Meet Marty Guilfoyle. He’s a man with a secret. A DJ and radio presenter by night, he does something that you really wouldn’t expect when the sun comes up – he volunteers for Childline, Ireland’s only 24/7 listening service.
Thirtysomething Marty, who works for Spin FM, doesn’t match the usual profile of a charity volunteer, but he’s proof that anyone can find the time to help those who need it.
When he first thought about volunteering, those closest to Marty queried if he really had the time to fit a four-hour weekly shift into his hectic schedule. However, he says that supervisors at Childline made it easy for him to chose a time he could commit to every week.
He has never looked back. “I gain a sense of purpose. I could be exhausted but five minutes into my shift, I’m perked up and ready to go.”
Marty loves talking to the children and young people who ring the helpline. “When you hear that they’re getting less anxious and they’re leaving a call with a sense of empowerment, you can’t beat that feeling,” he says.
He’s quick to point out that the calls aren’t all “doom and gloom, sometimes someone just wants to tell you that they played a football match and scored a goal”.
Childline volunteers are the heart and soul behind Childline’s 24/7 listening service for children and young people. These men and women go out of their way time and again to offer support to those who need it, whenever they need it, no matter the reason.
Marty bucks the trend in another way – he lives in south county Dublin, the area where people are least likely to volunteer according to the CSO.
The Childline listening service is now recruiting volunteers for its office in Cork. Its 24/7 listening service is free and confidential and can be reached online or by phone. Childline volunteers come from all walks of life and are united by one common purpose: to help ensure no child or young person in Ireland has to face their challenges alone, no matter how big or small.
Volunteers receive full training in advance of answering their first contact and ongoing support and upskilling thereafter.
Childline Unit Manager Mary says: “Childline volunteers play a vital role in helping to ensure there is always someone there to listen, support and empower children and young people in Ireland when they seek a listening ear. The Childline training course is a comprehensive course which equips volunteers with the skills to deliver a quality service to children.”
Another volunteer Liz says that although she was initially nervous at the thought of becoming a volunteer with Childline, she is delighted that she did it. “People always think that you’re dealing with the most neglected children of society but this is not necessarily the truth, so many children just need to talk. It tugs at my heartstrings that so many children need Childline.”
If you would like more information on becoming a Childline volunteer at our unit in Cork and helping the service to listen to children and young people, please contact https://www.ispcc.ie/
To hear more from Marty Guilfoyle, go to https://youtu.be/foNcQ79RIBo?
