Local Assembly Member Paul Davies has pledged his support for Childline as new figures show Welsh children contacted the helpline more than 7,600 times last year.Mr Davies attended a special event at the National Assembly for Wales with Childline’s founder Dame Esther Rantzen, who visited Wales as part of a tour to mark the NSPCC-run helpline’s 30th anniversary. Results showed that among the 7,605 Welsh contacts, low self-esteem and unhappiness were the most frequently discussed topics. However, bullying, including cyberbullying continues to be a growing concern as more and more young people are turning to Childline for support about the issues they are encountering online.

Mr Davies said, “I was delighted to attend Childline’s 30th anniversary celebrations at the Senedd. Childline provides an important service to our children and young people and it’s great that Childline counsellors can now be contacted in so many different ways, whether it be over the phone or online, via 1-2-1 chats or emails, so that its services are as accessible as possible.”

He added, “It’s crucial that we continue to support Childline services and raise awareness of the hard work of its volunteers, who do so much to support children across the UK. Childline has done a fantastic job over the past 30 years – let’s make sure that good work continues for the future.”