Players of People’s Postcode Lottery are giving around £30,000 a day to fund Childline throughout the month of March – the first time this has ever happened.
During this month the free and confidential helpline will deliver an estimated 25,000 counselling sessions to children and teenagers struggling with a variety of issues, including physical, sexual and emotional abuse, mental health problems and bullying.
Since the partnership between the NSPCC and the People’s Postcode Lottery launched at the start of 2019 their players have helped raise over £1million for the charity, with the majority of this being used to pay for Childline across the 31 days of March.
Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder and President of Childline, said: “Every day hundreds of children talk to Childline about their worries. That’s why we are so grateful to the players of People’s Postcode Lottery for helping us answer children in need throughout March, so that we can be there for them when they have no-one or nowhere to turn.”
Over the last few years Childline has seen an increase in young people contacting them about mental and emotional health and wellbeing issues, accounting for nearly two fifths of all counselling sessions.
The majority of counselling sessions are now delivered online, with children and teenagers preferring to communicate via 1-2-1 chat, which takes longer and is more costly.
This is why the People’s Postcode Lottery’s support couldn’t come at a better time for the NSPCC service.
Hazel Johnstone, Senior Programmes Manager at People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “The NSPCC and its service Childline truly change the lives of thousands of children and young people across the UK. We are incredibly proud that funding from the players of People’s Postcode Lottery will enable this fantastic organisation to reach out to so many young people who really need their support. I know I will never forget March 2019 and I hope all the young people who were helped within this month won’t either.”
People’s Postcode Lottery is a subscription lottery which raises money and increases awareness of various charities and causes supported by its players. Of every £1 spent on lottery tickets, a minimum of 32p goes directly to these charities, 40p is used for prizes and 28p is paid to People’s Postcode Lottery to cover the expenses in running the lotteries. Based on 2018, People’s Postcode Lottery expects to raise over £125 Million for charity in 2019.
