Childhood should be carefree, a precious time for children to enjoy, learn and develop but, for some, childhood can be a very dark place indeed, pitted with a thorny tangle of worries and fears.

They may feel isolated, lonely, there could be difficulties at school, mental health struggles, even suicidal thoughts. It can seem there’s nowhere and no one to turn to. But, as thousands of children have discovered over the years, there is…

NSPCC’s Childline.

Since it was founded over three decades ago, Childline has proved itself a safe and confidential place that children can rely on for help. As with many charities though Childline has felt the impact of the Covid crisis. For the first time ever, the NSPCC in Birmingham has had to close Childline at night, yet it remains more important than ever for young people, especially during this distressing time.

In light of this, the West Brom has given a grant of £1,000 towards Childline from our charitable arm, the Mercian Community Trust. But there’s another more personal way we’re helping – and that’s by volunteering.

A number of staff at the West Brom have signed up to volunteer for Childline in Birmingham, which is really appreciated by Kate Webber, Childline Supervisor: “Childline is a vital service for children and young people, particularly in these difficult times. We couldn’t run the service without our fantastic volunteers, which is why we’re delighted by the generosity of the West Brom, not just with this grant, but also your staff for giving their time to volunteer when we really need them.”

As the UK’s leading children’s charity, NSPCC has the campaign statement that ‘Every childhood is worth fighting for’. And, as the West Brom is showing, we’re there fighting their corner with them.