Osteopaths Abroad

In 2011 our first lone Osteopath went off to Nepal on holiday and found himself setting up an Osteopathic clinic in a remote village and treating the locals with their various injuries.

In 2012 Richard Skudder went back again and this time took more Osteopath volunteers and managed to help even more people from that one little clinic. Word of the Osteopaths brilliant work spread and the National Trust for Nature Conservation and the Annapuna Conservation Area Project asked if we would be able to open more clinics.

Now in 2013 we are looking at sending out nearly 30 volunteers starting in September to seven sites in Chitwan, Langtang, Ghalegaun, Lower Mustang, Manang, Pokhara and Katmandu. Although our volunteers get to see some of the most spectacular scenery our planet has to offer it is not for the feint hearted as some of the sites take almost a week to get to and a lot of the villages are only accessible on foot.

The continuation of our work has all been made possible by the generosity of the people that we have come in contact with. Osteopaths Abroad are a complete Non Profit organization and our aim is to bring Osteopathic treatment to people that would otherwise go without any care and would end up with no quality of life and in many cases no means to be able to support them selves or their families.

I would like to be able to take this opportunity to thank everyone that has helped us so far and we hope we can gain even more support in the future and be able to help even more people.

If you would like to help us by volunteering or donating, please visit our web site

www.osteopathsabroad.org .

The ChildLine Schools Service needs volunteers in Sussex

Following its national launch at the end of last year, ChildLine is now rolling out a new programme in Sussex, to help younger children’s understanding of abuse and how they can stay safe. Using assemblies and workshops delivered by volunteers, ChildLine will help children recognise situations where they may need help and tell them how to access support. Sessions are sensitively tailored to ensure topics are covered in a way which children understand.

All children have the right to be happy and safe, but many suffer abuse in silence, unable to speak out. The ChildLine Schools Service is aimed at primary age children, particularly focusing on nine to 11 year olds, and aims to help them understand what abuse is,including bullying, how to protect themselves and where to get help and support if needed.

The ChildLine Schools Service needs volunteers to deliver assemblies at local schools followed by an interactive workshop a week later.

The presentations and messages delivered at schools have been developed alongside children, parents, carers and teachers. They are sensitive, age appropriate and engaging. The Service is provided free of charge and focuses on primary school children, aged nine to 11 years old.  By 2016, the ChildLine Schools Service aims to visit every primary school in the UK at least every two years.  

Full volunteer training and support is provided by ChildLine, alongside the opportunity to make a real difference to local children as part of a committed team. Interviews will take place in Brighton on 17 and 18 April and training will start for successful applicants on 22 May.

Amanda Rocca, ChildLine Area Co-ordinator for Sussex, said: “Research undertaken by the NSPCC shows that the majority of children who contact ChildLine for advice, information and support are over 11 years old.  However we know that the majority of children who are subject to a child protection plan are under the age of 11. 

“These younger children are not connected so much with the outside world. In fact, their world is quite small. So if abuse is happening to them at that age, then it’s very difficult for children to speak up. That’s why we want to educate children earlier and ensure they know how to keep themselves safe or seek help if they need it.”

In keeping with ChildLine’s long history of volunteering, the schools service will be led by volunteers. They will be trained to deliver safeguarding assemblies and interactive workshops. All materials will be provided and volunteers will be given regular training and support. 

Amanda Rocca continued: “What’s key about our Schools Service is that we need a great team of volunteers. It is very much about mobilising the community and to make child protection everyone’s responsibility.”

First piloted in 2010, there are two phases to the new service. The first is a school assembly that provides definitions of abuse, places to go for help and an introduction to ChildLine.  The second phase takes place one to two weeks later and is an interactive classroom-based workshop where the messages are reinforced.

  

Find out more…

For more information about volunteering for the ChildLine Schools Service, please visit www.nspcc.org.uk/schoolsservice, or view the latest recruitment video at www.nspcc.org.uk/get-involved/volunteer-your-time/help-in-schools/schools-service-volunteer_wda85310.html.