Childline: Kindness Challenge to create kindness in schools and classrooms while also raising money

One topic we often hear about from children in the North East and across the UK is bullying or feeling worried or anxious at school – particularly at this time of year as children get used to the new term.

The Childline website has lots of advice for children and young people, and they can also get support from their peers on the moderated Childline message boards, or by speaking to one of our trained counsellors directly on 0800 1111.

But this October, our colleagues in the NSPCC are also running the Kindness Challenge – a week dedicated to creating kindness in school communities and classrooms while also raising money for the brilliant NSPCC service, Childline.

One of the best things about the Kindness Challenge is that it’s so easy to take part. Pupils pick up to nine kind acts using a worksheet available through the NSPCC website, and classes can complete these acts on the first week of October or at another time in the month which suits their school.

The campaign is intended to be more than just a one-off bonus, too.

Cultivating kindness is incredibly important for children, so the Kindness Challenge aims to help kickstart kindness in schools across the North East and the rest of the UK this October, and watch it spread throughout the year.

This year, the NSPCC has partnered with Fonetti, the award-winning read-aloud app and school portal for the Kindness Challenge. When a school takes part in The Kindness Challenge, it will be able to submit pupils' kindness act worksheets for the chance to win a Fonetti school subscription – and have their story published in the NSPCC Kindness Challenge book on Fonetti's read-aloud app.

However, you don’t necessarily have to be part of a school community to take part in the Kindness Challenge, as we are also encouraging readers to set themselves their own kind acts.

You can find out more information on the NSPCC website at www.nspcc.org.uk/kindness-challenge/