A local AM has pledged his support for Childline as new figures show Welsh children contacted the helpline more than 7,600 times last year.
Russell George, the Assembly Member for Montgomeryshire joined Childline’s founder at a special event in the Senedd on Tuesday 11th October.
Dame Esther Rantzen visited Wales as part of a tour to mark the NSPCC-run helpline’s 30th anniversary.
Mr George said:
“I was pleased to be able to attend the special event to mark the 30th anniversary of Childline, a fantastic charity for children who require advice and support in dealing with a range of issues from low self-esteem and unhappiness to bullying, exam stress and relationships.
“After discussing the work of the charity with Dame Esther, I now have a fuller understanding of the issues which can affect some young people and I was amazed to learn that volunteers at two Welsh bases in Cardiff and Prestatyn undertook a total of 22,000 counselling sessions with children across the UK in 2015/16.
“Childline is an invaluable service for anyone under 19 with any issue they’re going through so if you need support or advice on matters big or small, please don’t suffer alone and call one of their trained counsellors who are there to support you and provide a friendly ear.”
“I congratulate Childline on its 30th anniversary and hope that it goes from strength to strength as part of the NSPCC for many years to come.”
For more information on contacting Childline, please visit: https://www.childline.org.uk/get-support/contacting-childline/
A copy of Childline’s latest annual report can be found here: https://www.nspcc.org.uk/services-and-resources/research-and-resources/2016/childline-annual-review-2015-16-turned-out-someone-did-care/