In 1869, the Reverend Thomas Bowman Stephenson saw some children living rough under the arches of Waterloo Station Instead of walking by, he stopped to listen to their stories. Then he worked out the most practical way to help.

Stephenson was a Methodist minister from the North East of England. He was also passionate about social justice. So when he moved to London, he challenged the Methodist Church to take action to help children living on the streets. Stephenson’s work led to the creation of the National Children’s Home (NCH). In 1994, we became NCH Action for Children. We’ve been Action for Children since 2008.

Our vision is that every child and young person has a safe and happy childhood, and the foundations they need to thrive. We put children at the heart of everything we do. That includes our mission and values. They’re our blueprint for the way we work.

We protect and support children and young people. We do this by providing practical and emotional care and support. We make sure their voices are heard. And we campaign to bring lasting improvements to their lives.