Children 1st calls on public to help children over festive period

By Caroline Lovell on December 20, 2007 in Child safeguarding, Children

A Scottish children’s charity is calling on the public to support vulnerable children over Christmas by volunteering or fundraising.

Children 1st, the working name for the Royal Scottish Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children, is urging the public to give support, care and practical help to “stop a bad childhood lasting a lifetime”.

It is urging people to volunteer for a children’s helpline or charity, donate money or fundraise to help children whose families are not “a safe refuge but a place of fear, anxiety and violence.”

Tom Roberts, head of public affairs at Children 1st, said: “We know that Christmas is traditionally a time when many families come together and one that most of us associate with fun, games and laughter.

“Sadly, it is also a time of stress and anxiety for many families, and as the smallest and most vulnerable family members, children can often bear the brunt of such tensions. While they remain totally dependent on adults to love, care and protect them, the sad reality is that many children are failed by the most important grown-ups in their lives.”

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Children 1st