Volunteer in pledge to keeponhelpingaged99
A GLASGOW-BORN pensioner has vowed to continue his work with Childline following is 99th birthday.
Norman Hutchison has helped deliver over 132,000 counselling sessions to children across the UK since joining the charity in 2004.
Having reached his 99th birthday last month, he still finds time for a weekly volunteer shift at the local Childline base in Aberdeen city centre.
Norman uses his experience in admin and organising to help support the running of the Ruby Lane base and help make things that little bit easier for the volunteers and staff who are counselling the country’s children.
He said: “There was a concert held every year in the music hall in Aberdeen on Union Street and at one of these concerts it was raising money for one or two organisations and I saw there was a big Childline banner,” he said.
“A speaker outlined as best he could in the short time he had about Childline and the need for volunteers. I got one of the slips and returned it saying I was prepared to volunteer.
“I knew the name Childline but that was really my sum-total knowledge. It was on my terms that I wouldn’t be a counsellor but having a life time’s experience of voluntary organisations, I knew that helping with the admin in some way wasn’t a very popular thing to do but it suited me.
“That’s what started it in 2004. I was very happy to do back up stuff for staff.”
Norman enlisted with Childline in the same year it opened in Aberdeen and volunteering there has helped him to remain engaged and active in the community in his later years, following the passing of his wife Lilian five years after he signed up.
Since then, this father, grandfather and great-grandfather has remained part of a faithful band of staff and volunteers who have helped to deliver more than 132,230 counselling sessions to children across the UK.
And although he may not be speaking directly to children who are distressed, worried about their mental health or family issues, Norman hears enough to know the importance of the service.
“In my contact with youth organisations, we just weren’t getting exposed to that kind of need for youngsters,” he said. “It wasn’t known or talked about.
“Childline has uncovered, because of its contact with children of all ages, a need and they have acted on the knowledge of that. If the help I give is of use to them then I’m happy to do a wee bit of back up.
“I just go on living and Childline will be part of that. It’s a good discipline for me to get up on the days I volunteer and that’s really now very important for me to have something to do.”
Norman, who turned 99 in February, is one of the few male volunteers at the Childline base in Aberdeen and he encouraged more men from the local area to get involved, a call backed by the centre’s Volunteer Organiser Kerri Stewart, who also thanked Norman for all his work. She said: “To have a volunteer like Norman makes a real difference and impacts greatly on what we can achieve at Childline.
“His consistent efforts with administration tasks over the years has allowed the rest of the team more time to recruit new volunteers and be there for children and young people. He is a much-needed support to our office and a great team member.
“We also have a need for young male volunteers in our counselling room.
“Often our male callers in need of support enjoy the opportunity to speak with a male counsellor so it’s always great to hear from men who are interested in this role.”