Leading children's charity NCH has linked up with Cambridgeshire social services to launch three services for children, young people and families.

They include Cambridgeshire Independent Visitor Services which matches up volunteers with children and young people in care who have little or no contact with their families.

The volunteers are ordinary people from a variety of backgrounds, age and gender who can spend some of their free time befriending a child to offer support and encourage them in their interests and development.

Another of the projects is Cambridgeshire Children's Rights and Advocacy Service aims to provide all children and young peoplein care - even if they live outside the county - with independent information and advice on their rights and to offer the support and advice they need to ensure they can have a say in the decisions that affect their lives.

Meanwhile Fenland Family Support Service, works closely with social services offering assessments and intensive, individual programmes of support to children under 11 and their families who are experiencing significant difficulties.

The project serves Wisbech, March, Whittlesey, Chatteris and the surrounding villages.

Sandra Lawrence, NCH's regional director of children's services said: "NCH Thames Anglia Region is very pleased to be in partnership with Cambridgeshire Social Services because these projects will make a real difference to the lives of children, young people and their families."

Colin Green, assistant director for children's services in Cambridgeshire added: "We are very pleased to have commissioned NCH to provide these services.

"The Family Support Service has already made a very important contribution to improving our services for children and families in difficulty in Fenland.

"They have helped many families provide better and safer care for their children. The two new services will help ensure the children in our care have a voice and someone independent to help ensure that voice is heard."