THE National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, as the name might suggest, is primarily a charity which supports children and young people.

However, the NSPCC also plays a role in supporting adults, says assistant director for North East, Humber and Yorkshire, Debra Radford.

Our practitioners at the NSPCC helpline are there to support adults who are concerned about the wellbeing of children, but also those who might have experienced abuse when they were younger.

Never has this been more evident as with the investigation into the horrendous crimes of Jimmy Savile, a story retold in a television documentary this month.

His predatory offences took place over more than 40 years and affected hundreds of people, and the sheer scale of Savile's abuse over the decades beggared belief.

He was without doubt one of the most prolific sex offenders the charity has ever encountered and despite widespread rumours, he avoided justice in his lifetime leaving hundreds of victims without closure.

Following Savile’s death and revelations about his crimes, our NSPCC helpline received hundreds of calls from adults seeking advice or wishing to share information about offences carried out by the disgraced presenter.

The number of contacts made to the helpline remained high for many months, suggesting such a high-profile case helped people across the UK realise how difficult it is for children to speak out and how crucial it is for adults to report any suspicions or concerns they have straight away.

The NSPCC also runs the Childline service, which offers help to children across Yorkshire and the rest of the UK whenever they need support, but it also relies on public knowledge to ensure young people have the confidence to speak out when they need help.

This month, parenting vlogger, broadcaster and author Louise Pentland, has pledged to fund Childline for a day through her #NowIKnow campaign.

Louise, like many who fundraise for Childline, has a personal reason for supporting us. This year marks the 30th anniversary of the death of her mother, and shortly after her death, an adult came into Louise’s life who emotionally and physically abused her.

As a young girl, Louise did not feel comfortable contacting Childline because she was not aware that all contacts are completely confidential. That confidentiality is vital to our service, because it gives young people the confidence to contact us when they feel they can’t speak to anyone else.

Louise and her celebrity friends will be hosting a livestream on YouTube on Thursday, April 21, to raise Childline funds for a 24-hour period.

Louise will speak about her role as NSPCC and Childline Ambassador for Childhood, why the charity is close to her heart, and how she wants children to know not just how to get in touch, but that they can do so with the confidence their contacts will not show up on any phone bill.

Children and adults can contact our counsellors and practitioners 24 hours a day, seven days a week, every day of the year. Young people can also use the Childline website to contact our counsellors or speak to other young people on moderated message boards.

The support of everyone who raises vital funds to support the NSPCC and Childline makes a huge difference and ensures we can be there for children and young people whenever they need us.

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