Making a lifetime of difference to children in schools The Place2Be, 13/14 Angel Gate, 326 City Road, London EC1V 2PT Tel: 020 7923 5500 Fax: 020 7833 8083 Email: [email protected] To the Editor We are saddened to see children as young as seven actively involved in the destructive and dangerous activities that have erupted across London and beyond in the past few days. Whatever the initial trigger for the riots, I think they are emblematic of the financial, social and emotional deprivation that many young people and their families are experiencing. A more systematic commitment to providing emotional support for children from a very early age helps alleviate this. Where children and parents of vulnerable families have support, they are less inclined to behave destructively. They can find more appropriate ways of dealing with the anger and upset that we have seen exploding around us. The Place2Be supports children up to the age of 13 in schools to cope with problems such as bereavement, family breakdown, domestic violence, trauma and bullying. Often we work in communities affected by poverty and unemployment, including areas which have recently seen so much violence and disorder: Enfield, Croydon, Southwark, Ealing, Shoreditch and Nottingham. We as a country must consider the underlying reasons for this violence and must address the root causes. It is very telling that this violence has erupted during the school holidays. Schools provide a safe place for children to explore their anger and feelings of hopelessness and to develop a sense of hope and aspiration. Children do not represent 100% of our population, but they do represent 100% of our future. Benita Refson OBE Chief Executive The Place2Be www.theplace2be.org.uk Registered office address: The Place2Be, 13/14 Angel Gate, 326 City Road, London EC1V 2PT Tel: 020 7923 5500. Registered charity number 1040756 (England and Wales) SC038649 (Scotland). Registered Company number 2876150.

Letter to the Editor - Schools are safe havens

Download DOC Report

Upload
place2be
View
213
Download
0

Embed Size (px)

DESCRIPTION

Letter to the editor - London riots

Citation preview

Making a lifetime of difference to children in schools The Place2Be, 13/14 Angel Gate, 326 City Road, London EC1V 2PTTel: 020 7923 5500 Fax: 020 7833 8083 Email: [email protected]

To the Editor

We are saddened to see children as young as seven actively involved in the destructive and dangerous activities that have erupted across London and beyond in the past few days.

Whatever the initial trigger for the riots, I think they are emblematic of the financial, social and emotional deprivation that many young people and their families are experiencing. A more systematic commitment to providing emotional support for children from a very early age helps alleviate this. Where children and parents of vulnerable families have support, they are less inclined to behave destructively. They can find more appropriate ways of dealing with the anger and upset that we have seen exploding around us.

The Place2Be supports children up to the age of 13 in schools to cope with problems such as bereavement, family breakdown, domestic violence, trauma and bullying. Often we work in communities affected by poverty and unemployment, including areas which have recently seen so much violence and disorder: Enfield, Croydon, Southwark, Ealing, Shoreditch and Nottingham.

We as a country must consider the underlying reasons for this violence and must address the root causes. It is very telling that this violence has erupted during the school holidays. Schools provide a safe place for children to explore their anger and feelings of hopelessness and to develop a sense of hope and aspiration.

Children do not represent 100% of our population, but they do represent 100% of our future.

Benita Refson OBEChief ExecutiveThe Place2Be

Note to Editors:

The Place2Be is a national school-based service which has been dedicated to improving the emotional wellbeing of children up to the age of 13, their families and the whole school community since 1994. It currently works with over 170 schools across the UK. Its school-based services, delivered by teams of counselors, are available to 58,000 children coping with problems such as bereavement, family breakdown, domestic violence, trauma and bullying. In addition to services for children, The Place2Be provides support for parents, carers and school staff to strengthen their communication, interaction and work with children. It has over 200 staff and currently counts on the commitment of more than 700 trained volunteer counselors who work with it.

http://www.theplace2be.org.uk/

www.theplace2be.org.ukRegistered office address: The Place2Be, 13/14 Angel Gate, 326 City Road, London EC1V 2PT Tel: 020 7923 5500.Registered charity number 1040756 (England and Wales) SC038649 (Scotland). Registered Company number 2876150.

http://www.theplace2be.org.uk/