Calls to Childline on the increase

The number of calls to the ISPCC's Childline service increased by more than 20,000 during the past year.

In 2010, the organisation received more than 830,000 calls to its helpline from distressed children and teenagers - more than 2,300 calls every single day.

It also received more than 27,000 text messages and emails.

“Childline is run predominantly by volunteers and they’re very well-trained volunteers and very committed people and without them we wouldn’t be able to maintain the service as it is,” said ISPCC advocacy and policy officer Lisa Collins.

“But Childline doesn’t receive any Government funding at all, so we do rely solely on the generosity of the general public, and people are very generous in these difficult times, but, like so many others, CL is struggling with fundraising.”