David Bull: UNICEF retirees support for UNICEF UK Messaging on Children in Lockdown

The UK NatCom has requested our help in promoting their campaign on the impact of the lockdown on children. This is an example of the kind of thing we can all get involved in.   Here is my letter to the volunteers.

David

Hi everyone,

Thank you again for joining me in offering support to the national committee here in the UK. I have been in touch with the new ED, Sacha Deshmukh and he has asked for our help with their advocacy campaign for Children in Lockdown.  You can find the information about the campaign here: https://www.unicef.org.uk/coronavirus-children-in-lockdown/. I am attaching the report that Unicef UK has produced highlighting the impacts on children in the UK.

The campaign website asks supporters to sign a petition in support of young people's request for a voice at a time when their lives are being so greatly affected. Please sign at https://act.unicef.org.uk/page/59179/petition/1?ea.tracking.id=web-lp and share across your networks to encourage as many people as possible to sign.

We are also asked to share a summary version of the report and recommendations with our MPs - there is a link to click on the website. https://downloads.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2020/04/Unicef-UK-Children-in-Lockdown-The-Impact-of-Coronavirus-on-Children-Briefing.pdf

The recommendations of the campaign are as follows:

You can find your MP's email address here: https://members.parliament.uk/members/Commons.

Here is what I have written to mine today:

"Dear Mr Wiggin

As a constituent of yours, and a former CEO of Unicef UK, I am deeply concerned (as I'm sure you are too) about the impact of the lockdown on the UK's children, their physical and mental health, their education, nutrition and wellbeing. Of course the lockdown is necessary, but there is more the Government could do to recognise the particular impacts on children, to include and listen to them, and to plan how best to support them in the short term and in the longer term recovery. I would be grateful for your support in promoting the recommendations included in the attached report from Unicef UK. An perhaps there is something you could do locally along these lines too?

I look forward to hearing your thoughts.

Regards

David Bull CBE"

If you are in Scotland or Wales, you could also write to your MSP or AM.

And please promote these actions to as many other people as possible.

Thanks and best wishes

David