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Action for Children (formerly National Children's Home) is a UK children's charity created to help vulnerable children & young people and their families in the UK. The charity has 7,000 staff and volunteers who operate over 475 services in the UK. They served a total of 368,648 children in 2019 and 2020. Action for Children's national headquarters is in
Watford Watford () is a town and borough in Hertfordshire, England, 15 miles northwest of Central London, on the River Colne. Initially a small market town, the Grand Junction Canal encouraged the construction of paper-making mills, print works, a ...
, and it is a
registered charity A charitable organization or charity is an organization whose primary objectives are philanthropy and social well-being (e.g. educational, religious or other activities serving the public interest or common good). The legal definition of a ch ...
under English and Scottish law. In 2017/2018, it had a gross income of £151 million.


History

The first 'Children's Home', a renovated stable in Church Street, Waterloo, was founded in 1869 by
Methodist Methodism, also called the Methodist movement, is a group of historically related denominations of Protestant Christianity whose origins, doctrine and practice derive from the life and teachings of John Wesley. George Whitefield and John's b ...
minister
Thomas Bowman Stephenson Thomas Bowman Stephenson ( 22 December 1839 – 6 July 1912) was a Methodist minister. He founded what was to become the National Children's Home in 1869. He later founded the Methodist diaconal order, Wesleyan Deaconesses in 1890. In 1891 he wa ...
, who had been moved by the plight of children living on the street in London. The first two boys were admitted on 9 July 1869. In 1871 the home was moved to Bonner Road, Victoria Park, and girls were admitted. The home was approved by the Wesleyan Methodist Conference in the same year. A year later, in 1872, a second home opened in
Edgworth Edgworth is a small village within the borough of Blackburn with Darwen, Lancashire, England. It is north east of North Turton between Broadhead Brook on the west (expanded artificially to form the Wayoh Reservoir) and Quarlton Brook in the sou ...
, Lancashire. The homes were divided into small family units run by a 'house mother' and 'house father', which was in marked contrast to the large institutions and
workhouses In Britain, a workhouse () was an institution where those unable to support themselves financially were offered accommodation and employment. (In Scotland, they were usually known as poorhouses.) The earliest known use of the term ''workhouse'' ...
common at the time. Training was also an important aspect. A childcare course was set up in 1878 and the graduates of this programme – who were called 'the Sisterhood' or 'the Sisters of the Children' – went on to work in the Home. An Industrial School at
Milton Milton may refer to: Names * Milton (surname), a surname (and list of people with that surname) ** John Milton (1608–1674), English poet * Milton (given name) ** Milton Friedman (1912–2006), Nobel laureate in Economics, author of '' Free t ...
, Gravesend, was taken over in 1875 and a children's refuge in
Ramsey Ramsey may refer to: Geography British Isles * Ramsey, Cambridgeshire, a small market town in England * Ramsey, Essex, a village near Harwich, England ** Ramsey and Parkeston, a civil parish formerly called just "Ramsey" * Ramsey, Isle of Man, t ...
on the Isle of Man established in 1882. With the opening of the Princess Alice Orphanage in
Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...
the Home was renamed to 'Children's Home and Orphanage'. Further properties in
Alverstoke Alverstoke is a small settlement which forms part of the borough of Gosport, on the south coast of Hampshire, England. It stretches east–west from Fort Blockhouse, Haslar to Browndown Battery, and is centred east of the shore of Stokes Bay and ...
, Hampshire;
Chipping Norton Chipping Norton is a market town and civil parish in the Cotswold Hills in the West Oxfordshire district of Oxfordshire, England, about south-west of Banbury and north-west of Oxford. The 2011 Census recorded the civil parish population as ...
, Oxfordshire;
Frodsham Frodsham is a market town, civil parish, and electoral ward in the unitary authority of Cheshire West and Chester and the ceremonial county of Cheshire, England. Its population was 8,982 in 2001, increasing to 9,077 at the 2011 Census. It is s ...
, Cheshire; and
Bramhope Bramhope is a village and civil parish in the City of Leeds metropolitan borough, West Yorkshire, England, north of Holt Park and north east of Cookridge. The village is north of Leeds city centre and it is in the LS16 Leeds postcode area ...
near Leeds were acquired and, by 1908, the charity had grown to become the 'National Children's Home and Orphanage'. In 1913 work began on a large site in
Harpenden Harpenden () is a town and civil parish in the City and District of St Albans in the county of Hertfordshire, England. The population of the built-up area was 30,240 in the 2011 census, whilst the population of the civil parish was 29,448. Har ...
, which became home to over 200 children, with a print works for apprentices. It subsequently became the charity's head office. Many other new branches and schools were founded, including the first residential nursery branch in
Sutton Coldfield Sutton Coldfield or the Royal Town of Sutton Coldfield, known locally as Sutton ( ), is a town and civil parish in the City of Birmingham, West Midlands, England. The town lies around 8 miles northeast of Birmingham city centre, 9 miles south ...
in 1929 and the first Scottish branch in
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in 1955. The charity became an adoption agency in 1926. The Rev.
Gordon Barritt Gordon may refer to: People * Gordon (given name), a masculine given name, including list of persons and fictional characters * Gordon (surname), the surname * Gordon (slave), escaped to a Union Army camp during the U.S. Civil War * Clan Gordon, ...
, who became the head of NCH in 1969, started the process of closing the organisation's children's homes and starting to offer support to keep children with their families. In 1994, the charity changed its name to 'NCH Action for Children'. Fourteen years later, in September 2008, it became 'Action for Children'. The changes were part of the shift away from providing children's homes (most of which have now closed) to a wider range of services. In December 2016,
Catherine, Duchess of Cambridge Catherine, Princess of Wales, (born Catherine Elizabeth Middleton; 9 January 1982) is a member of the British royal family. She is married to William, Prince of Wales, heir apparent to the British throne, making Catherine the likely next ...
, succeeded
The Queen In the English-speaking world, The Queen most commonly refers to: * Elizabeth II (1926–2022), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms from 1952 until her death The Queen may also refer to: * Camilla, Queen Consort (born 1947), ...
as patron of the organisation.


