A DBN member that manufactures Buddy Benches for schools has pledged to raise £1,700 a year for children’s charity the NSPCC.
Marmax Products Ltd, which specialise in recycled products, will raise the money through the sale of their buddy benches to provide funding for the charity’s school services in the North East.
Managing Director of Marmax, Jackie Robshaw said, “Our Buddy Benches are created to make sure every child has an opportunity to be included, breaking down the barriers young children can face. They’re designed to help tackle bullying in a positive way and provide a real visual reminder of how important friendship is.
As part of the aims of our Buddy Benches, we’ve decided to support the NSPCC’s school service, which deliver a programme called Speak Out Stay Safe. This programme helps children understand about abuse, bullying and what to do when someone is bothering them. Because of this, we saw this as a perfect fit for us as our chosen charity.”
To mark this pledge of support, Marmax have also donated a Buddy Bench to St Joseph’s Catholic Primary School in Stanley, County Durham.
Headteacher Allyson Thorpe said, “The Buddy Bench that Marmax have donated to us is absolutely gorgeous, and all the children love how bright and colourful it is. We all know how important it is to help children express themselves and be a part of a happy school life. The NSPCC assemblies are so important for our pupils. Whenever we’ve had the NSPCC visit our school, and in other schools I have worked in, there has always been a child wanting to speak up afterwards. This can be about anything from bullying and upsetting things they have seen online, to more serious issues. With the way the assemblies are delivered, all of our children understand the most important thing is to tell someone they trust when they are worried.”
The amount that Marmax have committed to fundraising is enough for the NSPCC schools service to deliver Speak Out Stay Safe programmes to three schools every year, potentially reaching hundreds of children.
NSPCC Community Fundraising Manager Katy Carmen said, “It’s great that Marmax are donating money for us to deliver important safety messages to young children. The Speak Out Stay Safe sessions our schools service deliver help children recognise when they should speak up, because they’re worried or if someone is hurting them. We also know that these sessions work, so every Speak Out Stay Safe we deliver really helps in making a generation of safer children.”
