Fiona Jennings, ISPCC Head of Policy and Public Affairs calls on the government to provide long term multi annual funding to tackle child poverty.
Continue readingISPCC’s Fiona Jennings calls for multi annual funding to tackle child poverty
ISPCC reports shocking statistics on sexual abuse, rape, trafficking and violence as it launches national Christmas appeal
“For too many children and young people, Christmas doesn’t mean presents or a happy day full of warmth and safety. Instead, it means abuse, neglect and loneliness. It breaks my heart to know that it can be nothing but a living nightmare for many of our young people across this country. Take a moment to think of all the young people in your community who could be going through this behind closed doors, alone, afraid, feeling unloved.”
Continue readingISPCC honoured at the Media Awards 2025
ISPCC and leading independent full service advertising agency Javelin received the top accolade for the Best Collaboration Agency & Media Owner (Niche) at this year’s Media Awards for its national radio campaign ‘Once I was that Child’
The radio campaign, which was voiced by Saoirse Ronan, aimed to reveal the dark truths behind childhood in Ireland. ‘Once I was that Child’ was brought to full, terrible, haunting life by the power of Saoirse’s performance. The Blitz and Outrun actress urged the listener to think of and donate to the ISPCC, which needs public support to continue its essential work helping so many traumatised children and young people.
The Media Awards, which took place in the Mansion House, on May 8, celebrate the teams behind the ideas, strategic and creative thinking and implementation which generate impact and business success. The categories reflect the fast-moving media landscape and recognise the talent who are driving the change.
ISPCC and Javelin also received a Silver award for ‘Once I was that Child’ in the Media Campaign Niche, a category limited to campaigns with a media budget of under €50,000.
Deirdre McNamara, Director, Marketing and Communications, ISPCC, says: “We’re absolutely delighted to receive this recognition. The awards are a testament to the passion, creativity and true collaborative spirit of our combined teams. Working with the Javelin team, we created a very important campaign. ‘Once I was that child’ is a reminder to us all that once innocence is stolen childhood is lost forever.”
ISPCC & Javelin Dublin Win Best Radio, Craft, and Copywriting at the Irish Audio Awards
ISPCC & Javelin Dublin won Best Radio, Craft and Copywriting for their Christmas 2024 radio campaign - Once I was that Child, voiced by Saoirse Ronan, at the Irish Audio Awards
The ISPCC (Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children) and Javelin Dublin earned top honours at the 2025 Irish Audio awards, winning Best Radio, Craft, and Copywriting for their Christmas 2024 campaign, Once I Was That Child. Voiced by the acclaimed Saoirse Ronan, this emotionally charged radio ad captured the heartbreaking reality faced by vulnerable children in Ireland.
Hosted by Anton Savage, the awards took place on March 27th at Dublin’s Smock Alley Theatre and celebrated outstanding achievements in audio production. Out of 150 entries, 30 were shortlisted, and nine awards were presented on the night.. The win for ISPCC and Javelin Dublin stood out, reflecting the powerful combination of exceptional craft, storytelling, and the emotional depth that made this campaign so impactful.
The Once I Was That Child radio campaign was launched last November in support of ISPCC’s Childline, Ireland’s only 24/7 listening service for children. In the ad, Saoirse Ronan calls attention to the grim statistics faced by young people in Ireland. The shocking truth revealed by the campaign includes that 300 children a year contact Childline about sexual abuse, 50 children annually attempt to take their own lives while on the phone to Childline and 50 weekly contacts are related to various forms of abuse. Ronan’s voice brought these harrowing statistics to life, urging the people of Ireland to reflect on the hidden suffering of children in their communities.
ISPCC’s Once I Was That Child is more than just an award-winning radio ad; it is a call to action for the Irish public to support a vital service that helps children in crisis. With the backing of Saoirse Ronan and a message that resonated deeply, the campaign helped to shine a light on the darkness faced by too many young people in Ireland today.
ISPCC reveals that for many children in Ireland, Christmas was a day of trauma and despair with over 820 children reaching out to Childline over the Christmas period*
December 26th will be one of busiest days of the year for Childline with data showing a 12% increase in contacts made to Ireland’s only 24-hour listening service for children and young people
Dublin, December 26th, 2024 – Childline, today (St Stephen’s Day 2024), reveals that 820 children and young people contacted Ireland’s only 24-hour listening service during Christmas*, representing a 12% increase in connections made this year compared with Christmas 2023. The heartbreaking data complied over a three-day Christmas period (December 23rd, 24th and 25th) shows that:
For many children, Christmas is not a time of joy but one of fear and misery as they contact Childline to talk about: suicide, abuse, neglect, bereavement and loneliness
There has been a noticeable trend over the last year whereby those children engaging with Childline are at extremely high risk of harm. Sadly, such stark revelations come as no surprise to the dedicated team of staff and volunteers at ISPCC.
