More volunteers are needed across North Wales to help protect children from harm.

NSPCC Cymru/Wales is appealing for people to support them with their work teaching primary school children about the different types of abuse and where they can go for help should they ever need it.

The children’s charity, which has a base in Prestatyn, funds a Schools Service across the country, which sees trained members of staff and volunteers deliver free safeguarding sessions in primary schools that sign up.

In the last academic year across Wales, more than 80,000 children aged 5-11 attended a 'Speak out. Stay safe.' assembly at their school, which helps them learn in an age-appropriate way about physical, sexual and emotional abuse, as well as neglect and bullying.

Rhian Jones is an Area Co-ordinator for the charity’s Schools Service in North Wales.

She says: “We currently have a fantastic team of volunteers that help us deliver these really important safeguarding sessions in English to children in schools across North Wales.

“As we want to deliver the programme to children in the language they feel most comfortable with, we need more volunteers that can help us deliver the programme in Welsh so that we are able to reach every school in North Wales at least every three years.

“It’s why we’re appealing to anyone who has a passion for protecting children to help us empower the next generation to know about the types of abuse and identify trusted adults should they have a concern, who will be able to take action to keep them safe.”

In 2018/19 the programme reached more than 20,000 primary school children at 189 primary schools across Gwynedd, Denbighshire, Wrexham, Conwy, Flintshire and Anglesey, but with more Welsh-speaking volunteers the charity is hoping to be able to benefit more children.

Rhian added: “We offer the service free to primary schools in English or Welsh, and without a devoted team of volunteers it wouldn’t be possible to do this.

“Some of our volunteers may deliver two sessions a month, whereas others may have the time to deliver one or two a week.

“Our volunteers come from all different backgrounds, but what they all have in common is a shared desire to protect children from harm by educating them about the different kinds of abuse, trusted adults, and our charity’s Childline service.”

Meic Griffith, 69, has been volunteering with the team since he retired more than five years ago, delivering the programme in primary schools across North Wales.

Meic says: “I had previously worked as a teacher in two special needs schools and had witnessed at first hand the adverse effect abuse had on children and how it can ruin their lives.

“With the ‘Speak out. Stay safe’ programme we want all children to be in a position to speak out when they are worried and say no to anything that causes them concern.

“Through our workshops, they gain confidence to speak openly about their issues and they realise that a child who has been abused is not to be blamed. And they become comfortable in the knowledge that they can call Childline for any worry, large or small.”

NSPCC research highlights that on average, two children in every classroom have suffered abuse or neglect, with one in 20 children having been sexually abused. It’s why the charity aims to visit every primary school every three years to deliver the ‘Speak Out. Stay Safe.’ programme.

Rhian added: “Our volunteers have to feel comfortable talking about what may initially seem a difficult subject for adults to discuss with children.

“They take our mascot Buddy into schools to help engage the children in a light-hearted way, using simple language and fun activities to help them learn about abuse in a non-scary way.”

The service’s mascot Buddy is introduced to children in all the different year groups, who are taught how to identify a trusted adult they can speak to if something is worrying them.

One in three children who have been sexually abused by an adult did not tell someone at the time, and so the children learn about Childline and how it can support them at any time of day or night, should they need to talk to someone.

The safeguarding assemblies start conversations around abuse in a live, interactive and memorable way, and pave the way for teachers to continue these discussion with their students in the classroom.

Successful applicants who become volunteers for the Schools Service receive a comprehensive training package, which includes online and face-to-face training, as well as peer mentoring.

More information is available on the charity’s website. Anyone interested in volunteering for the Schools Service can contact Rhian on 07980 005 964 or email Rhian.Jones@nspcc.org.uk.