War Child UK

Over 100 million children have now been caught up in the Middle East crisis. Every day that passes, thousands more children and families are having to flee their homes to seek safety. 📣 War Child is calling on the UK Government to step up and take decisive action to end the fighting and protect children. 📝 Add your name at warchild.org.uk/petition or via the link in bio. Join our call for the UK Government to: • Do everything in its power to de-escalate this conflict – the UK Government must have no part in this conflict. They must demand a ceasefire, and work to bring about peace.   • Insist that international law is upheld to keep innocent children safe – the laws of war are being ignored, and children are paying the price.  • Demand that essential aid reaches Gaza, without restriction – whatever happens next, children should never be denied the essentials they need.

‘HELP(2)’ - the new collaborative album, out now. We made this album to help. You can help too. As violence erupts once again, every purchase, stream and share of ‘HELP(2)’ supports War Child UK to raise critical funds for children living through the unthinkable. Thank you for standing with us to protect their futures. @annacalvi , @ellieciararowsell , @niluferyanyaaaaaa & @doveellis_ @arcticmonkeys @arlo.parks @aroojaftab & @beck @batforlashes @radvxz @officialbethgibbons @bigthiefmusic @blackcountrynewroad @mrcameron_winter @damonalbarn , @grianwhitegold & @kaetempest @depechemode @englishteacherband & @grahamcoxon @ezracollective & @greenteapeng @foals @fontainesband @edgar_the_breathtaker @oasis @oliviarodrigo @welovepulp @sampha @thelastdinnerparty @wetlegband @young_fathers Executive Produced by @james_ellis_ford

‘The Book of Love’ by @oliviarodrigo Filmed by children in Gaza, Sudan, Ukraine & Yemen. Taken from the new collaborative album ‘HELP(2)’ - out now. All proceeds from the album support @warchilduk to protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of children living through conflict. Creative Director : Jonathan Glazer Director : Billy Boyd Cape Production : Academy Films Editor : Thomas Grove Carter Executive Producer : Medb Riordan Project Producer : Steve Overs Producer : Kishan Patel

It should have been a moment of joy and hope. But when children in the Democratic Republic of the Congo returned to school in the town of Masisi, many came back carrying fear and trauma alongside their notebooks. Some stood silently. Some withdrew into themselves. Others became quick to anger. What many shared was the same experience: they had fled violence caused by the conflict. Through War Child’s TeamUp programme, children are finding friendship, routine and happiness again. “I discovered a joyful place where we use movement, games and simple activities to express our feelings without fear", says Mbongui, 16 years. Since TeamUp began in Masisi, more than 6,000 children have taken part in sessions helping them rebuild trust, process difficult emotions and simply feel and live like children again. Mental Health Awareness Week may be coming to an end, but some children living through conflict will need care, support and safe spaces to heal for weeks and weeks to come. Through the power of play, War Child is helping children around the world recover from the lasting impact of war. 🔗 Read more about how TeamUp is helping children heal in the Democratic Republic of Congo at the link in bio.

Together, Team War Child raised a transformative £59,152 for children living through conflict at this year's London Marathon❤️ A huge thank you to everyone who ran, donated and cheered on our incredible runners! From months of training to crossing the finish line, every step taken and every pound raised will help children access the mental health support, protection and education they so desperately need and deserve. And special shout out to @ross_juice , our friend and Creative Ambassador, who took on the extraordinary challenge of running the marathon while carrying a fridge on his back, raising more than £25,000! Inspired by Team War Child? Lace up your trainers, take on a challenge this summer and help stop childhoods being lost to war. Visit the link in our bio to find a challenge near you!

Thousands of Ukrainian children have stories similar to Rostislav. They have been separated from their families, forced from their homes and experienced attempts to strip them of their identities since the escalation of war. Behind every headline is a child forced to grow up in fear, isolation and uncertainty. Thank you to @theipaper for highlighting this issue, and spotlighting War Child's Return Every Child report. Based on interviews with 200 children who returned from Russia or Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, the report exposed their experiences of multiple rights violations and grave abuses, including indoctrination, militarisation, and violence. Children should never be targets of war. Yet, too often they are the most impacted. We cannot stay silent. We cannot look away. Read the full story on The i Paper via the link in bio.

