Comments on: NSPCC & Childline EXPOSED (Throwing your money away?)

By: Tammy c

Tammy c — Sat, 13 Jun 2009 10:56:13 +0000

i am reading your cry silent tears at the moment i’m on chapter 13, my mom read it then my sister then my cousin and now they have passed it on to me, i have read some terrible books before now, but this is as my mom say’s, like no other, i have three son’s and a baby on the way and i could never inflicted the life you had on to my baby’s. I have been in tears through out the book, reading your book made me think aboout baby p, and it makes me so angry that people like this are still ahving children, there will always be sick people in the world and thats makes me so sad. From the moment i read the book and the first part about your dad iknew he was a good man, i am soo sorry for you that you lost him. my thoughts are always with you and you are so brave and strong for what you servived. Tammy C… 23 xxxxxxx <3<3<3 xxxxxxx
from birmingham

By: Yvie S

Yvie S — Sun, 26 Apr 2009 11:42:26 +0000

I’m horrified. As one of those who has supported the NCPCC by direct debit for many years - purely because I hate child cruelty and thought I was doing the right thing!!! Writing today to cancel my DD and thank you for bringing this to our attention. Yvie X

By: caroline m.

caroline m. — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 00:33:06 +0000

Hi there Joe, since I read your book ‘Cry Silent Tears’ and left a comment re: the pathetic Carol Sarler, I have been dipping in to this site every few weeks to see how things are going. Haven’t bought your new book yet but fully intend to just as soon as I can.
More to the point on this blog re: the NSPCC. I have long held many suspicions about this so called charity and also Childline. I know of at least one instance of both failing to help a neglected child left home alone since I was the person that reported the parents to both and saw they did absolutely nothing.
I agree with the above too about the extensive and expensive TV advertising which pleads for donations rather than using the opportunity to promote their helpline numbers thereby extending a lifeline perhaps to kids who might need their help.
Does not surprise me one bit if they are indeed providing their staff with flashy cars. Disgraceful.
Since reading your book Joe I have read many others and most recently ‘Unloved’ by Peter Roche. This is particularly relevant here in discussing the NSPCC, since his photograph as a dirty, neglected and abused child, taken by Lord Snowdon, was used to promote the NSPCC’s fundraising efforts for many years!!!!!!
Interestingly this author mentions that he still went on to suffer for many years AFTER the NSPCC became aware of his plight.
No doubt Lord Snowdon made a nifty few bob for his part in this promotion paid for probably out of the NSPCC’s ‘advertising budget’.
All this said, I do believe some kids are helped but I also believe that the numbers are very very small, and that the ‘help’ is given by unpaid volunteers like Susie above, and not the staff driving the fancy cars!

Hope all is well in your world at present Joe. Your first book still haunts me in the small hours. Of all the similar books that I have gone on to read it is still your story refuses to leave my memory. I am in awe that you not only survived so much horror but moreover grew up into a ‘remarkable man’. Well done, you truly are a super star and an example to us all.
Will make a donation to your foundation when I write my own book one day as I would certainly trust your charity above the others.

Best wishes to you and all, Caroline M.

By: susie

susie — Wed, 14 Jan 2009 20:45:37 +0000

i used to work for childline.. it was voluntary work and i did it as a placement whilst doing my degree in childcare. i worked at the birmingham branch for just over a year. i was extensively trained in child counselling before i began actually answering the phones to children in need of help. we got hundreds of calls a day and were unable to answer them all, which was heartbreaking. i had some very upsetting calls, but i truely felt the work i was doing was making a difference. i gave up 6 hours of my time every week to answer the phones at childline and i am thoroughly glad i did. the phone calls varied from me just being a friendly ear and listening, to me actively contacting social services or the emergency services on behalf of the children. i even had some regular callers that i counselled every week and i know i helped. i am proud to have done that and have often thought about going back to it. i was not involved with the campaigning/fundraising side of things at childline however and didn’t really know or speak to anyone there who was.

i know that childline and the nspcc are joined as one now, but this is not obvious in the many many adverts on the tv for nspcc. there’s a very small childline symbol in the corner of the screen and thats it! and its never mentioned that they are now working together.

