Charity shares stay safe message with Kenilworth school pupils

The NSPCC programme, called Speak Out. Stay Safe has reached more than 10,000 children in Warwickshire so far this school year, new figures reveal.

The charity is looking for volunteers to help run the service – while also urging schools to sign up for a visit.

Clinton Primary School in Kenilworth was visited by the NSPCC’s Schools Service with pupils from reception upwards attending a special assembly delivered by NSPCC volunteer Laura Mitchell, who is also a safeguarding governor at the school.

During the 2018/19 autumn and spring terms, volunteers from the child protection charity reached 10,359 children in Warwickshire with Speak Out. Stay Safe, which is designed to give them the knowledge they need to stay safe from abuse and who they can turn to for help.

But the NSPCC wants to ensure every primary school pupil in Warwickshire has the chance to hear these vital messages – so schools across the county are being urged to sign up.

The service also needs more volunteers to take part in Speak Out. Stay Safe and help give a generation of children the understanding they need to stay safe from abuse and neglect.

Pupils are taught by specially trained volunteers, along with speech bubble mascot Buddy, to speak out if they are worried, either to a trusted adult or Childline.

Through age-appropriate, interactive assemblies and workshops children are empowered to recognise the different types of abuse, and understand how to protect themselves.

Laura Mitchell, whose children attend Clinton Primary School, said: “We’ve had a fantastic response from schools in Warwickshire but we want to ensure we get these vital messages to as many pupils as possible.

“We can only do that by recruiting volunteers and visiting even more primary schools – so we would urge any that haven’t been visited by us to get in touch.

“The service is completely free and helps children understand some really important issues in an age-appropriate way.

“Children have spoken out about abuse as a result of our volunteers delivering this programme in primary schools, so we know how vitally important the information we deliver is.

“Our volunteers give up their time to make a difference in the lives of children, and it’s very rewarding knowing that you have helped a child. All our volunteers are given extensive training to help them deliver the assemblies in the most child friendly way.”

The NSPCC’s Speak Out. Stay Safe programme is available to all primary schools in the UK. In 2017/18 the schools programme visited over 8,000 schools and spoke to 1.8 million children.

To find out more, and request a visit for your school, go to www.nspcc.org.uk/speakout. Or you can contact Natasha Turberville [email protected] or 07500785029.

To volunteer, or to find out more, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do or contact Natasha on the details above.