AS we head into the first few days of 2023, it's a good time for us to reflect on the New Year's resolutions we might set ourselves. Some of us want to try to be more active, some might want to read more, while others may want to be more charitable.

If you're in that third group, there's a good chance the NSPCC and Childline have a position you might be able to help out with. During the pandemic, we lost over 400 Childline volunteers and although we started to see a steady rise early this year, numbers fell in April. Last year our counsellors delivered over 200,000 counselling sessions to children and young people with mental health the top concern. In addition to the free helpline, children also receive support through our 1-2-1 counsellor chat, moderated message boards and through emails.

We have a base in Yorkshire, but to help us reach as many children as possible, we also have a large team of volunteers who can respond to children via email as part of Childline's Virtual Base. In January, we hope to add to our ranks, and would love to see people from Yorkshire join the team. All volunteers are given extensive training, as well as on hand support when needed. Training takes approximately five weeks for our remote counsellor roles with support throughout including two mentored shifts. At a minimum, volunteers are asked to commit to four hours a week.

Away from Childline, we also need volunteers to help deliver our Speak Out, Stay Safe workshops in primary schools. These sessions are delivered to Years 5 and 6 to help children, in an age-appropriate way, recognise the signs of abuse, identify a trusted adult and speak out when they feel something isn't right. Full training is given to volunteers and we'll fit around your schedule. Last year, our virtual SOSS offer reached 438 schools in the region. We want to reach even more children in 2023.

If you'd rather put on an event in your local community, you could become a volunteer fundraiser. Full support is offered from our community fundraising managers and we're keen to hear from new people with inspiring ideas. People joined the charity's Walk for Children event late last year, whilst others held street parties and musical events.

Children and local communities are at the heart of everything these volunteer groups do. After the isolation of lockdowns, followed by other world events and the cost-of-living crisis, togetherness is exactly what we need to ensure we're all there for children. Visit nspcc.org.uk/support-us/volunteering-nspcc-childline