Childline founder reaches out in appeal to track down mystery volunteer

Childline founder Dame Esther Rantzen has issued an emotional appeal in a bid to track down a Scottish volunteer who helped save a young life while working for the charity.

The television presenter and journalist wants to speak to those Scots who have in the past used the child protection charity she set up in 1986.

And the 77-year-old admitted she was particularly keen to track down a volunteer counsellor who worked for Childline in Glasgow during the 1990s.

Known only as “Fiona O”, Rantzen wants to make sure a personal thank you message gets to the mystery helper.

Speaking exclusively to The Scotsman Magazine, Rantzen said a woman known as Karen who was once helped by the service wanted to reach out years later to her Good Samaritan.

“We would love to track down Fiona O, that’s what she called herself,” Rantzen said.

“She was a Scottish volunteer counsellor who helped this child, now a young adult, who says she wouldn’t be here without the help she had.

“She showed me a copy of the letter Fiona had sent her.

“I would love to get a message to Fiona because volunteer counsellors only see a snapshot. They don’t get to see the end of the story and Karen would like to thank her.”

Childline offers free and confidential support to children and young people over the phone and online.

The charity answered about 85,000 calls, emails and online messages from around Scotland last year.

The number of young people contacting Childline at Christmas has increased.

Volunteers in Scotland received 320 calls across the four main festive holidays of Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Hogmanay and New Year’s Day in 2016-17, up from 288 the year before.

Rantzen also helped launch The Silver Line four years ago – a confidential 24/7 phone service offering the same level of support to older people combating isolation and loneliness.