to all people experiencing social disadvantage and need. Caritas is both a direct provider and umbrella organisation offering professional assistance and support to religious congregations, deaneries and parishes in the provision of charitable services as well as offering services to Local Authorities in social care and health.
The donation has been made to the ‘A Sense of Self’ – young mothers and Positive Image project. Caritas works with vulnerable and at risk single young women (16-25yrs) who are pregnant or with new born children. Many are vulnerable to abuse, homelessness and often their children are at risk of being taken into care due to poor parenting, poverty and social isolation. Many of these young women live with low self esteem and poor self image and some have internalised prejudice and discrimination that have prevented their emotional maturing and development as parents, partners, family members and citizens.
The project will use photography and digital visual representation techniques to assist 9 young mothers create and celebrate positive images of themselves and those who are dear to them. The process will enable them to develop a sense of self-worth and self-value that will promote positive self awareness and emotional well-being.
Safegaurding e-Academy helps Kids Company deliver a Christmas to remember
Over the festive period The Safeguarding Children a-Academy supported London based charity Kids Company. Mugs and Christmas cards bought from Kids Co were sent to our 73 members, in addition, we donated £700 to help with the festive celebrations.
Kids Co was founded by Camila Batmanghelidjh in 1996, providing practical, emotional and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children. Kids Co services reach 14,000 children across London, including the most deprived and at risk whose parents are unable to care for them due to their own practical and emotional challenges. For many, the roles of adult and child are reversed and, despite profound love, both struggle to survive.
These exceptionally vulnerable children not only negotiate significant challenges in their family homes, they also face immense threat within their neighbourhoods. Often they are exposed to relentless violence, some are forced into working as drug couriers or prostitutes, and many experience chronic abuse.
Kids co provides a safe, caring, family environment where support is tailored to the needs of each individual. Services and support empower children who have experienced enormous challenges to lead positive and fulfilling lives.
Camila Batmanghelidjh personally wrote to the Safeguarding Children e-academy and said ‘’We are immensely grateful for your support in making Christmas at Kids Company one to remember for all of the children and young people who came along. The run up to Christmas and the day itself is a time of heightened emotion and anticipation for those we support. We are always in shock afterwards at the sheer scale of the undertaking.’’
The Christmas day party brought 2000 children to a local secondary school and over 160 volunteers. Each child received either a traditional British Christmas dinner, Jamaican or Persian food and an individually wrapped Christmas present. Camila notes "we created a day of fun, excitement and sheer wonder for thousands of children, young people and their families. On behalf of them all, thank you for your amazing contribution and kindness."
The Safeguarding Children’s e-academy helps Somerset Children's charity STAR
The Safeguarding Children’s e-academy has made a £2,000 donation to help STAR a registered charity that aims to support Somerset’s Children in need. Aiming to provide opportunities through drama, music, art and recreation to young people aged 5-25.
These young people include those who have mental health problems, physical disabilities, learning disabilities, ethnic minorities, young carers, those with drug related problems, victims of abuse and crime and those at risk of offending.
Star gives young people the chance to build relationships, take part and have fun. Activities take place with volunteer adult supervision; activities include Music and singing lessons including hire of instruments
- Drama and dance lessons
- Theatre, art, painting and sculpture
- Sports coaching and training
- Horse riding
Home-Start Basildon District has been supporting families in Basildon for 12 years. The scheme recruits and trains local parent volunteers to deliver befriending, emotional and practical support for 2 hours a week to Basildon and Wickford parents with at least one child under five years old. Their aim is to give every child a good start in life.
Home-Start believes that families need support for many reasons: perhaps they are struggling to cope with postnatal illness, a child’s disability, family breakdown or bereavement or maybe they feel isolated and unable to connect with their local community. Whatever the reason, Home-Start provides non-judgemental practical and emotional support and helps build the family’s confidence and ability to cope. The day a family decides it no longer needs Home-Start support is a good day for Home-Start.
Scheme Manager Lorraine Ferguson said ‘THANK YOU so much for your donation of £2,000, which in this current climate is a real life saver. The money that you have donated will be used towards the recruitment and training of more volunteers, who then can provide support to even more local families.’ Lorraine concluded; ‘donations such as yours are what keep local charities open.’
A safer future is in prospect for children and young people in the Turks & Caicos islands after we provided free online child protection training worth up to £3,000.
It follows a plea from the islands' only paediatrician, Dr Helen Leonard, who until February this year was a paediatric consultant at the University Hospital of North Durham.
Dr Leonard is now working in the Turks & Caicos Islands, a British Overseas Territory some 80 miles north of Haiti, with a population of 25,000.
She said: "It all sounds very glamorous, but in reality is a developing world. With the downturn in the worldwide economy, coupled with the unstable political situation here, many people have lost their jobs and there is real poverty."