Thank you to @nightmaresonwax for raising over £8,400 for @warchilduk at their sold-out Royal Albert Hall show! Through merch sales, ticket donations and the generosity in the room, every person who got involved is helping War Child protect, educate, and stand up for the rights of children caught up in conflict around the world. ❤️ Thank you for coming together to enjoy the music and make a real impact. You can still support War Child's work by buying a limited-edition @soundwaves_art print, created from the audio of 'You Wish' - link in Nightmares On Wax's bio🔗 All profits will help ensure a safer future for childing living through war. 📸 @shotbymelissa & @ddddiogo

“I missed a lot as a child. I did not have time to play. Growing up in conflict-affected communities means survival first.” - Felix, South Sudan (War Child's TeamUp Global Partnerships Coordinator) Children who grow up surrounded by conflict can carry the effects of trauma long after the violence ends - struggling with fear, stress, isolation, and the loss of a safe, stable childhood. This Mental Health Awareness Week, Felix shares why TeamUp - our mental health programme that uses play and movement - matters. Developed by War Child and our partners, TeamUp helps children affected by conflict feel safe and begin to heal. “There is that friendship, there is that reconnection, there is that freedom that a child gets in TeamUp. And this is everything that matters so much.” ❤️ Over the past ten years, TeamUp has reached more than 500,000 children across 30 countries - helping children process their trauma, rebuild confidence, make friends, and feel like children again. Today, TeamUp is being run by War Child and our partners in Colombia, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Jordan, Lebanon, South Sudan, Sudan, Syria, Uganda and Ukraine! This Mental Health Awareness Week, we're celebrating the power of play in helping children recover from the lasting impact of war. Find out more at the link in our bio.

⏰LAST CHANCE to enter the 𝗙𝗲𝘀𝘁𝗶𝘃𝗮𝗹𝘀 𝗨𝗻𝗶𝘁𝗲 prize draw - closes 23:59 this Sunday. Win tickets to some of the UK’s biggest festivals while helping protect children living through war. INCLUDING SOLD OUT FESTIVALS: @greenmanfest , @endoftheroad , @houghtonfestival , @boomtownfairofficial + @weoutherefest . More than 20 incredible music and arts festivals have joined forces to support children affected by conflict - and this is your final chance to be there this summer. Donate just £10 via @crowdfunderuk to enter the prize draw for a pair of tickets to the festival of your choice. The more times you enter, the more chances you have to win, and every entry helps support our work to protect, educate, and stand up for children caught up in conflict around the world. 🎟️ £10 = 1 entry 🗓️ Closes: 23:59 | Sunday 10 May 🔗 Enter now via the link in bio With huge thanks to @endoftheroad @avafestival @lovesavesthedayfestival @campbestival @latitudefest @gettogetherfest @greenmanfest @houghtonfestival @boomtownfairofficial @roundhayfestival @shambalafest @deershedfestival @officialrandl @isleofwightfest @weoutherefest @forwardsbristol @bsthydepark @lidofestival @loveintfestival @allpointseastuk @edensessionsofficial 📸 Khali Ackford, Patrick Gunning, Sandra Ebert

Zina from Gaza is only eight years old. Her brother was killed in a bombing, a loss that no child should have to comprehend. For more than two years, she has lived in constant fear. Forced from place to place, now growing up in a tent without safety, stability, or a place to call home. Her father was injured in an attack, and now she helps care for him. “I wish I could walk in a city where there is no war,” she says. Through War Child’s work with local partners, Zina is finding moments of relief; playing, laughing, and beginning to feel like a child again, even while living amid conflict. But over a million children like Zina are still living through this reality every day. War Child is working to provide mental health support, education, and protection to children across Gaza, helping them heal, recover, and rebuild their futures. Read Zina’s story and donate to help children affected by war get the support they need - link in bio

War Child’s Spring Clean – the most glamorous jumble sale of the year - is back and open for your bids! ➡️ Link in bio This is no ordinary auction…it’s a treasure hunt through the wardrobes, studios, and archives of some of the world’s most celebrated names - all for a vital cause. Right now, 1 in 5 children are growing up affected by war. Public support has never mattered more, and every bid helps support children whose lives have been torn apart by conflict. From meeting your idol to owning a designer piece worn on stage or a slice of film and TV history...you never know what hidden gems you might uncover. So start exploring, place your bids, and be part of something bigger. ⏰ Auction ends: 27th May, 9PM BST 🏆 Select items available via prize draw - enter as many times as you like for more chances to win! All funds raised will help War Child keep children safe and support vital services including mental health care, food, education, shelter, and more.

Out now! - Friendly Records mark 10 years with a special compilation in aid of War Child - raising vital funds for children affected by conflict. The record brings together standout tracks from recent Friendly Records 7” releases supporting War Child, featuring Portishead, PJ Harvey, IDLES, Sleaford Mods, Hot Chip, Beak> and more! Also includes tracks from Friendly Recordings releases by Christian Madden And The Enemy Chorus, Floating World Pictures, Nick Craft, Claude Cooper & Brain Fog, and ZEE. Limited to just 1,000 copies across three colourways (red, white and black), with exclusive artwork by David Shrigley. Every purchase will help @warchilduk protect, educate and stand up for the rights of children living through war. 👉Available now via the link in @friendlyrecords bio 👉Remaining copies dropping on Bandcamp tomorrow (Friday May 1st). Huge thanks to all the artists involved, David Shrigley, Steve Hyland (sleeve design), and Shawn Joseph at Optimum (mastering).