‘You make a difference interacting with them’

ALAN OATES is a student, an overqualified barman, and one night a week, a potential lifeline for children struggling with life.

The Dubliner has been volunteering for the Childline and Teentxt email service for almost three years, and gives one night — or four hours — a week, during which he encounters young people making contact regarding serious problems they are enduring in their lives.

“We have the public/private emails and one-to-one messaging, so there are three different ways for them to get in contact with us,” Alan said.