"I am the only paediatrician here - there is no money for another one. Child protection training is a huge issue, though the good news is that progress is being made and plans are in place to implement guidelines produced by Unicef, so people will have something to work with."
Dr Leonard is looking to establish an exchange scheme between the UK and the islands' social services and police. Already, paediatrician Dr Jan Welbury, a child protection specialist from Newcastle, has visited for two weeks (September) to help with multi-agency training.
Dr Leonard added: "There is a recognition and desire for things to change - the people I am working with are enthusiastic, warm and committed to change. This additional support from the Safeguarding Children e-Academy is fantastic. Working here can be incredibly hard, so things like this give me a massive boost - and the will to keep going."
The Safeguarding Children e-Academy donated £2,000 in May to Breaks 4 Kids a charitable fund run by YHA (Youth Hostel Association).
Celebrating their 80th birthday this year the YHA decided to ambitiously embark upon attempting to raise £25,000 in 25 days.
Breaks for Kids makes it possible for underprivileged kids, who would otherwise be left behind, to be included
in trips and activities by funding up to 50% of the cost of their accommodation and food at a YHA centre. The charity believes that residential trips and activities allow children to expand their horizons, build their confidence, self-esteem and develop important skills in communication and team building. Oliver Suggate from the YHA confirmed:
‘To celebrate the YHA 80th Anniversary the operations team was challenged by the Operations Director to raise £25,000 in 25 days. This was in aid of Breaks for Kids, a charity to financially support underprivileged children to enable them to attend school excursions.I am pleased to announce, that with the help of Virtual College, we were able to 'smash' the target and reached £25,600 with more pledged yet to come in. Again, that you very much for your generosity. The support received by Virtual College has been acknowledge and appreciated.'
In May the Safeguarding Children e-Academy donated £2,000 to Kids against Domestic Abuse (KADA) a small charity developed by a group of young people.
The aim of the charity is to raise awareness of the impact of Domestic Abuse on children and young people. KADA believes there is currently very little awareness raising and training regarding the vulnerability of babies. The donation allowed KADA to purchase baby simulators to bring interactivity to the training sessions and provide as "real an experience" as possible. Child protection expert and chair of KADA Julie Rimington said "We welcome this donation, thanks to the generosity of the Safeguarding Children e-Academy there is now an opportunity for people to learn something about domestic abuse."
The Safeguarding Children e-academy is pleased to make a donation of £1000 to Chettle Court Rangers (Youth) FC.
Chettle Court Rangers FC provides weekly football activities to over 200 young people around the Chettle Court area. Chettle Court Rangers Football Club (CCRFC) was established in September 2002 to promote the sport, health and education of children and young people in Haringey through football. With football used as the main driver and entry point CRFC work's with children and young people to improve their health and also help them to deal with a whole range of personal development issues.
CCRFC's provides two activities to the children and young people it supports. Firstly it provides after-school football coaching and activities. This often leads to the children and young people play in leagues regionally and the aim is to see some progress to play in leagues nationally. Secondly it provides personal development support to those experiencing behavioural or attitudinal issues.
£2000 donated to The Orchard Project.
The Orchard Project based in Newcastle Upon Tyne is funded by Barnardo's, the charity runs bereavement groups for young people who have lost children and partners through illness, accident, suicide or murder. It is the only one in country inwhich children, parents and grandparents are catered for.
£1000 donated to Somali UK Community Association Link (SUCAL)
SUCAL provides football, gymnastics, basketball, International exchanges, supplementary education and much more to the local Somali community.
Macmillan Cancer Support provides practical, medical, emotional and financial support to people affected by cancer and their families.
In the U.K. today, 2 million people are living with a cancer diagnosis. Macmillan Cancer Support improves the lives of people affected by cancer. They are a source of support, helping with all the things that people affected by cancer want and need. It's not only patients who live with cancer, so they also help carers, families and communities . They guide people through the system, supporting them every step of the way. The charity also funds nurses and other specialist health care professionals, build cancer care centres, give information and support and provide financial assistance when it is needed most.
A donation of £2000 has been made to The Janeve Foundation on behalf of the Safeguarding Children e-Academy.
Janeve is a very small charity founded in 1996 which seeks to promote Health Care to people who live in South India. Janeve have supported and sponsored deprived children to attend a local school called 'The Radiant School' in Bangalore. Sponsorship includes education, food, uniform and other assistance. Recently one of the teachers from the school came to the UK to meet with Janeve bringing information regarding the children the project sponsors.
Janeve are involved in providing equipment for children who are patients in cancer hospitals, again in Bangalore (South India).Supporters visit the hospital weekly to take books, crayons and other gifts. Many of these children are very poor, so to be able to take in a few presents is very much appreciated by the children and their families.
