Get involved

There are loads of ways you can be part of Childline.

Talk: speak to other Childline users via our Message Boards or check Ask Sam about anything that’s worrying you.
Share: upload images you’ve created in the Art Box to our Image Gallery or join in the conversation on social media.
Volunteer: if you’re over 16, you can volunteer for us.

This month’s topic

This month we're looking at Christmas.

Christmas can be difficult for many people, particularly if you feel like everyone else is having a great time and you’re not.

If you’re feeling down or stressed out at this time of year, read our advice on coping at Christmas and check out our pages on looking after your mental health.

Watch: Not So Merry Christmas ft. Joe Conza

Christmas on a budget ft. Becky

Eating problems at Christmas ft. Hannah and Dan

We have loads of videos on our YouTube channel. Get involved by giving us feedback in the box below on the topics you’d like to see talked about.

Subscribe to our channel now

New from you

Your images

This month, we want to see your images all about Christmas and the festive season.

Use our Art Box to create an image, and have as many goes as you like.

Here's some inspiration from images you've already created.

Image gallery

Check out more in the Image gallery.

you're talking about...

Check out conversations on Ask Sam and the message boards about Christmas and the festive season.

Post-Christmas Mental Health

I suffer with bad depression, anxiety/panic and OCD, but the few weeks before Christmas I've been feeling really good...

Christmas stress

I get really stressed at out Christmas time and sometimes it's too much. I get stressed about everything and then I e...

Christmas

This is going to be the second Christmas without nan, and last year was probably the hardest. She was always a big pa...

they knew
just how I
felt

Check out our Christmas and New Year message board

Get involved in what we do

Childline is part of the NSPCC, a charity that helps prevent child abuse. Both the NSPCC and Childline have lots of ways that you can get involved.

Influence what we do

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.

Share your story

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.

Volunteer for Childline

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.

Share your thoughts

Here are just some of the things you’ve helped us with.

You told us what helps when you're in the queue for a counsellor so we can improve your experience.
You helped us make a tool to remove your personal images posted online.
You gave us ideas for a quiz to help young people who've been bullied.
You tested the Childline App to make sure it was running smoothly.

Seen our new letter builder?

We're working on a new tool you can use to ask an adult for help. Tell us what you think of the template, or just share ideas, on the message boards!