Elizabeth Donlon Fox, National Childline Listening Co-ordinator said: “Our data reveals that today, December 26th, will be one of the busiest days of the year for our team of staff and volunteers at Childline, and we expect that over 250 children and young people will reach out to us today because of something that has happened to them over Christmas.”
John Church, CEO, ISPCC said: “For too many children and young people, Christmas simply doesn’t happen. They turn to Childline for support, and our amazing staff and volunteers are there for them 24/7 over Christmas, as they are throughout the year. We depend on donations for up to 90% of the funding which keeps us listening 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. Without this help, we would not be able to be here for every child who needs us.”
Additional statistics from Ireland’s only 24/7 listening service for children and young people reveal:
- * 50 children a year are in the process of trying to take their own life while on the phone to the Childline team
- * Over 200 actively suicidal children have contacted Childline during the last year
- * The Childline team has had 1,300 suicide-related contacts over the past 12 months
Too many children and young people don’t have the Christmas that they dream of and deserve. Instead, a day that should be full of joy is nothing special and sometimes a lot worse. To help Childline help those children whose Christmas dreams have turned to nightmares, go to ispcc.ie
*Christmas statistics refer to December 23, December 24 and December 25
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ISPCC honoured with award for ‘hard-hitting campaign that exposed truth about childhood in Ireland’
ISPCC wins top accolade at Awards for Excellence in PR
ISPCC has received the top accolade for the Best Short-Term Media Campaign at the Awards for Excellence in Public Relations for its campaign ‘For some children, Christmas doesn’t happen’.
The awards, which have been co-hosted by the Public Relations Consultants Association Ireland (PRCA) and the Public Relations Institute of Ireland (PRII) for the past 30 years, recognise the best in Irish public relations, public affairs and internal communications across the public and private sectors.
There had been an initial 37 submissions in ISPCC’s category, which was then short-listed to a group of five finalists.
The judges said that it was a close contest, “but the winning entry was a hard-hitting campaign that showed no fear of exposing harsh truths about childhood in Ireland.”
They added that “this was a strategic and well-planned campaign, with excellent use of research and timing. Challenging objectives were clearly achieved with tangible results. Kudos to an in-house team that surely worked long hours over the holidays period.”
Deirdre McNamara, ISPCC Head of Marketing and Communications, said that “ISPCC was delighted to see our campaign recognised by our peers. This achievement is testament to the amazing work of everyone at ISPCC.
“For too many children and young people, Christmas is sadly just another day. For some, the issues they encounter all year can worsen. It can mean abuse, neglect and loneliness. For others, Christmas can present new worries and concerns. Whatever the reason, they turn to Childline for support and for someone to listen.”
“At Childline we rely heavily on public generosity to help us to be here for every child who needs us. We depend on this generosity to keep us listening 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year.”
• To support Childline and help keep volunteers listening to children and young people, please support the Childline Summer appeal and donate at www.ispcc.ie.
Childline by ISPCC reports over 100 contacts made in relation to sexual abuse in past month
- Ireland’s only 24hour listening service for children and young people launches national Christmas appeal as harrowing statistics reveal up to 10 contacts per week from teenagers pertaining to rape
Dublin, November 27th, 2023 – Childline by ISPCC has today launched a national Christmas appeal with heartbreaking statistics that reveal Ireland’s only 24-hour listening service for children and young people receives:
• 120,000 contacts each year of which almost one quarter are classified “level 4” – the most concerning.
• 26 contacts from children and young people in relation to child sexual abuse on a weekly basis.
• 169 contacts about incest to date (November 27th, 2023)
• Weekly Childline by ISPCC receives between five to 10 contacts from teenagers about rape.
This Christmas the team of staff and volunteers at ISPCC will be working hard to address these horrifying statistics. The 24/7 Childline listening service means that there is always someone to listen if a child or young person needs to share their story, during the festive season and all through the year.
Many of the contacts received by the team at ISPCC are heartbreaking. One of our volunteers Ciara* spoke several times to a little girl named Orla* who rang about how scared she was of the monster who came to her bedroom at night.
