The London Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children was established in 1884 by the Reverend Benjamin Waugh, a congregational minister who had worked in the slums of East London. In 1889 it changed its name to the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty Children.
In 1881 Liverpool banker, Thomas Agnew visited the New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children. He was so impressed that on his return he set-up the Liverpool Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 1883. This branch worked closely with the national organisation until the two were unified in 1953.
The NSPCC was incorporated by Royal Charter in 1895. It is a registered charity.
Its mission is to end cruelty to children. Our vision is a society in which all children are loved, valued and able to fulfil their potential. In other words, a society that will not tolerate child abuse - whether sexual, physical, emotional, or neglect.
We seek to achieve cultural, social and political change, influencing legislation, policy and practice, attitudes and behaviours and delivering services for the benefit of children and young people.
There are over 20 services working with children and young people who display sexually harmful behaviour and more than a dozen Domestic Violence Prevention Projects.
The NSPCC was voted ‘best campaigning charity’ by MPs in 2000 in surveys conducted by the Future Foundation.
In 2002 journalists named the NSPCC the charity that most impressed them and FULL STOP as the most memorable charity campaign.
After five years of lobbying by the NSPCC the Children’s Charter –giving youngsters protection against cruelty – was passed by Parliament in 1889.
The 1904 Prevention of Cruelty Act gave the NSPCC its unique powers allowing the organisation’s inspectors to take children away from families where they were being abused or neglected.
Inspectors were eventually replaced by Child Protection Teams in 1984, providing a broader and more specialised range of services for children and families.
The 1989 Children Act gives the NSPCC statutory powers to protect children at risk – the only UK charity with this status.
Since its formation the NSPCC has helped over 10m children.
Today the NSPCC employs 2500 people and has five divisions covering England, Wales, Northern Ireland and the Channel Islands. Its head office is based in London.
Child protection and associated services are provided by 180 teams spread throughout the regions.
Key services include : Risk assessment and helping children; Supporting Parents; Specialist Investigation Services; Supporting Young Witnesses; Helping Young Abusers.
It has established Young Peoples Centres in Warrington, Peterborough, Tower Hamlets, Hastings, Solihull, Sheffield, Nottinghamshire and Bangor.
There are also fourteen schools teams working with over 3,000 children on issues ranging from bullying to family problems.
There are 200 Community Appeals Branches and 17,000 Community Appeals volunteers.
Last year (2005/06) the NSPCC raised over £110m
85 per cent of funding comes from the general public and 79 per cent of all income is spent on activities aimed at ending child cruelty.
Management of the organisation is delegated by an 18-strong Board of Trustees whose chairman is Sir Christopher Kelly.
The day-to-day running of the NSPCC is overseen by a Leadership Group, which includes the charity’s Chief Executive, Mary Marsh.
Seven functions comprise the NSPCC – Services for Children and Young People; Public Policy; Inspection Services; Appeals; Communications; Finance and Administration; Human Resources.
Her Majesty The Queen is NSPCC Royal Patron. Queen Victoria was the first royal patron in 1889.
The Educare child protection programme supplied by The National Training Centre in Leicester has hit the 100,000 mark. Among major organisations who have undertaken training are UNICEF and the Health Commission.
The 1994 National Commission of Inquiry into the Prevention of Child Abuse was funded by the NSPCC. The commission’s conclusion was that child abuse can usually be prevented as long as “the will to do so is there.”
The Full Stop Campaign and appeal to end child cruelty was launched by the NSPCC in 1999. Its patron is HRH the Duke of York and the chairman of the Appeal Board, which aims to raise £250m, is Andrew Rosenfeld.
The free, 24hr nationwide Child Protection Helpline was established in 1991 for anyone to report concerns about a child they believe to be at risk. This was the first service of its kind in Europe.
Since the Full Stop Campaign started calls to the helpline have increased by over 80 per cent.
There is also the Cymru/Wales Helpline and the Asian Helpline which operates in five different Asian languages.
ChildLine joined forces with the NSPCC in February 2006.
Benjamin Waugh once said: “The NSPCC is not just another children’s charity. It is an organisation which will fight to obtain the citizenship of every child and justice for all children.”
Kylie Minogue was the NSPCC’s first ambassador. She has since been joined by Jonny Wilkinson, Catherine Zeta Jones, Peter Andre and Alan Shearer.
Around 140,000 members of the public have signed-up to help lobby local and national government on child protection issues. These Partners in Campaigning have helped secure Children’s Commissioners for Northern Ireland and Wales.
The Society was one of the first charities to screen fundraising films in cinemas, in the 1930s.
The organisation works with many major brands including, Microsoft and Early Learning Centre.
The NSPCC’s There4me.com, is a unique online counselling service that enables young people to talk directly to a counsellor at the click of a button.
Close links are maintained with Children 1st in Scotland and the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children.
The charity produces a huge range of publications including, advice leaflets for parents, child protection resources for teachers, in-depth research for policy-makers and a family magazine.
The Child Protection in Sport Unit was established in 2001 to safeguard the welfare of youngsters taking part in sport. It is a partnership between the NSPCC, Sport England, SportScotland, the Sports Council for Northern Ireland and the Sports Council for Wales.
NSPCC campaigns have contributed to the 2002 Education Act, the Criminal Justice and Sexual Offences Acts of 2003 and the 2004 Children Bill.
The Hall of Fame recognises the outstanding contribution made by some of the NSPCC’s celebrity supporters. These include, David and Victoria Beckham, Davina McCall, Jasper Carrott, Jono Coleman. Alan Shearer and Gabby Logan.
In 1969 celebrities campaigning on behalf of the NSPCC included singer Lulu and boxer Henry Cooper.
The organisation’s first major awareness campaign came in 1986 and was called, “The Forgotten Children.”
Specialist services to meet specific social needs of children and families started in 1920.
After the Second World War a Women’s Visitor’s Scheme was set-up to offer advice and help to families.
The NSPCC’s Schools Fundraising arm started life as the League of Pity in 1891.
The National Centre has had various homes at Harpur Street, Clerkenwell, Leicester Square and in Saffron Hill. It moved to Curtain Road in 1994 and eight years later was renamed Weston House in honour of the Weston family who have been the society’s largest donor.
Since its beginnings in 1884 the NSPCC has had ten Directors/ Chief Executives.
The NSPCC and RSPCA have maintained links for many years. In 1951 a plaque commemorating the ties was unveiled in the RSPCA Council Chamber.
The first NSPCC Children’s Day was held in 1909 in Portsmouth.
In 1900 total income was £55,500. In 2005/06 it was £116,234,000
The Public Policy Department looks at a range of issues from child deaths to monitoring sex offenders and poverty.
Copyright © 2006 NSPCC - All rights reserved. National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Weston House, 42
Curtain Road, London EC2A 3NH. Incorporated by Royal Charter. Registered charity number 216401. NSPCC, charity registered in Scotland, charity number SC037717.