In 2005, Janeve set up a clinic in Parangapetti, near Cuddalore in South India. Parangapetti is a village which was devastated by the Tsunami. Volunteers visited the clinic and been involved in delivering sessions on hygiene, child care and similar issues. Last year Janeve was involved in Child Protection training with the staff group, particularly as many of the children who attend the clinics do not attend school and they are educated in 'after school ' activities. Many of the children are tribal. Follow-up training is planned. The training delivered was the first of its type, as Child Protection and Child Rights issues are quite low down on the list of priorities in the area.
The Great Mercy Orphanage in Kenya
The orphanage provides a refuge for approximately 60 children, many of whom have suffered horrific experiences before they arrive at the orphanage. They literally do not have anyone else to care for them.
The orphanage was suggested by Chris O'Reilly of Durham SCB whose daughter did her gap year at the orphanage. Chris was touched by the stories her daughter sent home. A bag of Maize only costs £40 and lasts the orphanage one week and yet it is still beyond their reach and sometimes the children have to go hungry.
On receiving the £2,000.00 donation, Chris said that it was the best Christmas present she could get and that the money would be used to buy a small plot of land at the side of the orphanage where they could grow their own vegetables and become more self-sufficient.
UTASS Young People’s Drop In Durham
- an excellent charity which supports Children & Young People in an area of high deprivation significantly due to Rural Isolation. They are very busily trying to raise funds to purchase a special dance mat. The drop In serves children & Young People in the isolated Upper Dales [Middleton-in-Teesdale] area. They would have to travel a minimum of 75 miles round trip to access one of these arcade mats. Gordon Jones, an Every Child Matters Co-ordinator in Durham said "We believe that accessing this resource addresses Being Healthy, Enjoy & Achieve aspects of ECM directly and making a positive contribution in their joint efforts to raise funds already. This has also given an insight into economic well-being while working out their plans to achieve this very much wanted and valued dance mat resource. Thank you so much for this donation there were squeals of delight and beams on the faces of the kids; even the boys seemed to get new motivation to continue with the fund raising"
The Elizabeth Foundation, Bradford, which works in the field of early diagnosis and education of deaf children. It has a second family centre in Yorkshire at Prospect Cottage, Smith Lane, Bradford, which babies and children diagnosed at Bradford Royal Infirmary are given the opportunity to attend. The charity was facing closure due to a lack of funds, but the donation will help it stay open until July, 2010.
Daisy Chain, Stockton-on-Tees, which provides a countryside haven and respite services for children and families affected by autism. The money will go towards a new Day Care Centre, specifically a sensory playroom.
The Donna Louise Children's Hospice Trust in Trentham, Stoke on Trent. The trust’s ‘Treetops’ hospice provides respite care for Staffordshire and South Cheshire children aged up to 19 with life threatening conditions. The money will go towards the trust’s Ten10 Campaign, which is raising awareness and funds for the charity during its 10th anniversary year.
Fun In Action, Brighton, established in 1999 to improve the well-being and self-esteem of disadvantaged children from lone parent families. The long-term goal is to increase the children’s social mobility and improve their chances in life.
St Oswalds Hospice, Gosforth, Newcastle upon Tyne, which provides hospice care for children and adults from families across Northumberland and Tyne & Wear who are facing terminal illness.
Lincoln Women’s Aid, whose new refuge is open to women throughout Lincolnshire and provides safe, temporary accommodation, confidential information, advice and support for all women and their children fleeing domestic violence.
The Haven Wolverhampton, a charitable organisation which provides safe and temporary emergency accommodation and support services to women and dependent children affected by domestic violence and homelessness. It is one of the largest refuges in the country and the money will be used towards its children’s minibus appeal.
BASPCAN, York, established to protect children from suffering, significant harm, ill treatment, impairment of health or development – and generally safeguard them and promote their welfare.
Pneuma Outreach Ministries, Borough of Southwark. Pneuma works with deprived and vulnerable children in London, especially those at risk from being involved in crime. They seek to better the future of those young children by organisation events on sexual health, teenage pregnancy, drug abuse, healthy eating and have been successful in redirecting children's energy away from anti social behaviour and towards building a better community.
Abby Dacres, Safeguarding Children e-Academy manager, said: “We have made donations to small child-related charities up and down the country. It’s a real privilege to be able to see the money we give make a difference to children and their families, and we hope to continue this support into the future.“
Stephen Brown, Marketing Executive, said "The Safeguarding team is hugely proud to be able to help these charities and we are hoping to continue supporting more local charities in the coming months. "
Child Victims of Crime Children's Charity
CVOC's aim is to provide material support for any child victim up to and including the age of 16 years who has been a victim of, or traumatised by any criminal offence committed in the UK. These children are nominated to them only by serving police officers. They receive referrals from polices forces across the country seeking support for children whose lives have been shattered by crimes such as violence, abuse and murder.
Individual officers who have been working with the children are in a unique position to make these nominations. Having worked with the children, they understand the pain and suffering that these innocent victims are going through, and can often suggest the best way to put a little bit of fun and "normality" back into their lives.
