PEOPLE in Worcestershire are being encouraged to enjoy a packed lunch with their colleagues as part of a national campaign raising money to protect children from abuse.

As part of the Big Packed Lunch campaign run by the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) people in the county are being asked to bring a packed lunch to work on Wednesday, September 17 and donate the money they would have spent to help fund the charity’s ChildLine Schools Service.

The charity is encouraging co-workers to get together and share their tasty treats while raising cash for the service, which will help pay for volunteers to visit schools and lead workshops and assemblies for children aged nine to 11 educating them about abuse, how to protect themselves and where to get help.

NSPCC fundraiser Jenny Sedwick said: “With the support of local people we can visit every primary school in this area and give children the confidence to talk about abuse and the courage to seek help if they ever need it.”

The ChildLine Schools Service has carried out 119 school visits in Worcestershire since it was launched in 2012.

For more information visit www.nspcc.org.uk/lunch.