A charity worker has said it will be a "privilege" to work through the night at Childline's base in Derry on Christmas.
Childline Practitioner, Kirsty Millar, will be spending Christmas night at the charity’s Foyle base. The Portrush woman is one of many Childline staff and volunteers who will be there for children over the festive season.
Kirsty says she is looking forward to a happy, relaxed, family Christmas this year with her parents, younger sister and adored dog, Lily. Her extended family come around to visit after Christmas lunch and the twenty-five-year-old is also planning to spend some time with her boyfriend in the evening.
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If the weather is good she hopes to find time to fit in a brisk walk along one of the beautiful beaches in her home town, before heading off at 10pm to start work at Childline’s Foyle base for a shift that finishes at 7.30am on Boxing Day.
Even though it’s a 45-minute drive to the base and she will be leaving her family in the midst of the festive celebrations, Kirsty has said she is happy to work through the night to be able to respond to children when they call Childline for help.
"Often it’s at night that children’s worries really intensify and all sorts of concerns and fears bubble up the surface – that’s why Childline is open 24 hours a day, every day, including Christmas.”
She continued: “I haven’t worked over the Christmas period before, so it’s hard to predict the sorts of calls I’ll receive, but I know that for many young people it can be a sad time of year especially if they have experienced grief or loss. For some children, their own experiences of Christmas are very different from the images they see on television, of happy families, surrounded by wonderful food and presents. This can be so difficult for them. I find it’s a privilege to be able to listen to their worries and let them know they are not alone.”
After completing a degree in Psychology at Dundee University in 2021, which she enjoyed thoroughly, Kirsty went on to study at the University of Ulster in Coleraine where she achieved an MSc in Applied Psychology and was particularly interested in family therapy as well as mental and forensic psychology.
She knew that she wanted to find a career where she could use these skills and applied in 2023 to Childline. Kirsty was delighted to start her first job and is now working at night as a Childline Practitioner.
Speaking about her role, she said: “There is truly excellent support for all the staff in the Foyle base. When I start a shift, I have no idea what I’m going to hear. Children call about so many issues - often it’s about child sexual abuse or online grooming. Increasingly, I am contacted by young people who are very worried about what’s going on in the world at the moment and are frightened about their safety.
"No call is ever the same and sometimes the children just want to get things off their chest, but if it’s necessary, we can refer the call to the police or other services if the child is in immediate danger.
“After each shift, there’s a de-brief and it’s an opportunity to talk through any concerns we have. I really can’t describe how helpful everyone is - it’s just the most supportive and welcoming group of people. There’s a real camaraderie in the team and we all look out for each other. As well as the staff, we have a group of absolutely amazing and dedicated volunteers and we simply could not do the job without them.
“I work for two or three shifts every week and I am used to the routine by now - the drive home is easy because there’s so little traffic at that time of night and when I get home, I fall asleep really quickly.”
Outside work Kirsty enjoys keeping active. She said: “I have always enjoyed dance, and I still help out at a local group, teaching children – I love doing it and it’s a perfect way to keep fit. While I adore my work- it’s truly my dream job – I do hear some very sad and upsetting things and I believe it’s important to have a hobby where I can recharge the batteries and do something completely different for a while. Apart from that, I really like working with the young people. They're great fun and such enthusiastic dancers!”
Kirsty concluded: “This will be a different sort of Christmas for me because I’ll be leaving my family in the evening to go to work, but truly, I’m so happy to do it. I am thankful to have found such an interesting and fulfilling job where I feel useful and can help children when they need it most.”
Childline in Foyle is also currently looking for volunteer counsellors for weekly shifts at its Exchange House base. If you have any questions about volunteering with Childline Foyle or would like to sign up to the next information session, contact Volunteer Coordinator, Amanda Doherty at [email protected] or on 028 2044 1733 / 028 2044 1734.
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