A HOLYWELL primary school secretary has been acknowledged for her commitment and dedication to a vital children's helpline.

For the last six years Debbie Dickinson, who works at Ysgol Maes Y Felin has volunteered as a counsellor for Childline, and has clocked up an incredible one thousand hours of dedicated support.

In a presentation ceremony at Childline’s North Wales Service Centre, in Prestatyn attended by staff and volunteers, Debbie was awarded a certificate for her remarkable achievement by Dame Esther Rantzen, who set up the counselling service for children over thirty years ago.

Debbie, who previously worked at Perth y Terfyn Infants School, said: "I love volunteering at Childline. Although that may sound quite strange to say, but to know that children and young people have someone that they can talk to means a lot to me.

The Leader:

"I'm sure there have been times when we felt it was easier to talk to a stranger than a family member, and Childline gives children and young people the opportunity to do this.

"I fully intend to continue to support Childline. I never know what kind of call I am going to take until I pick that phone up and start to talk to the child or young person. No two calls are the same. Sometimes people may say that they would struggle listening to the calls, but sometimes we get told the nice things too.

"It was lovely to meet Esther at the presentation ceremony and I was thrilled to receive a certificate from her. She took time to talk to us all beforehand about some of the issues that we talk to the children and young people about. It was a great day, Esther is such an inspirational person and I hope to meet her again in the future."

The secretary's interest in volunteering was sparked after a poster came through to the school to be displayed for parents and carers. The following year when it came through again, Debbie decided to take on the challenge and went along to an open evening to find out more.

Today, the training is done over a period of ten weeks with additional time spent listening to and taking calls. Ongoing training about all subjects raised in Childline calls is also provided throughout the year which all volunteers can attend if they wish.

Pete Davies, headteacher, said: "We at Ysgol Maes y Felin are all very proud of Debbie's superb achievement. Her commitment and dedication are clear for all to see, but more importantly it is testament to her character that she gives her time freely to such a good cause. We are not only proud of her but also lucky that she is a pivotal member of our team, where she also makes a positive difference on a daily basis."

Childline is always looking for more volunteer counsellors and people to answer calls. If anyone is interested in volunteering, they can contact volunteermail@nspcc.org.uk for further information.