Get involved

Both the NSPCC and Childline ask young people in the Participation Unit about what will help make what we do better.

The Participation Unit is very different from Childline. It can’t offer counselling support and it’s not anonymous or confidential. But if you join up, you can get the chance to:

• be involved in group discussions online or in person
• write blogs or news articles
• share your views on topics affecting children and young people
• campaign and help raise awareness of issues affecting children and young people.

To get involved, send an email to: participationunit@nspcc.org.uk.

Childline has lots of anonymous real life stories from young people who’ve shared what happened to them. Sharing your experiences can be a great way to help other people. But it’s important to make sure that it’s the right thing do to for you.

Sharing your story isn’t the same as talking to a counsellor. It can be upsetting and can affect you in ways you’re not expecting.

It’s important to be sure that you’re ready. Talking about what’s happened can bring up lots of feelings, especially when you’ve not talked about it much before.

If you’d like to share your story, the first step is to contact Childline.

• Log in or create an account.
• Send Childline an email from your locker.

If you’re not sure whether you want to share your story yet, the message boards can be a great way to try sharing things about your life.

Posting on the message boards is different from sharing your story just to help other people. The boards are anonymous but other young people can comment on what you decide to share. Other people can also give you support with what’s happened.

If you’re over 16, you can volunteer for Childline. There are lots of ways you can volunteer:

• answering our switchboard
• becoming a volunteer counsellor
• helping behind the scenes as an admin volunteer.

Find out how on the NSPCC website.