To protect more of the county’s children, the NSPCC is asking businesses in Redhill, Reigate and Horley to hold an old-school-style mufti day or bake sale.
The funds raised will support its ChildLine Schools Service, delivered by trained Childline volunteers, to teach children about forms of abuse such as bullying and neglect, and who to go to for help.
Katherine Potter, NSPCC community fundraising manager for Surrey, said: “Abuse ruins childhood, but it can be prevented.
“That’s why we started the ChildLine Schools Service – to empower children at a much earlier age to understand that they have the right to be happy and safe, and to teach them that help is out there if they ask for it.”
Since the service started in Surrey it has been to 90 schools and reached nearly 11,000 children. There are almost 28,000 nine to eleven year olds in Surrey and the NSPCC want to reach them all.
Ms Potter said: “What could be easier than wearing your jeans to the office and putting £2 in the pot, or making a batch of cupcakes for your colleagues and selling them for 50p?”
It costs £12 for the ChildLine Schools Service to teach one child about abuse and how to stay safe and £4 for ChildLine to answer a child’s call for help. ChildLine received 3,735 landline calls from Surrey last year.
Ms Potter said: “We help children who’ve been abused to rebuild their lives, we protect children at risk, and we find the best ways of preventing child abuse from ever happening.”
For help and resources to host an event and support the ChildLine Schools Service in Surrey, contact katherine.potter@nspcc.org.uk or call 07769 301 528.
If you have concerns about a child or young person, you can call the NSPCC on 0808 800 5000, text 88858 or visit nspcc.org.uk
Children and young people can contact ChildLine on 0800 1111 or visit childline.org.uk