It’s hard to believe, but accidents are still the biggest killer of children and young people in the UK. In fact, on average two children die every week in an accident at home. Yet they don’t have
to happen. In this post, we explore RoSPA’s brand new charity appeal, designed to put a stop to the misery accidents cause to families… as well as explaining how you and your organisation can get involved!
An open conversation
As most of you know, next year is an exciting year for RoSPA. For the last 100 years we’ve worked tirelessly to make Britain – and the world – a safer place for all. While over the years we’ve made huge strides in our workplaces and on our roads, sadly accidents remain the number one cause of preventable death for young children. In order to combat this alarming fact, we spoke to parents, grandparents and carers around the country to see exactly what issues they are facing. More than 700 people responded to our survey, and what we discovered was shocking:
• Almost 80% of parents with children aged 0-4 underestimate A&E attendance figures amongst this age group.
• Less than a third of parents think they get enough advice and information to protect their little ones from accidental harm.
• More than half of the parents surveyed get advice on avoiding accidents from health visitors.
Looking at these results, it’s clear to see that what parents are missing is access to the free, reliable advice and information they need… So that’s exactly what we set out to provide them.
The missing piece of the puzzle
The Brighter Beginnings Appeal has one simple aim: to distribute free Parent Packs to new parents around the country, starting with those who need them the most. Full of helpful tips and tools, Parent Parents are designed to help give little ones a safer start in life.
In order to get them to the people who need them, though, we need your help. It’s simple. The more money we manage to raise, the more New Parent Packs we can provide to families.
There are a number of ways to get involved, any or all of which would be hugely valued:
• Donate directly via this link
• Organise staff fundraising activities or awareness days to raise money (this is a great way to engage staff!)
• Donate a percentage of revenue. (For example, Stocksigns, the UK leader in health and safety and custom-made signs, has chosen to stand out in their competitive field and hammer home their commitment to safety by donating money from the sale of every sign to our Bright
er Beginnings Appeal).
Help us help you
We’re very keen to raise the profile of all the organisations that get on board by promoting their commitment across our various platforms, including:
• Our official social media channels
• The RoSPA website
• Newsletters
• Journals
In addition to this coverage, significant contributors will be given an exclusive charity supporter logo to add to their website, plus an electronic ‘Keeping Kids Safe’ guide bearing both our logo and your own, which again can be sent to staff, clients and other stakeholders to further impress upon them your proactive accident prevention ethos.
Keeping Kids Safe
In addition to the Brighter Beginnings Appeal, your ongoing support has enabled us to launch a number of new resources aimed at parents, grandparents and other carers to help put a stop to the tragic loss of little lives in Britain today. These include:
• A new Keeping Kids Safe hub for parents of under-5s.
• A new freephone helpline offering safety advice to families.
• A new newsletter full of tips for looking after little ones.
We’d like to thank you for making these possible and ask you to share them. As ever, the more people we reach, the more families we can benefit, and the more lives we can save.
For more case studies, guides, facts and advice, please sign up to SafetyMatters, RoSPA’s free fortnightly newsletter, and receive our collection of free original e-books!
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