Last month I attended a conference for blogger organised by Save The Children.

I was really fascinated to hear more about the work that they do saving and protecting children, fighting for their rights around the world.

Wherever their is conflict and unrest and violent clashes, often before it hits the news, Save The Children are there, on the ground, doing what needs to be done to save the children.

Save the Children have an integrated response plan for providing food, water, health care and a safe place to be for children in need.

They do this around the globe in many places at the same time.

To do their job to the best of their abilities they need our support and our money.

Today is the 3rd anniversary of the Syrian conflict.

Three years of lost childhoods.

Three years of lives and futures destroyed.

This is what war does to children.

I wish I could sit here and write about the wonderful three years I have had

In contrast to the lives of those families in Syria

But I can’t

And it is why it has taken me so long to write this post

My family has been torn apart too

By death

The loss of innocence

The loss of childhood

The loss of potential

Of future

Kirsty McNeill spoke at the Save Bloggers conference

She told of a man she had met in Syria, I think, or Africa

Who broke her heart and called her to action

Because he was too scared to love his children

Afraid they might die

And her anecdote broke me

Because I know I have that fear

I know that I am scared to love my children

Afraid that they might die and be taken from me

But it is not the same

I am broken and I am grieving

But I am not hungry or thirsty

I have my home

My daughter died

But I am blessed that she was not raped or beaten or murdered before my eyes

And it is really really hard to count those blessings at the moment

But I know that they are there

I found Kirsty McNeill so inspiring

She is fierce and passionate

With a great big heart

I wanted to stand and cheer much of what she was saying

Let’s be the gereration to say:
No child dies from preventable causes
No child gets hungry
Every child is educated
Every child has a fair chance in life

I am all for that!

Kirsty gave some great tips on blogging for good, on using your blog to campaign for something that you are passionate about, that you believe in

Here are the bullet points:

1) Understand the political brain. Subscribe to Ben Brogan’s Morning Briefing, Labourr List and Conservative Home. Read them for two weeks to begin to understand the workings of politics.

2) Keep your own voice! Stories beat statistics and feelings beat facts.

3) Play to your strengths. Can you ask your readers to give you their time? Ask them to write a letter to their local paper, call the local radio station, ask your readers to not only read but to be an active part of your campaign. Use the power of the communal voice. Ask your readers to be active and tell them why it matters.

4) Ask your readers for money and give money yourself. Blog about donations you have made to who and why, what prompted you to donate? Share your stories and make people see why they matter.

5) Ask your readers to be creative. This made me think of when we helped The Lullaby Trust a year ago to launch their new name, so many bloggers came together to share stories of lullabies. It made me think of Messy Play for Matilda Mae. It made me think of Save The Children blog campaigns. Get people involved, make it easy for them to join in and be a part of something good.

6) Ask your readers to use their network and share your story. Be part of a national, global, conversation.

7) Ask your readers for their stories. be a megaphone for others.

8) Measure your reach and tell people about it.

9) Pull the curtain back. Respond to an issue. Give information and request action. Use a atory of the moment that illustrates why what you are doing matters. paint a picture for your reader and make them believe that you, they, right now can make a difference.

Because you, we, can!

I came away from the Save Bloggers conference inspired and emotional and determined to do something to make a difference.

The conference was timed to coincide with the launch of Save The Children‘s No Child Born To Die campaign focused on newborns.

I will tell you more about that very soon.

In the meantime, I have donated.

Will you?