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The Edinburghs

The Countess of Wessex hears about support for vulnerable children during pandemic

Sophie, The Countess of Wessex

The Countess of Wessex paid a visit to Childline’s offices in London on Wednesday to hear about the support the organisation is providing to vulnerable children during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Sophie visited in her capacity as Patron of both Childline and the National Centre for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, which helps administer Childline, and joined volunteer counsellors in talking with young people who have submitted requests for help online.

Sophie received training in order to answer questions from young people and was pictured at a computer desk along with other volunteers. During her visit, she also thanked the staff and volunteers for the work they have been doing during the pandemic to help young people.

“Volunteers and staff, who are recognised as critical workers, have helped deliver over 2,000 counselling sessions a week since the outbreak to children concerned about their mental health and emotional wellbeing,” the Royal Family Instagram account wrote.

Childline, which was founded in 1986 and joined the National Centre for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children in 2006, allows anyone under the age of 19 to get in touch to discuss anything and everything with the charity’s trained volunteers.

Childline has handled nearly 7,000 calls since January, with children getting in touch to discuss their mental and emotional health and wellbeing during the COVID-19 pandemic. The staff and volunteers at Childline were deemed essential workers in March as the United Kingdom went on lockdown.

“We were delighted to be joined by the Countess of Wessex for a shift at our Childline base today,” said Childline London’s service manager, Alex Gray, in a statement. “I am very proud of how quickly our Childline service has adapted, continuing to provide a vital lifeline to young people during this crisis.

“It was an honour to be able to share this with the Countess and to see her supporting vulnerable young people who are reaching out to us at this difficult time.”

About author

Jess Ilse is the Assistant Editor at Royal Central. She specialises in the British, Danish, Norwegian and Swedish Royal Families and has been following royalty since Queen Elizabeth II’s Golden Jubilee. Jess has provided commentary for media outlets in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Jess works in communications and her debut novel THE MAJESTIC SISTERS will publish in Fall 2024.