Nottingham’s Childline team are appealing for new volunteers to train and help young people.
In the last year, Nottingham’s Childline service delivered 13,171 counselling sessions to children and young people.
Max Baker, Childline Volunteer Coordinator, said: “We have 72 active volunteers currently and hope to double numbers over the next year in order to meet the service demand.”
Counsellors at Nottingham’s Childline have provided more than half a million sessions to children across the country since opening in 1988.
He added: “The numbers of callers and children and young people contacting us is always high but sometimes there is a pattern in types of contacts we receive.
“Over the Covid-19 pandemic, there was a noticeable rise in contacts about domestic abuse and issues at home because more children and young people were stuck at home and without school.”
“When schools reopened, there were lots of contacts about worries over returning to school.”
“Current affairs, such as the war in Ukraine and Russia and the death of Queen Elizabeth II led to young people and children contacting us about their worries and concerns.”
Their services are free, confidential and private allowing under nineteen year olds to be open about what obstacles they are facing and reach out for help day and night.
Max said: “It is a 12 week training programme, consisting of online classrooms, self-study online and observation and mentored shifts in base, where you will listen to live contacts and observe and then respond to contacts with full support of a mentor.
He adds: “The training is very in depth to the point you can achieve an accredited qualification through our training.”
Childline volunteers delivered over 200,000 counselling sessions to young people, it is estimated that 3,400 of these young people were based in Nottinghamshire.
Childline delivered roughly 17,000 counselling sessions a month last year.
On average, a child contacts Childline every 25 seconds nationally.
Max said: “Childline is vital in responding to immediate calls and problems.
“Sometimes Childline has to respond to young people and children in life threatening situations by contacting appropriate authorities, such as the police.”
“The role of the volunteer is to listen and be with a child or young person over the phone or a live chat, while safeguarding decisions are made by a trained member of staff on shift with you.”
“But immediate referrals and support for young people and children is a vital part of what Childline does on a daily basis.”
For a trained volunteer to answer a young persons call for help it costs £4.
Volunteer with Childline Nottingham here
Image Credits: NSPCC