For every £1 we spend, 85p helps children and families

Vulnerable and scared young people need your help this winter

This winter many young people don't feel safe living at home, their only choice is to sleep and live in harsh conditions. For some, their only choice is sleeping outside, in their car or in the freezing cold because they don’t have anywhere else to go. Not only do they feel lonely and scared, but they aren’t able to access the necessities to survive the cold weather.

No young person deserves to find themselves cold, hungry and homeless. Action for Children are there to help young people when they find themselves in this hostile situation.

Suddenly finding yourself without a home is incredibly scary. We have had young people come to us where they’re fleeing domestic violence or family violence

Maddy, Dorset Nightstop

Your donation could help young people in times of critical need with emergency accommodation, warm clothes and hot food. Together we can make a difference and can help a young person get back on their feet.

Just £15 could provide a young person staying in emergency accommodation with a day’s food as well as toiletries.

More about our work

We protect and support children and young people. We do this by providing practical and emotional care and support. We make sure their voices are heard. And we campaign to bring lasting improvements to their lives.

Today, we run 372 services in local communities across the UK, in schools and online.

In our nurseries and children's centres, staff make sure children get the best start in life. Our foster, adoptive and modern residential services find children and young people safe and loving homes.

We step in to protect children from neglect and abuse and help those who care for others or are at risk of homelessness. Innovative projects like The Blues Programme give young people the help they need to look after their mental health.

We're also here for parents, through projects like Parent Talk, our online support service.

We’ve been helping children for more than 150 years. In 2023/24 we helped 687,755 children, young people and families. This was only possible with your support.

  • Since 1869 we’ve helped more than two million children and young people.
  • 54,878: the number of people reached with mental health support in 2023/24.
  • 468,786: the number of people reached by our online parenting advice service, Parent Talk, in 2023/24.

Your donations help us to support vulnerable children, young people and their families in the UK.

85p of every £1* we spend goes directly towards helping children, young people and their families. Your support is so important right now because levels of financial hardship, abuse and neglect have been rising. We’ve seen a huge surge in demand for our services. Your donations help us to run these essential services, which give vulnerable children and families a vital lifeline.

We make sure that every penny you donate goes where it will have the greatest impact on children’s lives.

Most of the donations we receive from our campaigns are unrestricted. This means they’re not spent on one project or one specific area of the UK, but where the need is greatest. We wouldn’t be able to operate as a charity without this type of income. Unrestricted funds help us reach the children and young people who need us most. Funds raised from this appeal will be unrestricted and used by Action for Children for its general charitable purposes. Please see the Our Work and Impact for examples of the work we do to help children and young people and their families.

* Figure based on audited 2022/23 charity accounts that exclude subsidiary companies like commercial nurseries.

Donating a small amount every month by direct debit helps us give vulnerable children the stability they need. Our regular supporters help us carry out long-term work and keep vital projects running.