Make a splash for Childline this September

September Sea Swim 2024

Finding Nemo’s Dory was very clear: “Just keep swimming”. It’s advice that heptathlete Lara O’Byrne would certainly agree with.

Lara, a passionate sea swimmer, was one of the first people to sign up to this year’s September Sea Swims. Now she’s hoping that people throughout the country will join her and make a splash for Childline.

Childline’s September Sea Swims are open to everyone. You don’t actually have to live by the coast to participate in this beneficial endeavour for body and soul: any open water location will do for your swims, dips or paddles.

Childline will also be hosting pop-up swim events throughout September if you’d like to take the plunge with others.

September Sea Swims offer a fantastic opportunity to nurture your mental and physical health while supporting the wellbeing of children and young people. All funds raised will do directly to Childline, Ireland’s only 24/7 listening service, to ensure that there is always someone to listen when a child or young person needs to talk.

For Lara who founded the Original Lobster wetsuit company, signing up for September Sea Swims has physical, mental and emotions benefits. “Sea swimming is a way to connect not only with nature, but with yourself,” she says.

“When you’re in the water, all of the outside problems don’t seem so bad. It’s my favourite way to decompress and be in the moment. It also brings people together and creates a sense of community. That’s why I’ve decided to take part in this challenge while also raising money for a fantastic charity.”

Psychologist and author Allison Keating has also signed up for September Sea Swims. She firmly believes that the refreshing reset offered sea swimming has multiple benefits for body and soul.

“Sea swimming is an incredibly immersive and totally free experience that reconnects you with your body, while calming and reinvigorating your mind. It gets you out of your head and back into your body, with stress-relieving benefits that last long after your dip.”

It’s very straightforward to join Lara and Allison in September Sea Swims for Childline.

Simply sign up to do 10 swims whenever you want throughout the month. You can do it as a solo challenge or with a group of friends.

Each participant should register individually at https://septemberseaswim.com/ to receive their fundraising pack and be eligible for a prize draw to win an Original Lobster wetsuit. They will also receive a fundraising pack.

So go on, dive in and soak up the benefits of swimming for Childline.

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

ENDS

Anxiety levels are rising among exam students and their parents, but ISPCC can help with free webinars

student study

It’s that time of year again… the spectre of the dreaded exams is looming for students and their parents, but ISPCC can help.

Students aren’t the only ones who need support in the run up to exam time, parents do too.

After all, how can you help your anxious child when you’re feeling anxious yourself? It’s only natural for stresses build up as the exams draw closer and it’s a pressurised time for everyone at home.

A parent or carer can’t help their child if they feel ill-equipped to do so and it can be easy for them to feel as if they have failed their child when they see them suffering from anxiety.

ISPCC is offering two free webinars on coping with exam anxiety – the first is specifically for parents and carers, while the second will focus on young people along with their parents and carers.

The two-part series will focus on explaining what anxiety actually is and how it manifests itself, support for dealing with an anxious child, anxiety management tips and tools and Childline’s Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing programmes, which provide free ongoing support for both young people and their parents.

The first webinar for parents and carers takes place on Monday, May 13, from 7pm to 8pm. The second, which is aimed at young people aged 12 years and over as well as their parents and carers, is on Tuesday, May 14, from 7pm to 7.30pm.

They will be hosted by ISPCC parenting lead Siobhan Harvey and Niamh Clarke, Manager of ISPCC Smart Moves programme, while Bree O’Neill who manages Childline’s Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing programmes will be the keynote speaker.

For more information on the webinar for parents and carers, please click here

To find out more about the webinar aimed at young people, please click here

What is Coco’s law? ISPCC is offering a FREE webinar all about the law around the sharing of intimate images

Coco’s Law was born out of a tragedy and while many people may have heard about the death of Nicole ‘Coco’ Fox, few really understand the law enacted in her name. ISPCC can help. Fiona Jennings, Head of Policy and Public Policy at ISPCC, is leading a webinar explaining all about Coco’s Law on April 30th. It is free to all.

Coco died aged just 21 after relentless online bullying. Her mother Jackie campaigned tirelessly to change the law on the sharing of intimate images, and she succeeded in December 2020 when Harassment, Harmful Communications and Related Offences Bill, known as Coco’s Law, was signed into law.

The online world is constantly evolving and pressure on young people is ever present. The revelation that nearly one in six young teenagers were cyberbullied in 2022, according to the new World Health Organisation Europe report, an increase from 13% just four years ago, comes as little surprise to those at ISPCC who work with children and young people and see the very real impact of cyber-bullying on them.

The ISPCC webinar on Coco’s Law is an information session for parents and professionals and it will focus on the following:
• Awareness of Coco’s Law
• Recognition of the issues that it covers
• Guidance on how to avail of its provisions

Webinar details are: 
April 30, 2024, from 7pm to 7.30pm
To register for the event, please follow this link: https://bit.ly/4aOKNKb