Child migration

The NCH set up a child emigration scheme in 1873 and a branch in
Hamilton, Ontario Hamilton is a port city in the Canadian province of Ontario. Hamilton has a population of 569,353, and its census metropolitan area, which includes Burlington and Grimsby, has a population of 785,184. The city is approximately southwest of T ...
, Canada, opened. This programme of sending children to Canada, where they were called
Home Children Home Children was the child migration scheme founded by Annie MacPherson in 1869, under which more than 100,000 children were sent from the United Kingdom to Australia, Canada, New Zealand, and South Africa. The programme was largely discontinu ...
, has been criticised and children have been found to have been abused following migration. The NCH itself has said that "the experience of migration was profoundly damaging to significant numbers of the children concerned". NCH is estimated to have sent 3,500 children to Canada between 1873 and 1931, and a small number of children to Australia in the 1930s and early 1950s. The Independent Inquiry found that some children were sent by the NCH without their parents' consent, and that some children who wanted to come back to the UK were not allowed by the NCH to do so. The Inquiry concluded that, although the NCH's principles of care had been ambitious for the time, some children were placed in "harsh conditions": The organisation continues to offer an information and record access service to people who were sent overseas as children under its auspices.


Projects and services

Action for Children works in partnership with statutory bodies to deliver services for children, young people and their families in five main areas:


Family support

Action for Children is a major provider of family support services and works in partnership with local authorities across the UK. The aim is to facilitate early intervention and then offer long term help, so families can stay together if possible. This is provided through children's and family centres, parenting programmes and targeted intervention initiatives, often with the hardest to reach groups in the community.


Disability

Action for Children runs specialist projects for disabled children and those with learning and behavioural difficulties. These include residential care, short breaks and respite care services, keyworker support for families and carers, and advocacy work to help young disabled people transition into adulthood.


Children in care

Action for Children is a registered adoption agency and delivers fostering programmes. The charity also runs a number of small residential units for children and young people, as well as supporting young care leavers moving into independent living.


