The Children’s Society was founded in 1881 by Edward Rudolf, after seeing the plight of homeless children living on the streets of London.  Edward Rudolf then worked tirelessly to further the aims of The Children’s Society until his death in 1933.  He came from a very poor family himself and, after the early death of his father, he was forced to become the family breadwinner.  His own experiences gave him a unique insight to the struggles that many children and families have when faced with poverty and disadvantage.  Edward Rudolf was not only appalled by the plight of children living on the streets but he was also distressed at the lack of love and care that he saw in the huge, faceless orphanages of Victorian England.  For that reason he concentrated on building up a nation-wide network of small children’s home where each child would be loved and valued.  The Society then began to develop means for moving children into individual homes for fostering or adoption.

 

After 1970 the Society began to change its emphasis away from the provision of children’s homes and onto support for families to stay together.

 

The main concerns today are:

 

• Helping children in trouble with the law.

• Preventive measures to stop children running away from home and supporting those children who have run away.

• The children of refugee families.

• Supporting ‘forgotten’ children e.g. young carers, children born into drug abuse and traveller children.

 

In Beccles we are fortunate in having a very thriving Children’s Society shop and we are concerned to support and encourage the staff there.

 

Visit The Children’s Society website.

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