Youngsters across the county are being encouraged to stand up for the planet as an annual reading challenge gets underway next month. East Sussex libraries are calling on children aged four to 12 to read six books over the summer months as part of The Reading Agency’s Wild World Heroes, […]
Scheme highlights potential dangers for children
YOUNGSTERS across East Sussex are ‘Staying Safe with Sam’ after receiving free picture books highlighting potential dangers in the home. East Sussex County Council is one of only two authorities in the country to have received the resources from the Child Accident Prevention Trust (CAPT) as part of an initiative […]
East Sussex residents encouraged to support local children’s futures through fostering
Residents across the county are being urged to consider becoming foster carers during Foster Care Fortnight. During the annual campaign, which this year runs from May 10 to 23, the county council is highlighting the need to find more people who can provide local children and young people with a home […]
Maria Caulfield MP encourages local children to enter Royal Mail hero stamp competition
Lewes MP Maria Caulfield is encouraging local children to take part in the Royal Mail’s competition to design stamps to honour heroes, including key workers and others, who have done great things since the start of the pandemic to help the country through a very challenging period. This competition gives […]
Holiday Food and Fun programme to launch at Easter
A HOLIDAY food and activity programme to support children during the school holidays will be launched in East Sussex next month. Over forty providers across the county have signed up to participate in the Government funded scheme to provide nutritious meals and enriching activities for a number of primary and […]
Local Conservatives slammed for leaving children to go hungry during school holidays
On Wednesday evening (21/10/2020), the Conservative party, including Lewes MP Maria Caulfield, will vote against a motion in the House of Commons that would guarantee that all children in receipt of free school meals will continue to receive them during the upcoming school holidays. Commenting on the issue, James MacCleary, […]
FAMILIES STRONGER FOR LOCKDOWN EXPERIENCE
BUT MEAL-TIME CONVERSATIONS ARE KEY TO MAINTAINING BONDS REFLECTIONS ON CHILDREN’S FIRST MONTH BACK AT SCHOOL · Lockdown gave parents the chance to have family time around the dinner table. Now 38% believe it is more important than ever to talk to their children · 9 in 10 children (93%) enjoy their […]
National awareness week highlights need for loving homes
THE NEED to find families for children who wait the longest for a loving home is being highlighted during National Adoption Week. Adoption South East hopes the awareness-raising event will encourage people to consider adopting sibling groups, older children, those with complex health needs and children from Black and Minority […]
NSPCC lays out six tests for Government to create world-leading laws to protect children online
Charity at the forefront of the Online Harms Bill urges Government to deliver on Boris Johnson’s determination for ambitious regulation NSPCC sets 11th hour demand for Government: ‘Pass our tests for online regulation so children don’t continue to suffer avoidable harm and abuse’ Online sex crimes recorded against children in Sussex […]
From crisis to recovery: Latest Childline insights as children return to school
This week children across the UK should be back in school, which is a welcome step towards returning to something resembling normality. The NSPCC has new Childline analysis on children’s feelings about going back to school. Today, the charity has released a powerful film detailing the work they’ve been doing […]
Is your child road safety aware? Survey of parents reveals road safety fears
Most parents do not think their children understand road dangers or concentrate properly when near roads, a new survey reveals as pupils prepare to set off back to school from next week. Safety campaigners have urged parents to help children learn the Green Cross Code “as they would their spellings […]
Police record 61% rise of child sexual offences in Sussex in five years
Nationally child sexual offences jump 57% in five years as NSPCC calls for urgent action to tackle crisis of abuse More than 1,900 child sex offences recorded by Sussex Police in 2019/20 – the equivalent to 37 offences a week · Childline counselling sessions about sexual abuse in the family triple […]
CHILDLINE SEES SURGE IN CHILDREN AGED 11 AND UNDER REACHING OUT WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONCERNS
· Childline data reveals there have been nearly 22,000 counselling sessions about mental health and wellbeing since lockdown, including almost 2,000 with 11-year-olds and under · The NSPCC urges Government to prioritise a children’s recovery plan including mental health support, alongside health and the economy · Childline has seen an increase in young […]
Eastbourne playgrounds reopen this Saturday
Childrens’ play areas in Eastbourne are to reopen from Saturday (July 4) in line with government guidance on easing lockdown measures. Eastbourne Borough Council’s Neighbourhood First team is working hard to carry out safety inspections and essential maintenance ahead of their reopening. Children should not use them while they are […]
