Dame Esther sends message to children in Wales after peak in Childline sessions about loneliness across UK last December

• December 2020 saw Childline deliver a record number of counselling sessions across the UK for a single month*

• NSPCC launches its ‘Here for Children’ TV Christmas Appeal

• On 21^st December, NSPCC supporters will take to the streets to walk 5K so the NSPCC can be here for children this Christmas, as landmarks across the UK, including Cardiff Castle and Cardiff County Hall, light up green in support of the charity 

Childline is here for every child struggling or feeling alone this Christmas, is Dame Esther Rantzen’s message to children in Wales after UK counselling sessions about loneliness peaked during last year’s festive period.

The NSPCC-run service Childline, which has bases in Cardiff and Prestatyn, can today reveal the service delivered a record number of almost 600 monthly sessions about this concern to children across the UK last December.

From April 2020 to March 2021 there were 6,039 counselling sessions about loneliness with children from across the UK, marking an all-time high for a single year. This is an increase of nearly half (49%) over the past four years.

The NSPCC has long highlighted that many children and young people struggle with loneliness and isolation. The data released today suggests that these feelings were exacerbated during the pandemic, as schools were closed, and they were forced to stay at home. Children shared with Childline’s counsellors that these experiences were particularly acute over the festive period, as households were unable to mix.

Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder of Childline said: “At Childline we know how painful Christmas can be for some children, particularly when the media is filled with pictures of families happily celebrating together, and they are feeling alone and unloved. A child once described it to us as like looking through a shop window where everything inside is warm and bright, and you are outside where it’s cold and dark. 

“The festive period can be especially difficult for children who are struggling with their mental health or are in homes that are unsafe. Given the impact of the pandemic, it is no surprise that this year we’ve seen record numbers of children from across the UK get in touch with us about loneliness. The lockdowns exacerbated these feelings for some young people, especially when schools had to close, and they couldn’t see the friends and family they loved and needed.

“Last Christmas was one of the toughest in living memory, bringing with it great sadness and challenges for many children. And we want to remind children in Wales who are struggling or feeling alone that our Childline counsellors, working from bases across the

UK including Cardiff and Prestatyn, are there for them whenever they need to talk to someone, and that they can contact us by phone or on-line, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year.”

The charity can also reveal that loneliness is particularly affecting younger children. In 2020/21, there was a 47 percent increase in counselling sessions with children aged 11 and under when compared to the year before.

Young people who contacted Childline about loneliness also talked about being unhappy, feeling unloved and generally low. Some described it as a dark experience that was overwhelming. As well as loneliness, the top reasons children turn to the service for support with their mental health include anxiety and stress, low mood, and depression.

Childline is staffed by 1,200 Childline volunteer counsellors across the UK and last month celebrated its 35^th birthday.

A 15-year-old boy from Wales told a Childline counsellor: “I’m finding things really difficult at the moment. I’ve been feeling overwhelmed and I’m struggling to cope during lockdown.

“I know it’s like this for everyone but I hate being stuck at home away from everyone. I feel so isolated from my friends and home is really tense at the moment. My family argues a lot and I’m trying to keep out of it. No-one is giving me any support.”

In response to concerns about children this Christmas, the NSPCC has launched its ‘Here for Children’ TV Christmas Appeal. The advert sees Childline counsellors taking calls at Christmas from children struggling with loneliness and isolation, suicidal thoughts and feelings and physical abuse.

Christmas can be a very challenging time for children who suffer from abuse, neglect and are struggling with their mental health. Cut off from school and other support, it is vital they have somewhere to turn. The NSPCC is reaching out to the public to support its Here for Children Appeal and make a donation, so Childline counsellors can answer a child’s call for help this Christmas.

Despite the challenges of the past 18 months, as well as seeking support from Childline counsellors, young people accessed Childline online resources, information, and tools to support their mental health in ways and at times that were most convenient and helpful to them. Childline saw huge increases in the number of young people using the website to access information, advice and resources.

Landmarks light up green as people walk for children

On the 21^st December, which is the longest night of the year, hundreds of people will walk 5K to support the NSPCC. On this night, landmarks across the UK, including Cardiff Castle and Cardiff County Hall are also supporting the charity by lighting up and turning the NSPCC’s trademark green colour. The people taking to the streets to walk and the landmarks lighting up green represent the hard-working Childline counsellors who are there for children, offering a beacon of light in their darkest times.

The Childline service is here for children every day, even on Christmas Day. Children can contact Childline 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, 365 days a year. When a child needs help, Childline can be a lifeline. When a child feels like they have nowhere else to turn to, it’s vital that the NSPCC is here, ready to listen and support children across the UK.