“Childline launched in 1986 and I remember that night vividly. Forty volunteers were valiantly trying to handle a staggering 50,000 calls. In an instant we could see just how essential the service was to the nation’s children. And it still is as essential as it ever was. Now 30 years later, we still receive a million contacts a year from desperate children and young people who have nowhere else to turn. Childline literally saves lives.
“The dramatic growth of the online world means that the way children contact is is changing too. Now thousands of children reach Childline online, by email and 1-2-1 chat. That is a huge challenge for us. The problem is, when every question and answer has to be typed, it takes ten times longer to counsel a child online.
“We need to answer every child. That requires more volunteers and more investment so we can grow to meet the demand. Most importantly that requires your support. So, as we celebrate thirty years of Childline’s vital work. Please help us protect children from pain and save precious young lives”
Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder and President of Childline
How to contact Childline
Children, under 19 years of age, can access free 24 hour confidential help by:
- calling Childline on 0800 11 11 11
- visiting the website www.childline.org.uk