Launch of new regional adoption agency
Sent on behalf of Adoption South East FAMILIES across the south east able to offer adoptive children a loving home will now be supported by a newly created agency. Adoption South East brings together services from Brighton & Hove City Council and East Sussex, West Sussex and Surrey county councils […]
NSPCC urges Prime Minister to get social media regulation done as online child grooming offences pass 10,000
NSPCC asks Boris Johnson to publicly commit to having world-leading online harms legislation on statute book within 18 months Social media sites are ‘enabling offenders’ as recorded online grooming crimes under new law goes beyond 10,000 and 220 in Sussex Facebook-owned apps were involved in 55% of instances where the method […]
School Service marks 10th Birthday
Children’s charity the NSPCC is celebrating 10 years of helping school children recognise and report abuse. A special Speak Out, Stay Safe assembly will be held at a Brighton school marking the 10th birthday of NSPCC’s School Service. ‘Buddy’ the mascot, who will be lending a hand with celebrations, has […]
NSPCC statement: Govt plans to stand up to Silicon Valley ‘game-changing’
Today the Government has announced landmark plans to give Ofcom powers to regulate social networks and protect children from harm on their sites. NSPCC CEO Peter Wanless said: “The Government has today signalled they are willing to stand up to Silicon Valley and commit to landmark British regulation […]
Childline prepares to support children during their darkest hours at Christmas
Childline volunteers in the South East expecting to deliver hundreds of counselling sessions to children and young people over the festive period Actor and Ambassador for Childline Natalie Dormer joined a night shift NSPCC ‘Light For Every Childhood’ Christmas Appeal shines a light on children needing help in December Childline […]
Rise in recorded sex offences against Sussex children
A sex crime against a child recorded every seven minutes nationally In Sussex there has been a 59% increase in the number of recorded sexual offences against children from 2014 to 2019. NSPCC calls for transformation of support system for children who have been abused Recorded sexual offences against children […]
Foraging in the wild – for three year olds
Children as young as three years old are learning about the changing seasons at Sussex Wildlife Trust Nature Tots sessions by making delicious blackberry smoothies to drink and then making natural paint with the left over goo. Weekly sessions on Tuesdays and Wednesdays are designed to connect children with nature […]
Kids can join the Space Chase and draw their own alien
YOUNGSTERS have the chance to meet the award-winning author and illustrator behind the space-themed images for this year’s Summer Reading Challenge. Adam Stower will visit Eastbourne Library for a workshop event at which he’ll teach children how to create their own characters and draw their own aliens. Adam has designed […]
Increase in reports of children being left home alone during school holidays
Third of contacts about children left unsupervised were during summer months Charity encourages parents in Sussex to talk to their children about staying safe online, as well as offline NSPCC has urged parents in Sussex to think carefully before leaving their children unsupervised during the school holidays, after seeing a […]
Holiday Clubs
Sussex Wildlife Trust is leading fun-packed outdoor activity days for children across the county throughout the school holidays. From bug-hunting, survival skills, camouflage games, rock-pooling, to arts and crafts from natural materials; there is something for everybody. ‘Wild Woodies’ may join in the muddy minibeast mayhem in the woods, or […]
East Sussex kids’ favourite book named
A MYSTERY adventure in which a boy’s life changes forever when a giant sinkhole appears under his home has been named East Sussex children’s favourite book. The Jewelled Jaguar, by Sharon Tregenza, came first in a poll of county schoolchildren to claim top prize in the East Sussex Children’s Book […]
Do you really know what your child does when they’re online?
For our children and young people, the internet is a wonderful place where they can explore, learn new things, communicate, be entertained and much more, with their curiosity and appetite for new content evolving and growing as they do. At Get Safe Online, we embrace these benefits, but equally, we […]
Story book will help protect youngsters from accidental poisoning
A COLOURFUL new story book and resource pack for teachers and parents aims to protect thousands of young children across East Sussex from accidental poisoning. Launched to coincide with Child Safety Week, June 3 to 9, Staying Safe with Sam uses interactive stories to help youngsters stay safe around laundry […]
Free NSPCC service which helps keep Sussex children safe from abuse receives a cash boost from Police and Crime Commissioner
Katy Bourne awarded the charity’s Speak out Stay safe service £5,000 from the Safer in Sussex Community Safety fund which was launched by her office in 2013 for crime reduction and community safety initiatives. With the help of mascot Buddy, specially trained NSPCC volunteers teach pupils aged four to 11 […]