48 BUSINESS WOMEN SCOTLAND charity of the year
BWS Charity of the Year
Help NSPCC Scotland give children a voice
Childline, founded by Esther Rantzen in 1986 is
probably one of our best known services at the
NSPCC. Since its launch the helpline has supported
over 3.2 million children and young people across
Scotland and the rest of the UK. And while the ways
children contact Childline have changed, the need
for the service is as great as ever.
Our Childline service is here for children, whatever
their worry, whenever they need help. A child contacts
Childline every 20 seconds and some are going through
the toughest time of their lives. They talk to us about
things like family problems, bullying, self-harm and
depression. Problems they feel they can’t talk to anyone
else about. As one girl told a counsellor at our Glasgow
base: “I’m finding a lot of what’s happening in my life at
the moment difficult to cope with so I’m cutting to give
me a release. I don’t let anyone know I’m self-harming
because I know they would struggle to understand it –
they think because I’m young things could never be that
bad, but I have a lot of problems and it’s the only thing
that makes me feel better when I’m feeling low.”
Childline counsellors help by being there to listen and
support children who feel they have nowhere else to turn.
It’s a free 24 hour service, open 365 days a year. Founder,
Esther Rantzen says: “I’m often privileged to meet
young people who describe how Childline helped them
at a difficult point in their lives, but there are many other
desperate children out there who still need us. Whatever
your skills and the time you have, you can help us be
there for them.”
As well as fundraising, Childline relies on trained
volunteer counsellors to support the children who
contact us, on the phone, by email and via our online
counselling service. From our bases in Glasgow
and Aberdeen our volunteers are there for children
around the clock, supported by a team of professional
managers. Esther says: “Volunteers – however much
time they can contribute – are the lifeblood of the service
and it’s thanks to them that we’re able to save precious
young lives and protect thousands of children from pain.
We urgently need more Childline volunteers - so please
get in touch with us to find out more about the many
ways you can help.”
Four ways you can help Childline
in Scotland, today...
• Join us o