Volunteer With Childline
Every Childline volunteer contributes to the only 24-hour free Listening service available to children and young people in Ireland. All our volunteers play a part in giving children and young people support and a safe place to share their feelings, experiences, triumphs and challenges.
Volunteer with us.
Our Childline Listening units are in Dublin (Dun Laoghaire), Cork and Drogheda and our Digital Units are in Limerick, Galway and Mayo (Castlebar).
The gift of 4 hours a week:
Have you got 4 hours a week to come into your nearest Childline unit to support, encourage, listen and empower children and young people who engage in our service?
To maintain these services, Childline is seeking volunteers for the following roles:
- Childline Listening Volunteer: The role involves providing a listening service over the phone and via our web chat function. Using active listening skills and approaching each call or text in an empathetic, non-directive and non-judgmental way, we provide every user of the service with a platform where they are heard, their feelings are validated, and their options explored.
- Childline Digital Volunteer: This role involves supporting young people and parents/carers through our Digital Mental Health and Wellbeing programmes. If you are computer literate, comfortable with written communication, empathetic and supportive and have an interest tools and techniques that encourage wellbeing, then volunteering for our Digital Support Service might be for you.
Why Volunteer with us?
There are many excellent reasons to volunteer – it’s good for your mental health, you gain valuable training and experience, it improves your employability, and it gives you an opportunity to give back to your community in a meaningful way.
At Childline, every volunteer is exposed to amazing, life-affirming experiences through the gift of giving their time to children and young people in need of support and a listening ear. Our volunteers are able to increase their knowledge around issues young people today are facing, pick up valuable communication skills, form enduring friendships with their fellow volunteers, attend various social occasions and have the option to be a part of our internal book club and wellness group, be at our annual national volunteer recognition event, and be involved in a whole host of other occasions and opportunities that arise throughout the year.
For more information, email [email protected]
Testimonals
Training
Volunteers must attend all training commencing in September 2023. Our training is delivered both in-person and online and has two strands; skills based, and topic based.
Volunteer Requirements
- Attend weekly shifts of 4 hours carried out in-unit.
- Clear Garda vetting procedures.
- Obtain a Children’s First Certificate.
- Attendance of group supervision.
- Attendance of one-to-one supervision.
Other Requirements
- Fluent in spoken and written English.
- Good listening skills.
- The ability to maintain confidentiality.
- A desire to support children and young people.
- A person-centred approach to helping others.