Action for Children

Action for Children is a national charity that supports and speaks out on behalf of the most vulnerable and neglected children and young people in the heart of communities throughout the UK.  With more than 650 services we are where you live and work. We help transform the lives of thousands of children and young people each year and we’ve been doing so for over 140 years.

The children and young people we support face the most difficult problems in life. Some don’t have the basics, from the love and care of family to regular routines such as mealtimes or the guidance that all children need to grow to be healthy adults. Others have to overcome physical or emotional challenges that hold them back. We help these children to fulfill their potential by providing services to support their individual needs. We succeed in helping children and young people to overcome difficulties at an early stage to tackle problems before it’s too late.

By supporting Action for Children you inspire hope in the thousands of vulnerable children and young people we help.

Through our work and through speaking out, we seek to break the cycle of deprivation. We challenge injustice and empower children to overcome the obstacles in their lives that hold them back. We tailor our work to local circumstances, in partnership with children and young people, families, communities and local organisations.

We work with children and young people:

• whose families need support
• who cannot live with their birth families
• who are disabled
• who experience severe difficulties in their lives.
  
  

Our values

• Ambitious
• Passionate
• Collaborative
• Inclusive

Action for Children is a charity that has been delivering Children's disability services across Bury for over 16 years making children’s lives better: now, tomorrow and every day.

Location: Bury

We need volunteers who share our aims & really enjoy being with children & young people.

Can you help us support disabled children to become secure, confident, self-directed, problem solving creative young people with positive attitudes towards themselves and others? Our community based venues are situated at Millwood School, Elmsbank School, The Elton Centre, Sunnybank Community Centre, Castle Leisure Centre & Burrs Activity Centre.

We work with a diverse group of disabled children & young people to deliver exciting social activities, encouraging the children/young people to make friends & enjoy their social time, as any other child & young person would.

We operate a social care model of disability, ensuring that our service users are seen as children first, and receive the necessary care and support to manage their disability so they can get the most out of life.  Each young person is unique and we value their differences, recognising that what might be thought a great activity by one young person, could be thoroughly disliked by another. By ensuring children and young people have access to a wide range of opportunities, and noting their responses, we aim to enhance their life and enable them to fulfil their potential. 

We operate evening youth clubs in term time as well as overnight short breaks at weekends and holidays which provide support to the individual young person and respite for the family.  Firstly by providing young people with a range of experiences and opportunities which help them to achieve positive outcomes in life.  Secondly, by giving support to parents in the form of a break to enable them to recharge as well as being a source of professional advice and assistance to families.  Thirdly by giving parents the opportunity to spend time either together or more often with their other children doing the things that they find it impossible to do when the disabled child is at home, but most of all we want our young people to enjoy their time with us and most of all, have FUN.  

Our project provides Independent Visitors, Mentors and Advocates for children and young people both in care and the edge of care.

You could help guide, advise, listen to and befriend young people in care, sharing their experience as well as trying new activities and spending quality time together.

Monksfield is based on the outskirts of Hexham within walking distance of local amenities and have easy access to the countryside, coast and nearby towns and cities.  We provide residential care for disabled children needing a permanent home and short break residential care. 

We work with families and professionals to meet the complex and varied needs of the children and young people that are in our care.  Our tailored support packages enable all children and young people to benefit from their stay with us.

Whenever possible we consult with the children and young people about what activities they like and where they would like to go and the toys they would like to play with.  We encourage children to develop as much independence as possible and get them involved in everyday tasks whilst supporting them to progress at their own pace. 

By providing fun, inclusive and flexible support we help disabled children, young people and their families to live the lives they want.  For every child or young person within our care our aim is to provide the most stimulating and inspiring environment to enable them to flourish. 

Our volunteers aim to build relationships and help young people feel positive about their futures.

We do this by giving them stability, support and guidance through being carefully matched with a fully trained adult that is committed to spend time with them.

We have been working in Stoke on Trent for over 3 years and have a huge programme of activities that take place all around the city in Leisure centres and other venues.   All our activities are held in weekends after school and school holidays when we also run day trips. All children aged 0-19  with a disability living in Stoke can take part in these activities.  We run sessions covering dance music sport cooking arts and crafts. We help disabled children to make friends and have fun. Our  volunteers help us make sure children have a great time and can make friends with others.

Action for Children’s Intensive Family Support in Wigan is a voluntary service that will offer an intensive level of parenting and family support to help make positive changes to family life.

By working with the whole family, IFS is committed to improving the quality of relationships between parents/carers and children and also the wider family.

IFS workers can provide practical and emotional support in a range of settings where families feel comfortable and safe, for example, Children’s Centres, Schools, Health Centres as well as their own homes.

We work with families at the times they may need that extra support; this may involve working outside of normal working hours

We’re looking for volunteers who would like to enhance the service offered to service users by supporting project staff with their direct work with parents, children and young people.

You will get opportunities to build effective working relationships with service users of all ages and support them in making positive changes. This may include supporting attendance at medical appointments, accessing activities in the local area or attending appointments. Our volunteers can use their own skills in engaging service users in activities through various mediums such as sport, cooking, arts and crafts.

Action For Children’s South Worcestershire Parenting and Community Development project plays an important role in supporting local families with children aged 0-19. By providing training, advice and guidance the local Action For Children team empower their clients to 'nip things in the bud' early and this limits the risk of escalation. The service places an emphasis on a holistic ‘whole family’ approach that will result in long term, sustainable change for clients.

SWPFS includes: Children Centre services, positive parenting courses, adult learning, support within schools and communities to engage young people with their education and work journey, and advice and guidance to young people who are not in education.

What Volunteers Say...

I was directed to Action for Children by a colleague on my course and after an initial meeting and attending the volunteer training session, with the Senior Volunteer Co-ordinator, I obtained a placement at the Buttercup Centre. The recruitment process was really simple and the support received from my supervisors and others at the centre is fantastic. If there is anything I am unsure of or the parents are looking for guidance, I know who to ask and where to signpost them.

Annabel