Save the Children

Save the Children believes every child in the UK should get the support they need from the very start of life, when it matters most. But too many young children are missing out on the opportunities they deserve. The gap between those with a little and a lot persists.

With the help of more than £6 Million in funding from players of People's Postcode Lottery, Save the Children is connecting parents, teachers, and childcare experts to build a brighter future for children across the UK.

Ellie Crawshaw is Head of Infants for a group of schools that has partnered up with Save the Children in Southampton. She explains that many children from disadvantaged backgrounds fall behind before they've even started school - and when a child falls behind early on, they often never catch up.

Ellie said, "These children feel different to their peers and that has a stigma attached to it. We put loads in place as a school but it is an issue when children are coming in hungry and not prepared to learn and then they just don't reach their full potential."

Being a parent of a young child is one of the most important jobs there is – and sometimes one of the most difficult. For families going through tough times, it's that much harder. Many parents work long hours for little money, and therefore struggle to pay the bills or put food on the table. They simply can't afford the things all young children need, and are short on the time and energy required to support their children's learning.

Save the Children knows parents have a huge role to play in their children's development, and is providing support in the home and through schools like Ellie's. Support from players will enable Save the Children to run more projects to boost parents' skills and give them the confidence and the resources to help their children learn. Ellie is already seeing the difference in her school, with children showing accelerated progress in both reading and social skills.

She said, "It's been lovely to watch that bond grow with their child and to see how confident they are supporting their child now, and if they're not confident, they will ask - and they didn't in the first few weeks. Save the Children are empowering children and empowering families, and this is key to getting children to where they need to be."

For more information on Save the Children, please check out their website www.savethechildren.org.uk. To help support their work, sign up to play People's Postcode Lottery.