CHILDLINE Schools Service in St Helens is calling for volunteers to help give younger children an understanding of abuse and how they can stay safe.

Using assemblies and workshops, the service is designed to encourage children to recognise situations where they may need help and to tell them ways of accessing support.

Delivered by volunteers, the ChildLine Schools Service programme will enable them to understand how to keep themselves safe and where to get help if they need it.

The sessions are sensitively tailored to ensure topics are covered in a way that children can understand and have been approved as suitable for children aged nine to 11 by child protection specialists.

The service now needs to recruit more volunteers to reach all schools in the St Helens area.

Helen O’Sullivan, ChildLine area coordinator for St Helens, said: “This is a real opportunity to change the face of child protection in the UK.

“The ChildLine Schools Service is fundamentally focused on safeguarding young people and we believe it will make a significant contribution to preventing child abuse.”

She continued: “Volunteers are key to the delivery of this new service, so it is vital that local people come forward to help us achieve the aim of protecting future generations. If you are interested in volunteering, please get in touch to find out more about joining the ChildLine Schools Service team.”

Marion Hirst from St Helens has been volunteering for ChildLine Schools Service for almost two years and enjoys the challenges the role brings.

She said: “The enjoyment I gain from volunteering for the Schools Service is seeing the children respond positively to the messages we deliver. That feeling at the end of an assembly or workshop when you know that more children know where to go and who to turn to if they feel anxious or worried, is so rewarding.”

Mrs Hood, PSHE Co-ordinator at Rainhill St Ann’s Primary School said: “It gave our pupils the opportunity to discuss some important issues and also gave them the confidence to be able to ask for help if needed.”

For more information, visit nspcc.org.uk/schoolsservice or email schoolsservice@nspcc.org.uk.