Almost 1,600 young people have been given access to a counselling lifeline in just a year.
The NSPCC’s Childline service - which has its West Yorkshire base in Leeds - has been there for young people no matter what they are going through for more than 36 years.
Volunteers are on the other end of the phone line or screen offering support, guidance and reassurance to children whenever they need it.
For more than a decade, the Leeds team dealt solely with electronic contacts through the Childline website and private messaging system, but a year ago they returned to taking phone calls from young people in need.
The team’s 45 dedicated volunteers have been able to help even more young people tackle their worries.
The team in Leeds have carried out 1,572 counselling sessions over the phone since the service started again, along with 4,776 online counselling sessions.
Charlotte Thomas, Childline manager at the NSPCC’s Leeds hub, said: “All Childline volunteers across the UK undergo high quality training to support young people. Even so, we spent weeks training up our volunteers so it was all fresh for them.
“Any existing volunteers who chose not to get involved with phone counselling sessions have been retained as much valued “online-only” counsellors – but the whole team have been really supportive of the project.”
The Leeds base became one of just two Childline sites to pilot online-only counselling sessions in 2011, when it became clear that around 75 per cent of contacts to Childline came via the website.
Since then, online counselling has continued to prove the most common way for young people to seek support.
Rebecca Shaw, the team’s volunteer coordinator, said: “We have a fantastic team of volunteers, but we’d love to welcome new volunteers - anyone who has just four hours a week to spare. Currently, we have volunteers who travel in each week from Sheffield, Bradford, York, Halifax and even Malham to offer support to children when they need it most.
“We regularly hold virtual and face-to-face Volunteer Information Meetings where anyone who’s interesting in finding out more about Childline can get all the information they need.
"Whether they’re listening to young people’s worries on the phone or supporting them online, volunteers are the most important part of Childline. The team we have are amazing, and we’d love to welcome new members from across the region from any background.”
To find out more about volunteering for Childline or when the next Volunteer Information Meeting will be held, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/support-us or search online for ‘volunteering with Childline’.
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