Safeguarding cash injection from Dumfriesshire schools cluster fundraiser

Every step by Langholm staff on their Great North Run challenge helped raise £2,535 for the NSPCC for a key schools programme

Staff from Dumfriesshire's Langholm Academy and Canonbie School Cluster have raised £2,535 for the children’s charity, NSPCC.

The donation – raised by them by completing the Great North Run earlier this month – is perfect timing for the charity as it looks for new volunteers to help its schools service team reach more classrooms in Scotland through its Speak Out, Stay Safe (SOSS) programme.

Tony Brown, NSPCC schools co-ordinator in Dumfries and Galloway, collected the bumper cheque from Langholm and Canonbie Cluster after the staff’s Great North Run efforts and said: “We cannot thank the staff at the schools enough for doing such doing such an amazing job and deciding to donate to us. It will allow us to continue our work getting into schools and teaching children vital lessons about their rights and keeping safe.”

In 2023/24, 62,648 children in 340 Scottish schools took part in the safeguarding SOSS programme in Scotland, which is for children aged 5-11 years old. Using the mascot Buddy, it helps children understand abuse in all its forms and how to recognise the signs of abuse, that abuse is never a child’s fault and that they have the right to be safe.

The Langholm and Canonbie Cluster was formed in December 2013 when Langholm Academy, Langholm Primary School and Canonbie Primary School decided to work closely together to improve the education of children in the Langholm and Canonbie communities.

The staff from Langholm and Canonbie decided to fundraise for the NSPCC after they had SOSS sessions delivered in their schools.

Headteacher Lauren McLean said: “We thoroughly enjoyed doing the Great North Run to help the NSPCC. The weather was ideal for running as it kept us cool and the atmosphere on the day was amazing.

“We received so much support from spectators, offering drinks, ice lollies and sweeties to help us keep going and all the music, singing and camaraderie we experienced along the way was fantastic. Once we got to mile 10 it began to get tough, however running down towards the sea in South Shields and crossing that finish line at the end made it worth every moment.”

SOSS is delivered by volunteers from the NSPCC’s Schools Service team and the region’s co-ordinator, Mr Brown said more are needed for the region: “We reached more than 62,000 children across Scotland in 2023/24. We would not be able to reach that many without our amazing volunteers. But to make it into even more schools, we need people in communities across Scotland to volunteer with us.

“If you have some spare time in your schedule and are keen to play your part in keeping children safe, we’d love to talk about our volunteering opportunities.”

To find out more about volunteering opportunities with the Schools Service team, visit the NSPCC website.

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