Underpinning all of our work and practice at Children on the Edge is a commitment to fulfilling the rights of every child.These rights are enshrined in the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child and guide our approach to improving the lives of forgotten children.  

Our director Rachel Bentley does occasional consultancy work for UN agencies in the area of children's rights. She has an MSc in Development Management, a Masters of Advanced Studies (MCR) in Children's Rights and has recently contributed to a new UNICEF research paper by Nigel Cantwell entitled ‘The Best Interests of the Child in Intercountry Adoption’.

Many of the foundations of this study were built up through an expert consultation, research carried out and texts compiled during the period 2008–2012. Along with Dr Dawn Watkins who is currently based at Leicester University, Rachel played a key role in teasing out some of the main issues from a vast array of detailed material. The combined results of all these efforts are reflected at various points of the present publication, particularly in many parts of Chapter 4.

As a team we are continually looking to stretch and evolve our involvement in upholding children’s rights. This is reflected through our projects ‘on the ground’, through academic research and where appropriate, through targeted advocacy. Watch this space as we explore further what this means for the children we work with and their communities.

As part of the upcoming Montezuma’s Charity Challenge Week, children between 4 and 12 years are being invited to ‘Design a pumpkin’ and win a chocolate pumpkin with their design on it!

Entry forms are being delivered to local schools next week, but if your child doesn’t receive one, you can download it here.

Completed A4 entries should be handed in to any Montezuma's store or their school and marked: 'Children on the Edge Pumpkin’. All entries must be handed in by Sunday 5th October 2014. Please include a name and telephone number with each entry.

Entries will judged by a Montezuma’s panel, whose decision is final. The two winning entries will be presented their pumpkins at the Chichester store in October.

You can be as creative and colourful as you like, but Montezuma’s do not use colourings and therefore the designs will be interpreted in chocolate as accurately as possible!

Enjoy getting creative and good luck to you all! 

This morning, a whole group of intrepid walkers from Shiplake College in Henley-on-Thames will undertake its biennial 20 mile charity walk in aid of five charities, one of which is Children on the Edge. These charities were put forward by the College Charities Committee. We would like to say a huge thank you to Mr Will Tompkins (aged 13), for putting us forward to be one of their 5 charities.

With well over 400 students and staff being sponsored for the walk from Moulsford to Shiplake along the River Thames, they are confident in reaching their fundraising target. The last walk raised close to £20,000 which they are hoping to meet or beat this year!

The money they raise will go towards our projects helping those children around the world who are living ‘on the edge’ of their societies. One example of our work is our Community Schools for working children in Bangladesh. UNICEF estimates that over 5 million children between 5 and 14 years old are sent out to work, often in dangerous conditions, leaving them vulnerable to exploitation and abuse.  In Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh we support nine Community Schools where 900 young workers attend for two to three hours a day. Here they receive a nutritious meal, attend lessons, freshen up with a wash and have the chance to play and rest with their friends.

To find out more about us and our projects please take a look around our website.

If you would like to support them in this enormous challenge please sponsor them via their Virgin Money Giving page.

Join in with our favourite chocolate makers as they raise money for Children on the Edge!

For many years Children on the Edge have worked with Montezuma’s, our wonderful corporate supporters. They have supplied chocolate for our Easter trails and Chichester Half Marathon as well as the amazing bags of cash scheme where store customers are asked to donate a coin for a carrier bag. On top of this, the staff at Montezuma’s have been incredible in coming up with new and innovative ways to raise funds for us - one of these being when the co-founders chose to ride across the entire length of the Pyrenees in 5 days alongside other supporters, raising a huge amount of money for our projects.

Over the last few years Montezuma’s have been running a charity week and putting their heads together to come up with new ways to raise money. This years charity week will be held on the 29th September until the 3rd October and it will be stuffed full of challenges across the stores and at Chocolate Towers. The week will include, Monty’s Monday, Tasty Tuesday, Wicked Wednesday, Thrilling Thursday, Fab Friday, Spice it up Saturday and Splendid Sunday as well as fancy dress and a swap shop at HQ. To find out more and to get involved pop into any of the Montezuma’s stores or visit their website.

Montezuma’s will also be running a design competition working in conjunction with local schools. Children between the ages of 4 and 12 will be asked to design their own Chocolate Pumpkin with the chance to win a delicious chocolate pumpkin with your design on it.

All the money that Montezuma’s raise will go a long way towards supporting children around the world who are living on the edge. Children on the Edge have set up a Child and Community Centre in the dangerous and impoverished slum community in Jinja, Uganda. This project works with the local community to provide a safe place where children can escape the abusive environments of alcohol distilleries and where they can instead access education allowing them to enjoy their childhood and develop into healthy children.

Addressing the root causes of the problem, the project provides some of the poorest households with comprehensive agricultural training and land to enable them to became efficient and productive small scale farmers who are able to meet their own needs. We will also provide vocational training and work placements to street children originating from the slums.

So go on.. stick the week of September 29th in your diary and head down to your local Montezuma’s store to start making a chocolate coated difference to Children on the Edge.