This monster should have been one of the most trusted people in her life, but nine-year-old Orla was being sexually abused by a member of her family.
Another volunteer Maria* tells of a young caller Jess* who was also being abused at home. Jess had been calling Childline regularly and through talking to our volunteers had built up her courage and determination to protect and save her siblings from her own horrifying experience.
Orla and Jess’s experiences are not rare. According to the CSO Sexual Violence Survey 2022, 41% of respondents, aged 18-24, experienced sexual violence as a child. Of those surveyed, 83% of victims knew the perpetrator.
Mairead McGinn, Director of Fundraising, ISPCC said: “Childline relies heavily on public generosity to help keep us here for every child and young person 24 hours a day. We depend on donations for up to 75% of the funding which keeps us listening 24hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days of the year. Every donation, no matter how small, makes a real difference and helps to ensure that we always provide a listening ear and support to those who need it.”
In addition to our 24/7 Childline service, ISPCC is also playing an active role to help prevent child sexual abuse through a number of proactive initiatives.
“At ISPCC, we know how important technology is as a means of combatting child sexual abuse. We are delighted to be involved in the GroSafe research project with TU Dublin, the aim of which is to develop a technology-enabled solution to build societal resilience to child grooming,” said Fiona Jennings, Head of Policy and Public Affairs, ISPCC.
She continued: “We are also working with TU Dublin in an End Violence Against Children funded research project to develop a tool that reveals the patterns of adults perpetrating online child sexual abuse and the children who are affected by such violence.”’
To donate this Christmas, go to www.ispcc.ie/christmas-appeal-2023/
*Names have been changed
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So if you really love Christmas, c’mon and let it show… by wearing a Christmas jumper for Childline
‘Tis the season, so don’t even try to resist… oh no, oh no… Instead embrace that Christmas sparkle. Don’t be a grinch saying ‘where’s me jumper?’, instead get it on for Childline this Christmas…
Getting dressed up is all part of Christmas fun. We’ve thought of the perfect way for you to show off your fabulously festive attire by hosting a Christas Jumper Day in aid of Childline your workplace, school, club or creche. You can even do it virtually for colleagues who aren’t in the office.
Everyone is invited to this fundraiser for Childline, Ireland’s only 24/7 listening service for children and young people.
Go to https://www.idonate.ie/event/childlinechristmasjumperday to set up your fundraising page. When you create your page, Childline by ISPCC will be in touch to help you pick a date for you and your colleagues, friends or family and can post out posters, stickers and balloons if needed!
We will also send you email signature, a zoom/teams background if needed as well as digital posters and proposed social media posts.
We’ve made our list, you see, and we’ve certainly checked it twice!
Together we can make a real difference for children and young people throughout Ireland.
ISPCC needs to raise over 75% of its funding through donations each year to ensure we can be there to support children and young people 24-hours a day, 365 days of the year. We rely on the generosity of the public and are grateful for all support. We encourage children to reach out for any reason.
Family relationships, mental/emotional health, and sex, relationships and puberty among the challenges faced by children who turned to Childline this Christmas
Family relationships, mental/emotional health, and sex, relationships and puberty among the challenges faced by children who turned to Childline this Christmas
Family relationships, mental/emotional health, and sex, relationships and puberty were among the issues spoken about by children and young people who turned to the Childline listening service for support over the Christmas period this year.
Over 70 volunteers across Ireland gave of their time across the period to help ensure no child or young person had to face their challenges alone.
The 24-hour active listening service is one of the suite of Childline services provided by ISPCC. It is free, non-judgmental and non-directive.
Childline answered almost 600 online contacts, calls and texts from children and young people across Ireland across December 23, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day.
ISPCC Chief Executive John Church said: “While Christmas is often a magical time for children and young people, we know from those who turn to Childline that this is not so for many children and young people. They experience challenges to their mental and emotional wellbeing more acutely now than at any other time of the year. They can often feel very alone.
“This year, many children did not wake up the kind of Christmas Day they had dreamed of. They told us of the impact of alcohol or substance misuse in their home, they told us how alone and anxious they felt and they told us how they were missing loved ones.
“Many children and young people in Ireland felt lonely, stressed and upset this Christmas. Their feelings were exacerbated as they saw families and friends celebrating together and it’s not like that for them. They turned to Childline for a listening ear and a supportive voice to hear them. And our amazing Childline volunteers were there for them 24/7 over December 23, Christmas Eve and Christmas Day – as they are throughout the Christmas period.
