Kidscape, the longest serving anti-bullying charity in England and Wales, is, from 31 January, transferring all its activities across to Coram, where its existing programmes will operate under the name Coram Kidscape.
Coram Kidscape will continue to provide direct, practical support to thousands of children and young people experiencing bullying, their parents and carers, and the professionals who support them, combining prevention, early intervention and targeted help where it is most needed. All existing users of Kidscape’s services will continue to access them in the same way as they do currently, with no change anticipated following the transfer.
Working as part of Coram’s wider group of education, clinical, and legal children’s services, and drawing upon its research and policy expertise, Coram Kidscape will aim to address systemic issues as well as the impact on individual lives, through integrated working in the Coram Group and across the sector.
Coram SCARF supports 600,000 children a year with wellbeing and relationships education across 2,800 schools and will work with Coram Kidscape to deliver additional support through whole school and curriculum approaches. And working with the Coram Institute for Children, now recognised as an independent research organisation, Coram Kidscape will also play an enhanced role in the development of better policy and practice for children and young people.
Founded in 1985 by Michelle Elliott OBE, Kidscape’s services are delivered by a core staff team of seven, along with a wider team of over 60 volunteers, associate trainers, and supporters.
Dame Carol Homden, Coram Group CEO, said: “Coram, the first and longest continuing children’s charity in the UK, is today a vibrant charity group of specialist organisations and programmes supporting hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families every year. With strong alignment between Kidscape’s position as the country’s oldest anti-bullying charity and Coram’s as the country’s largest charity provider of PHSE education in primary schools, along with our legal support services, I believe this transfer will enable us to ‘put bullying back in its box’ and change the lives of many more children, young people and families affected by the toxic impact of bullying.”
Rebecca Gray, Chair of the Board of Trustees, Kidscape, said: “The move of Kidscape into Coram marks an important exciting next step in a journey of over 40 years for our charity. We are very proud of the support, education and awareness we have been able to provide for so many children, young people, families – both directly and through the schools and community organisations who work with them. The move to Coram opens up the opportunity to help so many more children and to connect with other excellent work in Coram responding to the increasingly complex and often challenging environment young people now live in.”
About Coram
Coram is the first and longest serving children’s charity in the UK. Established as the Foundling Hospital in 1739, today we are a vibrant charity group of specialist organisations – the Coram Group – supporting hundreds of thousands of children, young people and families every year.
We do this by championing children’s rights and wellbeing and making their lives better every day through our range of services. These include reading support and life skills education in schools for 600,000 children, adoption services for children waiting to find a home, mental health support, cultural programmes, and legal advice and advocacy for thousands of children and families every year.
All of our work delivers across seven key outcomes for children and young people: A fair chance, A loving home, A voice that’s heard, A chance to shine, Skills for the future, No matter where and A society that cares.
For more information about Coram, please visit www.coram.org.uk. For more information about Kidscape please visit www.kidscape.org.uk.