Clwyd West Assembly Member Darren Millar has joined calls for more Childline volunteers after meeting the helpline’s founder in the Senedd this week.

Dame Esther Rantzen visited Wales as part of an anniversary tour to mark 30 years of Childline.

Wales currently has 175 volunteers who undertook 22,000 counselling sessions in the last 12 months from bases in Prestatyn and Cardiff.

Last year Childline received more than 7,600 contacts to its bases across the UK from children living in Wales seeking help, advice and support. Not all of those who use the helpline reveal where they live, so the true figure could be higher.

Low self-esteem, family relationships and self-harm were the some of the most common concerns raised with volunteers, with a combined total of more than 2,800 counselling sessions undertaken on these issues with children in Wales. Bullying and online bullying accounted for almost 500 calls and online contacts.

Darren said:

“Childline provides a fantastic service which saves so many lives and protects so many children from pain. Since it was established it has counselled four million children, in twelve bases around the UK, with a dedicated network of 1,400 trained volunteer counsellors.

“These volunteer counsellors are what make Childline the success it is, without them some children would have nowhere to turn. As the helpline celebrates its 30th anniversary, it is as important as ever that ChildLine recruits and trains even more volunteers to meet the increasing demand for its service.  

“To find out more about volunteering for Childline, visit www.nspcc.org.uk/childline30.

Picture caption: Clwyd West AM Darren Millar with Dame Esther Rantzen who visited Wales this week as part of an anniversary tour to mark 30 years of Childline.