WITHOUT our dedicated volunteers it would be impossible for the charity to continue to be there for children. They support our Childline service, the NSPCC Helpline and various other departments across the organisation.

They also work in primary schools delivering important messages to aid children to recognise the signs of abuse and help them to feel confident to speak out if something doesn’t feel right.

This programme is called Speak out, Stay safe. Using age-appropriate language, it helps children understand that abuse is never their fault and that they have a right to be safe. It also shows them that the NSPCC’s Childline service is one of the places they can turn to if they ever need support.

With the help of Buddy the friendly speech bubble mascot, volunteers have been delivering this programme for over 13 years through fun, lively and interactive assemblies and workshops. In the last year across the region, we’ve reached over 199,000 school children across 856 schools. But we want to reach every child, and we need more help to do this.

Our workshops are delivered to children aged six and seven and nine to 11-year-olds. One girl, aged 10, said: “I attended a Speak out, Stay safe assembly this week and it was awesome. Everyone in my class found Buddy so cute. I have friends who contacted Childline before and they said it’s been very helpful, so after the visit I thought I’d get in touch to see what it’s like.”

On average, two children in every primary school class have experienced abuse or neglect. Some might not know anything is wrong or may be scared about speaking out in fear of repercussions. By helping them recognise signs of abuse, we can help them feel confident to share concerns with a safe adult or Childline.

The current version of Speak out, Stay safe, available to primary schools, includes resources like virtual assemblies, lesson plans and face-to-face workshops with NSPCC-trained volunteers. The programme is available in English, Welsh and incorporating British Sign Language, and there’s a version for children with additional needs and disabilities. We encourage all primary schools to sign up for the programme to ensure every pupil has the knowledge and confidence to recognise when something isn’t right, and know who to speak to.

Use our pre-application to find out more. If you decide to join us, full training is provided with support from our school’s team. If you can spare a few hours a month to help the Schools Service deliver the Speak out, Stay safe programme, register at join-us.nspcc.org.uk/volunteers/volunteers/schools

Primary schools can sign up at learning.nspcc.org.uk/services/speak-out-stay-safe