Support for young people

Action for Children works with vulnerable and disadvantaged young people. Issues these young people may face include alcohol and substance misuse, anti-social behaviour, homelessness and unemployment. Other services offer support for young carers, teenage parents, victims of sexual abuse and those leaving young offenders institutions. This support is provided through a range of services, which offer counselling, help with housing and benefits, access to training and education, basic skills tuition, mediation and mentoring.


Education

Action for Children runs a number of schools for children and young people with disabilities, profound and multiple learning difficulties (PMLD) and challenging behaviour (including social or emotional problems). The charity's aim is to offer a secure environment in which to facilitate educational, social and personal development adapted to pupils' individual abilities. The schools offer both residential placements and day care.


Research

Action for Children carries out and commissions research into issues around children, young people and families. The charity also produces a yearly Impact Report, which details research findings on the outcomes and cost effectiveness of its work supporting children and young people.


Campaigning

Action for Children campaigns and lobbies governments on behalf of vulnerable children and young people and their families. One of the charity's current campaigns, 'Best Start in Life', seeks to address the issue of children – particularly those from poorer backgrounds – struggling to receive the right early years support. The campaign calls on the government to take urgent action so that children under five do not fall behind, either due to cuts in vital services or unequal access to opportunities. Action for Children is a member of the Disabled Children's Partnership alongside 27 other charities, working towards better health and social care for disabled children, young people and their families. The charity also leads the children and families work of the
Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness The Jo Cox Commission on Loneliness was an establishment set up by British Member of parliament Jo Cox, in order to investigate ways to reduce loneliness in the United Kingdom. It published its final report at the end of 2017. While only running ...
and is a partner of End Child Poverty. Action for Children is a founding member of
Fostering Through Social Enterprise The Fairer Fostering Partnership (Fairer Fostering) is a UK-wide consortium of voluntary and not for profit fostering agencies, whose members look after over 2,000 children in care. Its ethos is to support those who undertake fostering for the sak ...
(FtSE), a consortium of voluntary and non-profit fostering agencies that advocate for children in respect of regulation, as well as representing its membership at central government level.


Fundraising

Action for Children raises money through corporate partnerships, fundraising events (such as sponsored runs) and through its partnership with the
British Methodist Church The Methodist Church of Great Britain is a Protestant Christian denomination in Britain, and the mother church to Methodists worldwide. It participates in the World Methodist Council, and the World Council of Churches among other ecumenical ass ...
. The charity is also involved with several large fundraising events, including Byte Night – an IT industry event which raises money to prevent youth homelessness – and Never Mind The Business, a music-based quiz night for business people. In 2018, Action for Children launched its Secret Santa fundraising campaign.Action for Children's Secret Santa fundraising campaign, launched 2018
/ref> The campaign encouraged the public to become a Secret Santa for a vulnerable child, donating £10 or more to support children in the UK at Christmas. Because of its links to the Methodist Church, until 2003 Action for Children did not accept National Lottery funding. In 2000 and 2002, the organisation was criticised, including by its own staff, for accepting funding from
BAE Systems BAE Systems plc (BAE) is a British multinational arms, security, and aerospace company based in London, England. It is the largest defence contractor in Europe, and ranked the seventh-largest in the world based on applicable 2021 revenues. ...
, an
arms manufacturer The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and ser ...
.


See also

*
Clare Tickell Dame Oriana Clare Tickell, DBE (born 25 May 1958) is an Independent Director of the John Lewis Partnership. Career Clare Tickell joined the John Lewis Partnership as an Independent Director in October 2019. The John Lewis Partnership, which inc ...
*
Walter Tull Walter Daniel John Tull (28 April 1888 – 25 March 1918) was an English professional footballer and British Army officer of Afro-Caribbean descent. He played as an inside forward and half back for Clapton, Tottenham Hotspur and Northampton Tow ...


References


External links


Action for Children's websiteA history of the NCH and details of each of its branchesInformation about the history of NCH branchesForum for former NCH residents Guardian image gallery showing the charity’s history
{{DEFAULTSORT:Action For Children 1869 establishments in the United Kingdom Children's charities based in the United Kingdom Methodism Youth charities based in the United Kingdom