Childline looking for Nottinghamshire volunteers

Childline is looking for volunteers in Nottinghamshire to take on vital roles counselling young people who often have nowhere else to turn.
Childline is looking for more volunteers in NottinghamshireChildline is looking for more volunteers in Nottinghamshire
Childline is looking for more volunteers in Nottinghamshire

During Volunteers Week, which runs until Thursday (June 7), the NSPCC is celebrating the contribution of its dedicated supporters while also appealing for others to get involved.

And volunteer counsellors at Childline’s base in Nottingham are there every day for young people who often have nowhere else to turn.

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New figures show counsellors at the Nottingham base answered 29,214 contacts from children in 2016/17 – up from 25,478 the previous year.

Childline is looking for people to become counsellors and help provide this important service. They are asked to commit to 140 hours a year, for a minimum of 12 months.

Volunteer counsellors are trained to develop the skills needed to offer comfort, support and practical advice to the many young people and children who call for help.

Childline Nottingham senior supervisor Daniel Jones said: “Our volunteer counsellors do an incredible job supporting children and young people with a wide range of worries and concerns.

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“They really are making a difference to so many lives, so I’d encourage anyone interested to get in touch.”

Meanwhile, the NSPCC’s ‘Speak Out. Stay Safe’ programme reached 37,458 primary school pupils in Nottinghamshire last year, giving them the knowledge and the understanding they need to stay safe from abuse and neglect.

‘Speak Out. Stay Safe’ volunteers deliver child-friendly, age appropriate, interactive assemblies to children aged five to 11, plus a one hour classroom workshop for children in Years 5 and 6.

By the end of the visit the children will understand the different forms of abuse, and who they can turn to for help should they ever need it, including Childline.

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A wide variety of people volunteer for the NSPCC, each with their own reason for wanting to help.

NSPCC Schools Service co-ordinator in Nottinghamshire, Emma Grishin, said: “’Speak Out. Stay Safe’ gives children the courage and knowledge to speak out and is spreading an important message - but does so in a lively, interactive and memorable way.

“We have a fantastic team and the work we do is incredibly rewarding.”

To become a Childline volunteer or to find out more, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/what-you-can-do, call 0121 227 7577 or email [email protected].