Keep
young runaways safe demand agencies
Greater Merseyside’s Connexions Service has joined forces with local police,
social services, health, education and voluntary organisations to help children
and young people who go missing or runaway from home and care.
Linking
with The Children’s
Society they have produced new protocols – following
research showing the majority of young runaways said they did
not receive help.
Connexions’ Someone
To Talk To asked 55 children aged 11-19 in Liverpool Knowsley, Sefton,
Halton, St Helens, and Wirral why they ran away and what help they needed.
- 42%
ran away due to family conflict, including parents’ drug
and alcohol use and violence
- 60%
said they ran away frequently, often because they didn’t
get help to solve family problems.
- 99%
said running away made them feel afraid, lonely, cold, hungry,
missing mum, and not knowing where to sleep or who to turn
to
John,
14, explained: “There was no way I was going back, my dad
was always drunk… and I didn’t want to be the next
punch bag. At first I felt okay but when it got dark and the
streets cleared I was on my own. I wandered around a bit, got
some chips and was really scared. I really didn’t know who
to speak to, who do you tell that you are on your own?”
The Children’s Society has launched Safe and Sound – a campaign
calling on the Government to set up a national network of safe emergency accommodation
and local support for young runaways.
The Children's Society’s Andy McCullough said: “These children are
running away in desperation and are vulnerable to strangers they meet on the
streets. The Children’s Society’s own research shows that 67% of
runaways who stay with strangers, or so called ‘friends’, end up
being physically or sexually abused. We hope these new protocols will help
keep children in Greater Merseyside out of danger.”
Pray
for five men in 2004!
Christians are being asked to commit to praying for five men throughout 2004,
through Prayer for Men 2004, a new prayer initiative that will be launched
at Solon Road Baptist Church, Brixton, on Saturday 28 February.
Lurliene Miller, who with her husband Omri co-pastors Sozo Ministries in Grove Park, said: “It’s important that Christians unite and pray for God to move in men’s lives so that they can become better people, better fathers, better partners and better Christians.”
To find out more about non-denominational prayer for the Church, church leaders and revival, go to www.greaterlondonprayerwall.org
Famine
day targets teenagers
World Vision’s 24-hour famine, on 27 and 28 February, asks teenagers to
go without food for one day in order to raise money for projects to provide
safe, clean drinking water.
The money-spinner, which made more than £500,000 in 2003, will this year focus on Uganda, Senegal and Ethiopia. To find out more, visit www.24hourfamine.org
©
Christian Family Network
is run by CPO, supported by
Care for the Family, Marriage Resource, Positive Parenting,
Care, Women Alive, Christian Herald and many others.