“We are so thankful for the incredible dedication of our Childline volunteers. They leave their own families at Christmas to ensure that there is always someone to listen when a child or young person needs them.
“On behalf of all the children and young people who Childline supports, we would like to say thank you to the people of Ireland for all they do to help keep the service here 24 hours a day, every day. We are sincerely grateful to you for helping to ensure children and young people have someone to turn to, always.”
To support Childline and help keep volunteers listening to children and young people 24 hours a day, 365 days a year in 2023 and beyond, visit ispcc.ie
Childline’s 24-Hour Support Line can be reached by:
Chatting online at Childline.ie
Calling 1800 66 66 66
Childline’s 24/7 support line is having more conversations relating to suicide, conflict at home and unhappiness in the lead-up to this Christmas
Childline’s 24/7 support line is having more conversations relating to suicide, conflict at home and unhappiness in the lead-up to Christmas
ISPCC, the charity dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and young people, is reminding children and young people across Ireland that Childline’s 24-hour support line is available every day and night 24/7 all through the Christmas period.
ISPCC Chief Executive John Church said: “In November and December to date, the service has experienced a rise in conversations amongst children seeking support in relation to thoughts about suicide, conflict in the home and feelings of low-mood and unhappiness. Anxiety continues to be a topic frequently discussed by children who speak with Childline both online and on the phone.
“As children around the country begin their Christmas break, Childline encourages children to reach out for any reason, anytime this Christmas.”
Last Christmas, family conflict, mental health and self-harm were among challenges faced by children who contacted Childline. We anticipate that, along with these concerns, our volunteers will support children experiencing loss, anxiety and thoughts of suicide this Christmas. We expect over 600 engagements with children.
The charity is keenly aware that Christmas can be an exceptionally challenging time for many children and young people.
Childline’s 24-hour support line is there to support children and young people for any reason, and it’s a message the charity is eager that children and young people are aware of during the Christmas holidays.
ISPCC’s Director of Services Caroline O’Sullivan said: “We know that some children may feel that their concern is not ‘serious’ enough or what they are feeling or experiencing doesn’t matter as much as maybe what is going on for another child. At Childline this is far from the case, what they want to share matters, they matter, and we encourage them to reach out.
“Our dedicated volunteers and teams around the country listen and support children and young people, no matter what is on their mind or what they may be going through. Childline is there, unconditionally for them. Our online chat service is ideal for children who may feel more comfortable seeking support by typing and messaging about what is going on for them.”
Some of the many volunteers who will be supporting children this Christmas, themselves sought support from Childline when they were teenagers. Volunteer Peter O’Flanagan who reached out to the service when he was younger, said: “Just having someone to share things with and listen to what I had to say was a huge weight lifted off my chest. It’s why I volunteer now as I know how much that support meant to me. I know how important it is for children to have somewhere to turn.”
ISPCC needs to raise 75% of its funding each year from donations and relies on the generosity of people right across Ireland. The charity is grateful for all support which helps ensure its services and supports are available to children and young people 24 hours a day, every day. To support Childline’s Christmas appeal, please visit ispcc.ie or call 0818 50 40 50.
Donations, no matter how small, will help make sure every child has someone to turn to, whatever their concern or whatever challenge they face.”
Childline’s 24-Hour support line can be reached in the following ways:
Chat online: Childline.ie
Call: 1800 66 66 6
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Notes to Editors
For more information, please contact Rowena Walsh, ISPCC Marketing and Communications Coordinator. Tel: 087 3157552
Email: [email protected]
ISPCC CEO John Church, ISPCC Director of Services Caroline O’Sullivan and Childline 24-hour support Volunteers are available for interview or comment
About ISPCC
ISPCC is a charity dedicated to enhancing the lives of children and young people.
The charity provides a suite of Childline services and supports for children and young people up to and including those aged 18 years of age.
All services and supports champion prevention and early intervention, focusing on strengthening resilience and developing coping skills that will last a lifetime
Childline’s 24-hour support line can be contacted for FREE, 365 days a year 24/7. Children can chat online at childline.ie or call 1800 66 66 66.
ISPCC provide services, supports and programmes for parents/carers and those working or volunteering in child and youth settings e.g. schools, clubs, crèches etc.
Through its policy and public affairs work ISPCC advocates for meaningful change for children and young people now and leaves a legacy of improved experiences for future generations.