A CHILDREN'S charity has appealed for volunteers to help keep pupils safe.

The NSPCC is recruiting new volunteers in Oxfordshire for its schools' service and fundraising branches, who can start in the coming months.

Its schools' service, Speak Out Stay Safe, sees volunteers go into primary schools to teach children to recognise abuse and neglect through age-appropriate safeguarding assemblies and workshops.

Volunteers spoke to 21,529 children in Oxfordshire in the 2017-2018 academic year, delivering assemblies at 101 primary schools in the county.

Julie Hilton, NSPCC schools service manager, said: "I really admire that our volunteers give up their time to make a difference to the lives of children.

"We have had children who have spoken out about abuse as a direct result of our volunteers going into schools delivering the programme.

"It is so rewarding for the volunteers to know they have directly helped a child, and we give every one of them excellent training so they know how to manage these situations."

There are also several opportunities to volunteer as a fundraiser for the NSPCC.

Across the country there are more than 1,000 groups of fundraising volunteers and small businesses, working in their local areas to raise money for the NSPCC.

Debbie Knights, community fundraising manager for Oxfordshire, said: "We rely on the public for 90 per cent of our funding so we can continue our life-changing child protection work.

"Our volunteer fundraisers are heroes, and without them, we simply couldn't do the work we do.

"If you’ve been thinking about fundraising for the NSPCC, now is your chance to get involved and help us reach and protect children in crisis."

To find out details and to get involved, email East@nspcc.org.uk or call 0203 763 2302.