A Derry man has reflected on his time at Childline Foyle after working there for 16 years.
When Cormac Nolan, 54, started as a Sessional Supervisor, the calls to Childline were often from children who were whispering anxiously because they were using the family phone in the hallway and did not want to be overheard.
The only alternative was to find a phone box but that really was not a safe option for many of them.
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The way children contact Childline now has changed dramatically but they are still facing many of the same problems in their daily lives.
Cormac, who is originally from Pennyburn in Derry, now lives in Letterkenny, Co Donegal with his wife and daughter.
After completing a BA (Hons) in International Business Communication, he worked in transport management before realising that he wanted to move to a career where he could help and support young people.
He fulfilled this ambition by taking up a post working with young people leaving residential care and, in 2007, achieved a Diploma in Counselling at Magee before moving to Childline.
Cormac said: “When the job was advertised with Childline, I knew it was exactly what I wanted and was delighted to be appointed. I had no idea that I would still be with the charity 16 years later - the time has flown!”
When Cormac started working for Childline there were some 25 volunteers and four staff who had joined quickly after the base opened in 2007.
Cormac is now Service Head for Childline Foyle and Cardiff and the online service, and reflects on some of the changes he has witnessed.
He said: "When I started, it was actually still pretty revolutionary to have a service which allowed children and young people to speak freely about things that concerned them, in the knowledge that they weren’t being judged but were being listened to and supported.
"Often, we were the first people they had told about their problems - including sexual abuse which was not then talked about so openly. Childline was simply a lifeline for many young people."
The Childline office is at Exchange House in the city centre and this also houses the NSPCC Hub which offers direct services for local children.
Childline Foyle currently has 16 staff and a large team of volunteers who are contacted every day by children and young people from across the UK.
It has recently been selected to join a small group of bases to offer an all-night service,
Cormac said: “I was so pleased that we were chosen to have this wonderful and much-needed service, here in the North West. For some people, midnight is a time for winding down but at the Foyle base it’s often just the beginning. We have also found that contacts at night are frequently more complex than those which occur in the daytime, resulting in more referrals to the police or social services.”
Cormac added: "One thing that hasn’t changed over the years the dedication of our volunteers because without them, Childline would have ceased to exist. Our volunteers could not be a more diverse group but they all have one thing in common - the desire to support, advise and listen to children and young people who often feel that no one cares about them or what they are going through.
"We’ve come a long way since Childline began and in the 16 years since I’ve been here, there are aspects of the job which are very different. Being able to help a child is such a privilege and I feel so fortunate to work in Childline along with such an amazing group of volunteers.
"We are holding our first open day, at the base on Friday 2 June from 11 -2pm. Anyone who would like to find out more about what is involved in becoming a volunteer, or working with us, is very welcome to call in on the day for a cup of tea, a chat with our staff and volunteers and have a look around the base."
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