I WILL never forget the night we launched Childline in October 1986.

Put simply, the phone lines were running red hot.

I still remember some of the calls I took on that first night; children in tears describing suffering they had never been able to talk about to anyone else.

My sister, a trained social worker, came off the lines in shock.

“We knew this happened to children,” she told me, “but face to face in front of a social worker they find it almost impossible to talk about it. I’ve never heard children speaking as openly as they do to Childline.”

Things have changed enormously since then. We are now part of the NSPCC, a much-loved charity with the strength and security that enabled Childline to launch an online counselling service and a new phone app. Now, when young people talk to our counsellors we are hearing about issues that didn’t exist back in 1986, most obviously those emanating from excessive use of the internet, and others that were not as prevalent such as mental health and concerns about body image.

Amongst all this evolution however, the central premise of Childline remains the same. That is: children and teenagers being able to turn to us for free and confidential advice and support, available 24/7, 365 days a year.

But now I need your help. We need to know how the service helped you in the long term. Did speaking to a Childline counsellor make a difference to your life? Did we support, comfort and protect you, as we hoped? Telling us about your experience will enable us to reach many other young people who are still out there in need of our support and advice. Please contact me on Esther.Rantzen@nspcc.org.uk

DAME ESTHER RANTZEN

Founder and President of Childline,

NSPCC,

Drummer Lane off Station Road,

Tidworth, Wiltshire