Waterlooville woman retrains as Childline counsellor for lockdown as charity warns about mental health impact of the pandemic on children

Sally McFawn from Waterlooville is among hundreds of people who have been supporting children of all ages during lockdown with a total of 54,926 counselling sessions conducted between April and December last year.

Sally, who normally works as a co-ordinator for the NSPCC’s Schools Service, retrained as a Childline counsellor during the first lockdown after volunteer numbers dropped by 40 per cent.

She said: ‘Before doing my first shift I was really nervous however, I was so supported by the wider Childline team and ended up doing four shifts a week.

‘It is a really hard time for children as many of them can’t access the support systems they normally would. But it’s so important that children know that Childline is still here to listen to them and support them during this difficult time.’

The NSPCC is desperately appealing for more evening and weekend volunteers for the Childline service after seeing first-hand the impact the pandemic is having on young people as they face being off school and lockdown restrictions.

One girl aged 16 who contacted Childline said: ‘I feel really sad and lonely. I need to talk to someone because I don’t really have anyone right now. I am really struggling with the whole isolation thing.

‘Most days I find myself just lost in my own thoughts and feeling numb.’

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Hampshire resident and Childline president, Dame Esther Rantzen added: ‘School can be the only safe haven they know, and without that support they feel entirely alone.

‘For them, Childline is literally a lifeline. But the service urgently needs more volunteers to listen to and support children, and more funds to pay for their calls and on-line contacts, and for that we depend upon the generosity and compassion of the public. It is the NSPCC’s mission to make 2021 a better year for children, and with your help we can make this dream a reality.’

Children can call Childline on 0800 11 11 from 7.30am to 3.30 am from Monday to Friday or 9am to 3.30am on weekends. Or visit childline.org.uk

A message from the Editor, Mark Waldron

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