‘One call that stays with me is a young person who had taken steps to end their own life and had only rung so someone would find their dog...’
Coronavirus has led to a surge in young people contacting Childline – but the charity has also seen a dramatic fall in volunteers. Will Hayward spoke to one volunteer about how anyone can make a difference
THERE is desperate need for people to volunteer for Childlline – a counselling service for children and young people.
According to NSPCC Cymru, who run the service, the number of active volunteers has fallen dramatically during the Covid-19 crisis.
Childline bases in Cardiff and Prestatyn are among 12 UK-wide that are continuing to provide support to children and young people when they need it most. The service has been inundated with contacts from children and young people, with many worried about what coronavirus means for them.
In April we reported how lockdown had sparked a surge in calls to Childline.
At the time, Hayley Gordon, Childline supervisor in Cardiff, warned children’s lives were at risk as a result of lockdown.
She said: “We have had a rise in calls about sexual, emotional and physical abuse.
“There is an increasing risk for young people. We are here for children who don’t feel safe at home or don’t feel safe with how they are feeling.
“We are speaking to children about suicidal thoughts and selfharm.
“School is a safe haven for some children. There is an increasing risk for young people and I would definitely say there are young people whose lives are at risk as a result of this [lockdown]. We are here to help them.
“If a child’s life is in danger, we pass our concerns to police.”
Volunteer Emma Brookes, 38, has been carrying out additional shifts during lockdown to help bridge the shortfall in volunteers.
“Many of our volunteers have been shielding and understandably are unable to come into our Childline bases,” she says.
“Volunteering has changed slightly during lockdown – the contacts from young people have had a lot more to do with Covid-19 and mental health concerns.
“Young people are struggling with the lack of face-to-face support and being stuck in the house.”
Mother-of-four Emma started volunteering for Childline in April 2019 after a friend recommended she sign up. She said: “My ultimate goal is to work with children and families in some capacity and so I thought listening and supporting young people was a good place to start, but mainly I wanted to be able to offer young people going through a difficult time a space to be heard.
“My first shift, I was so nervous I can’t even put it into words.aq\ I was so worried I was going to say the wrong thing which could have a detrimental impact on the young people I spoke with, but at the end of the shift I just felt fantastic and there is so much support from the supervisors that you never feel alone.”
Emma, from Holywell, mainly volunteers her time on a Saturday evening from Childline’s Prestatyn base, where she supports young people with a whole host of issues, including self-harm and suicidal thoughts and feelings.
“I think demand is high during these hours because most services are unfortunately Monday to Friday, nine to five, leaving many young people with no professional help over the weekend,” says Emma.
“They have no school, no access to other services they are using and that can be when young people feel at their most vulnerable.”
Reflecting on the past year volun
teering for Childline, Emma said: “I spoke to a young person who was being sexually abused and the family knew, but had told the young person they would deal with it.
“Nothing had changed and they felt completely alone, but contacting Childline gave them a space to be heard, know that it was okay to speak up, and I was able to offer support and guidance.
“Another call that stays with me is a young person who had taken steps to end their own life and said they had only rung so someone would find their dog.
“Sitting on the end of the phone talking to that young person, trying to keep them calm, get them some help whilst reassuring them that they were worth help and deserved to be safe and happy, will stick with me forever. It is a constant reminder of why Childline is so important.”
Emma juggles volunteering shifts for Childline with her home life, university studies and two other volunteering roles.
She says: “Being a Childline volunteer brings me a sense of purpose – 95% of the time I leave the shift feeling like a child or young person has been listened to and maybe even just for that one evening feels that things might just be okay. Some calls mean that, for one young person, I might have helped keep them alive for long enough for them to get support and some professional help.”
What is Emma’s advice to anyone interested in finding out more about volunteering as Childline counsellor?
“If I could say anything, I’d just say do it – if that drive is there to help children and young people, go for it. Young people need somewhere to feel safe, heard and supported. One shift a week could be enough to help a young person and you could be the one person who has believed them, which is massive.
“There aren’t enough of us – please come help us to make a difference.”