Aviva | Street to School

Change the story - sign the petition

Every year in the UK, 1 in 9 young people under the age of 16 run away for one night. 1 in 5 runaways either sleep rough or with someone they've just met; or are hurt or harmed whilst away from home. ^†

Railway Children are working with Aviva to raise the profile of these vulnerable children at risk on our streets and we want to bring this issue to the attention of the Government.

Running away is a clear warning sign that a young person needs support; problems in the home such as poor family relationships, arguments or abuse are the main reasons for running away. Some young people are forced out of home and never even reported missing.

With no welfare entitlement for under 16's, these young people have no legitimate means of supporting themselves or living independently whilst away, and maybe forced into sexual exploitation or stealing to survive.

Share |

Other ways you can help:

Donate online to Railway Children. Donate now...

Text 'AVIVA' to 70099 to donate £2 to Railway Children

^† Still Running II, Children's Society, 2005
*Texts cost £2 plus one message at your standard network rate. A minimum of £1.48 will go to Railway Children.

Sign up!

We are calling on the government to help protect all children who run away or are at risk of running away.

This requires a commitment to:

Protecting existing services for children who run away;
Supporting new projects giving direct help to these
children; and
Prompting local authorities to adhere to statutory guidance and their responsibilities to young runaways.

Please tick to confirm your signature * :

Your first name * :

Your last name * :

Your house number * :

Your street name * :

Your city * :

Your postcode * :

Your email address * :

Once we have reached a significant number of signatures, we will pass this petition to the government. Your details will not be used for marketing purposes but we may contact you to update you on the progress of the petition.

All fields marked with an * are mandatory. Please note: to sign the petition, a valid UK postcode is required. Only one signature per person.