i ONCE, about 10 years ago when i didn’t know any better, gave a one off donation to the nspcc when i was ambushed by them on the street and bullied into donating. i have never made any other donations since or had a regular direct debit payment for them. BUT, they somehow managed to get hold of my landline number when i moved up to birmingham and STILL phone me, every 3 months or so asking for more money. they’re relentless and that in itself really puts me off donating to them. no other charity that i know of, even ones that i have donated to, has ever phoned me at home to ask for money. its ridiculous! anyone feel free to reply to this or contact me. susiewilk@yahoo.co.uk. susie x

By: Rachel

Rachel — Mon, 13 Oct 2008 15:24:13 +0000

I never trust charities like these anyway, i mean other than bombarding poor children with personal and intruding questions what can they actually do?…their staff im sure are not trained as they should be to handle all situations and may have some vague want to help people but at the end of the day surely no one is nieve enough to think a phonecall can change a child’s life…first of all how are abused children supposed to get hold of a phone in the first place and second of all how many children realise that their abuse isn’t just normal everyday life until they get alot older? Not many. More obviously how do people think they get the money to have all these fancy adverts on the telly? It sure as hell isn’t from government funding. The government would rather problematic children did fall off the face of the earth than got the help they need. Especially in developing communities, i live in Lincolnshire and i can confidently say there are no obvious lifelines out there to help children, i know people who have grown up without help and also have had children themselves at ridiculously young ages who are now being neglected with no help from anyone despite social services being aware of the situation…it’s a sad world we live in but i’ll get there eventually and crack the system into working order!

By: Jan

Jan — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 21:29:29 +0000

Hi Thankyou for bring this to my attention I am one of those who have been supporting NSPCC through a direct payment and also through E BAY charity sells
I thought that I was doing the right thing that a lot of the money goes to help abused children I am disgusted to hear this isnt the case
I thought that I would support NSPCC as I was abused from the age of 2 until 8 by my Mother and Adoptive Father - When I was abused I thought it was the normal I thought that all kids were beaten I was only little so why wouldnt I
I thought it was normal to be dragged out of my bed and beaten and not allowed to scream because if I did I would get worse
I thought it was normal to be told to take time off school when I was 6 to look after my 3 year old brother
I was one of the lucky ones I was only physically and metally abused not sexual
I was also lucky in that my Mum seperated from my adoptive Father when I was 8 My Mum asked my Grandparents to look after me for a couple of weeks when she went on holiday she returned 9 months later with another man who was to be my Father but my Nan wouldnt let me go back to my Mum so therefore I escaped

By: tracey

tracey — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:47:50 +0000

Also to lisa please be strong please find someone you can confide in a teacher,best friend anyone you trust at all they are hurting you and its not fair your a young woman that deserves so much better im here to talk to you anytime contact me as you like il et back to you i promise x x

By: tracey

tracey — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:45:05 +0000

We read all kinds of things in the papers watch all things on the tv it never seems real but joe;s book made it all real these thigs do happen and not enough is done to help these children when they really need it.Prison is not enough for the monsters,joe was so brave his book really made me cry felt as if i just wanted to comfort him but he won thank you joe for sharing your story with us. x

By: Tammy

Tammy — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 15:32:17 +0000

I am utterly disappointed that these things are happening. Joe’s book made me so sad, i was literaly crying the whole way through. I myself in society am not in a strong enough position for anybody to listen to what i have to say. I can not believe that the people that are in authority can stand back in this world and let this happen. My heart goes out to all the children that have ever been abused. Is there anybody out there that can help these children and not think about their own selfish needs.

Well done Joe, I know it took you a while but you did it, you are a person for these children to look up to, keep doing what you are doing.

Tammy xx

By: jane

jane — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 20:28:55 +0000

this is a little message for lisa also, i dont think its right what your mum and dad are doing to you, you need to find a responsible adult you can trust and talk to and tell them, it will be a bit hard at first but it wont go away if you dont attempt it. plz try to say something i do know its easyer said than done, you have the rest of your life to live keep your head up dont let them put you down!!
if you wish to contact me then leave a comment and i will be in touch some how

jane x