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.

Finance Director

The community engagement programme is a key enabler of our strategy 2023. The post holder will work alongside the ISPCCs Community Engagement Manager – Parenting Lead, ensure that the ISPCC is reaching out to various communities in Ireland including Parents/caregivers, children and young people, teachers and youth leaders.

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Staying safe online: ISPCC offers FREE webinars for parents and their children on World Mental Health Day

October 2023

The online landscape is constantly shifting and evolving and it’s hard for even the most tech savvy among us to keep on top of the latest developments. As a parent, teaching your children how to stay safe when they’re online while also encouraging them not to fear new technology is a very tricky balance. ISPCC can help.

This World Mental Health Day on October 10, ISPCC parenting leads Siobhan Harvey, Niamh Clarke and Victoria Howson are hosting a one-hour webinar designed to help parents of those aged 12 and over to learn more about online safety and to develop the key skills necessary to support their child.

But it is also important to involve your child in learning how to safely navigate online. So two days later, on October 12, ISPCC is hosting a second, 30-minute webinar aimed at children aged 12 years and over accompanied by a parent.

The aim of both webinars is to help both parents and young people to increase their online knowledge and to critically analyse relevant issues. Parents will learn the key skills to support their children, while young people will learn more about how to safely navigate online. 

Online safety is a huge area and the thought of it can be daunting, but these webinars will provide a safe, non-judgemental place to ask questions, while also offering key take-aways in bite-size, easily digestible chunks.

We at ISPCC know only too well the importance of staying safe online. Children and young people tell us their concerns through our 24/7 Childline listening service, through our therapeutic services and through our Shield Anti-Bullying programme.

We know what is worrying children and young people in Ireland; we know what is on their minds and we know how to support them.

We understand that parents, teachers and young people are concerned that our increasing reliance on digital technologies are exacerbating feelings of anxiety and depression among our youth, and we’re here to listen and to help.

Webinar details are:  

  • Parents webinar, Tuesday, October 10, 7pm to 8pm. To register, click here
  • Parents and young people webinar, Thursday, October 12, 7pm to 7.30pm. 

     

You can watch back the webinars below: 
 

 

This Halloween, do the Conga Line for Childline!

Hey teachers, want to do something spectacularly spooky and scary this Halloween? Don’t worry, it’s all in a good cause and you can make a real difference to children and young people throughout Ireland while also channelling your inner monster, zombie or even werewolf…

This Halloween marks the very first Conga Line for Childline and everyone at school is invited: https://ispcc.enthuse.com/cf/halloween-conga-line-for-childline

Skeletons, witches and ghosts, you’re all very welcome to this Childline get-together – as long as you’ve got your dancing shoes on! It’s going to be a scream…

We’re asking teachers and students alike to dress up during any day in October, flaunt their fang-tastic outfits and then get ready to show off their moves. Each class will form a conga line through the school, spreading joy and awareness for Childline.

Together we can make a real difference for children and young people throughout Ireland.

Conga Line for Childline is the ISPCC’s latest school campaign. We want to bring children together to have fun, while making a big difference to the lives of others. Every student is invited to donate €4 as part of this fundraiser for Childline, a service that provides support for all children and young people, no matter what’s on their mind.

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.

To participate in Conga Line for Childline, simply do the following:
• sign up your class or school by registering here and you will automatically receive your fundraising page
• choose a date in October. Childline will send you a digital information booklet and post balloons and posters to you for your event
• ask each student to donate €4 though your school’s fundraising page. This link can easily be sent to parents/guardians through email, shared on your school’s website/social media or WhatsApp as well as Aladdin and Unique
• Childline will provide your school with a virtual school talk and certificate upon completion of Conga Line for Childline
• Donations will automatically be sent to Childline from the fundraising page. These donations will support our 24/7 listening service

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Notes to Editors: 
ISPCC spokespeople are available for comment or interview.
For more information, please contact: 
Rowena Walsh, ISPCC Media and Communications Coordinator 
Tel: 087 2997872 Email: [email protected] 

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 old.  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. 

Making their mark – the tattoo shops teaming up for Childline

Three tattoo shops in Cork are coming together for one day only to support the fabulous work carried out by ISPCC volunteers on our 24/7 Childline listening service. 

On Friday, October 13, 2023, Black Poppy, Smiley Dogg and Art Lab will donate 100% of their profits to ISPCC. Customers can choose from flash sheets ranging from €60 to €100, while temporary tattoos are also available, including Childline-related symbols and Friday the 13th effects. 

The three shops will be open from 11am to 6pm, and people can donate in each studio when they’re paying for their tattoo. Those who are unable to make the event or want to make an extra donation can go to the Childline idonate page: https://www.idonate.ie/cause/ISPCC

For Dee Byrne of Smiley Dogg Tattoo, teaming up with their supposed rivals was an easy decision. “By uniting with other tattoo studios in the community in support of the Childline fundraiser, we are demonstrating that art, compassion and collective effort can bring about meaningful change,” says Dee. 

She adds that Childline’s mission of providing a lifeline for vulnerable children and adolescents resonates deeply with her and her fellow creatives at Smiley Dogg Tattoo, which has two branches in Cork city – at North Main St and Oliver Plunkett Street. 

“We hope that by engaging in this fundraiser, we can channel our creative passion into making a difference in these young lives. Each ink stroke will serve as a symbol of optimism and hope, a testament to the resilience of these youngsters and a reminder that art can go beyond visual appearances to positively impact lives.”

Dee’s feelings are echoed by Jacob Stahlecker, co-owner of Black Poppy, which is located on Father Matthew St, who says that the artists at the studio have been committed to giving back to our adopted homes and community since it opened in 2020. He is very happy to support the fundraiser for Childline, a service that provides support for all children and young people, no matter what’s on their mind. 

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.

 

 

ISPCC and acclaimed author Katie O’Donoghue team up for FREE webinar on coping with anxiety for primary-school teachers and their students

Anxiety can strike even the youngest among us, and it’s never too early to learn coping strategies. So ISPCC and acclaimed author Katie O’Donoghue are collaborating to present ‘The Little Squirrel Who Worried’, a free workshop for primary-school teachers and their students on September 26. 

The one-hour webinar is aimed at children aged between five and eight years of age.  ISPCC parenting leads, Siobhan Harvey and Niamh Clarke, will be joined by Katie O’Donoghue, an author, illustrator and art psychotherapist.  

 The webinar is based on Katie’s debut book ‘The Little Squirrel Who Worried’, the tale of a woodland creature who hasn’t left his nest since last autumn. He needs to gather nuts for the long winter to come but he’s too worried to leave his cosy home.

This well-being workshop combines creative therapeutic activities and storytelling. All that is needed to participate in the webinar are the following:

• Colouring templates, provided by ISPCC

• Sheets of blank paper

• Colouring pens/crayons/markers

• An envelope for each participating child

• Parent information guidance sheet on worry time, provided by ISPCC

This is the latest collaboration between ISPCC and Katie after a successful webinar series earlier this year, which focussed on strengthening resilience and coping with anxiety. 

We at ISPCC know what is worrying children and young people in Ireland; we know what is on their minds and we know how to support them.

Participants who register by clicking here will also be in with a chance to win a signed copy of Katie’s latest book The Little Otter Who Tried, which aims to teach children valuable lessons about self-care, resilience and the best ways of asking for help.

Webinar details are:  

Tuesday, September 26, 11.30am to 12.30pm

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