SWINDON will be home to one of only three NSPCC service centres delivering innovative frontline services for children and families in the South West.

The charity says it will shut other services in the region and create pioneering hubs as part of a strategy to help many more children and to improve child protection across the UK.

Swindon, Bristol and Plymouth were chosen as the service centres, based mainly on depravation indices and population data, as well as the charity’s ability to reach sufficient numbers of families in priority areas.

Sue Hooper, NSPCC divisional vice president, who is also a former chairman of the Swindon and North Wiltshire branch, welcomed the move.

“It’s brilliant news for Swindon because it means the work will carry on and expand as well, which is brilliant because there’s so many children out there who need the NSPCC’s help.

“I have found through the NSPCC that there’s a great need for our work in this area and the fact that Swindon has been chosen is brilliant and shows that services here are still needed.”

After a review of its current locations, the NSPCC decided to create South West service centres in the three large settlements, and also to maintain a presence in Jersey.

However, the charity decided that Calne, Truro, Taunton, Dorchester, Exeter and Cornwall would not be suitable locations because, compared to other towns in the region, the areas have smaller populations and do not have high levels of deprivation.

An NSPCC spokesman said: “This was a difficult decision to make – it does not reflect the quality of the service delivered by the teams, but the fact that the NSPCC cannot be everywhere.

“Our aim is to ensure our funds are used to maximum effect, enabling us to have staff in locations where they can focus on helping as many children as possible.”

The NSPCC has pledged to strengthen and develop a number of services for children and adults across the UK, including ChildLine for children and our NSPCC Helpline for adults concerned about a child.

The charity said it will also remain committed to working with, and supporting, other agencies in the south west through a substantially increased training and consultancy service.

The project to create service centres is still in the early stages so there is not yet a timetable for the closures or any published plans for what a service centre could look like in Swindon.

Swindon currently has two NSPCC centres: the NSPCC Swindon Centre in Victoria Road, Old Town, a therapeutic centre offering counselling and other services for children who have been abused, and the North Swindon Family Centre, in Atworth Close, Penhill, which is a family centre providing help and advice.

These centres cost a total of £702,000 a year to run and volunteers generally generate around £30,000 a year towards this through fundraising activities.

The next fundraiser is a quiz at Lethbridge Primary School, in Old Town on September 23 at 7.30pm.

To donate to the NSPCC or volunteer for fundraising, call local fundraising manager Patrick Weaver on 01225 329704 or email pweaver@nspcc.org.uk.