Childline: Forty years since being founded by Dame Esther Rantzen, our mission remains unchanged
Although the world has changed in the forty years since Childline was set up by Dame Esther Rantzen, and even in the 20 years since it became part of the NSPCC, the charity’s mission remains unchanged – to protect and support children.
Our free counselling service for young people has supported millions of children over the last 40 years when they felt they had no one else to speak to. Often, our counsellors are the first people children tell about their problems.
Childline is here, free and in confidence, 24 hours a day, seven days a week. Our volunteer counsellors offer advice and support both online and over the phone. When Childline opened it would offer counselling sessions through calls from telephone boxes, landlines and letters. Last year, the service delivered around 170,000 counselling sessions, many of which were online through our one-to-one chat service.
Childline can help anyone aged under 19 in the UK with any issue they are experiencing. It is completely free and the number will not show up on the phone bill. Children and young people can call Childline on 0800 1111, chat one-on-one online at www.childline.org.uk/get-support/1-2-1-counsellor-chat, or email a counsellor through a secure online Childline account.
The counsellors are all trained members of staff or volunteers, of all ages and backgrounds. They will listen without judging and they let children take their time – they understand how much courage it can take to reach out for help.
Reflecting on her experience with the service, one 16-year-old girl told counsellors: “I wanted to say thank you to Childline for all the kindness you have shown to me. I felt listened to and safe, which I hadn’t felt in a long time.
“It meant so much to me. In my previous chats, I felt like I could open up more, even when I found it hard. The counsellors made me feel like I was worth caring about and that I mattered, not just something that needed to be fixed.”
Children can contact Chidline on 0800 1111, or visit www.childline.org.uk.