WHAT'S IT ALL ABOUT?
The Sadsville Campaign is a project to give a FREE copy of SADSVILLE to every Year 4 (age 8/9) child in the country.
Written especially to the NSPCC’s Childline service, Sadsville cleverly introduces children to the concept of emotions and how they can be managed. It offers simple advice for self-help in times of sadness, and guides children to the professional support of Childline if they need it.
As with the other titles in The Villes series, the reason for everyone being sad is a whimsical one, but the story illustrates in a light hearted way that sometimes by taking a different perspective on things, and with other people’s help, even the most challenging problems can be sorted out.
The Martin Roberts Foundation is a UK registered charity specifically set up to manage and deliver this objective.
The Headlines
770,000 Free Books
The number of Year 4 (age 8/9) children there are in the country.
152 Education Authorities
Who we are working with to distribute books through schools.
£250,000 Sponsorship
The amount of money needed to be raised to make this happen.
Why Sadsville is Needed
Number of Copies of SADSVILLE Book
- BANES
- Greater Somerset
- Hampshire
- UK Schools
- UK Libraries
- BANES
- Greater Somerset
- Hampshire
- UK Schools
- UK Libraries
Progress So Far
Copies to Children
BANES
Greater Somerset
Hampshire
National
UK Primary Schools
UK Libraries
Dame Esther Rantzen, DBE
“Thank you for creating this highly entertaining and original way of raising children’s awareness of how they can reach out for help through support services such as Childline. I wish the Sadsville book project every success.”
Herman's Charity
THE MARTIN ROBERTS FOUNDATION
The Martin Roberts Foundation is the brainchild of TV presenter and property expert, Martin Roberts as a vehicle to raise money through donations and sponsorship to support carefully selected educational and well-being initiatives for children and young people.
As a Father himself and a long time supporter and campaigner for the NSPCC , Martin set up the charity to help address the need for ongoing awareness of charities like Childline amongst children and young people. In a world where childhood mental health issues are making the headlines regularly, Martin and The Foundation want to show children that there CAN BE A BETTER WAY and that help is out there, no matter how big or small the problem is.
Peter Wanless
“The Sadsville book project will help support the work of the NSPCC to protect children today and prevent abuse from happening tomorrow… Sadsville introduces children to problem solving and explains that you can be sad for a number of different reasons and encourages them to have the confidence to seek help. The number and website for the Childline support services offers a call to action at the end of the book and provides children with a lifeline when needed the most. In the most extreme of cases, this lifeline saves lives. By distributing Sadsville widely, we put this message in to the hands of children who may not otherwise have known who to turn to for help, and although it is impossible to monitor how children come to hear about Childline, the number of additional children using the service as a direct result of this initiative could be highly significant.”
Academic Acclaim
“Depression is maintained, and perhaps even caused, by deeply entrenched negative thinking. Negative thoughts about themselves, the world around them, and the future can capture a child’s mind and drag them into a downward spiral. SADSVILLE helps to break this toxic cycle by getting kids to think about sadness in a unique way, providing them with a platform to challenge the negative gremlins inside their heads and to realise that the gremlins are just that – gremlins- and not a true reflection of reality”
