Children's charity in spending row

The NSPCC's Full Stop campaign condemned violence

A leading children's charity is spending less than half its budget directly on children.

Last year the National Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NSPCC) spent a total of £38m on fundraising, administration and campaigning. Only £28m went on children's services.

Other charities such as the Children's Society, Barnados and NCH dedicate between 70 and 80% of their budgets on children's services.

But the NSPCC has responded to criticism by saying the money was spent raising public awareness of child cruelty - a vital part of its role.

To suggest we are not spending this money helping children is ridiculous

Neil Hunt
NSPCC

Neil Hunt, NSPCC's director of child protection, said ending child abuse in Britain was not just about services.

"We took a very conscious decision that having been around for 115 years and having helped millions of children in that time, that the millennium would be an opportunity for us to try and raise debate about child protection in this country," he told BBC's Radio 4 Today programme.

"We are running five programmes, four primarily about services...but our fifth is about cultural change and public awareness.

Target not reached

"We have made no secret about it and raising awareness does not come cheap."

"To suggest we are not spending this money helping children is ridiculous."

Mr Hunt said: "We're making no apologies for this campaign."

Explaining that advertising was "essential" to the charity's work, an NSPCC spokesman said: "The vast majority of those who have been abused may never come forward without our campaigns.

"We help hundreds of thousands more children by influencing legislation and policy than we could directly through local services."

Melinda Messenger backed campaign

But Gerald Howarth, Conservative MP for Aldershot, said that the report showed the NSPCC was "completely incompetent".

He added that he would be writing to the charity revoking his support for its Full Stop campaign.

The budget revelations follow a recent admission by the NSPCC that the high-profile campaign has not reached its target of £250m.

Earlier this month it announced the £18m campaign against child cruelty had raised about £80m in 18 months.

This is despite extending the campaign and the backing of numerous celebrities including Madonna, Naomi Campbell, Pierce Brosnan, Melinda Messenger, and Zoe Ball.

NSPCC research has shown that at least one child is killed through abuse or neglect every week and more than a quarter of all rape victims are children.