A local hero has been recognised for her dedication to the children’s support service Childline.
Helen Morton, from St Leonards, was among a group of staff and volunteers awarded by the service which helps and supports young people.
The Childline Awards took place at St Luke’s bar in the east end of Glasgow on Thursday presented by Britain’s Got Talent star Edward Reid.
The event also included performances from The Voice contestants Saskia Eng, Barbara Bryceland, Blaze Dance Academy, and former River City actor Tom Urie.
Seventy-two-year-old Helen was awarded the British Empire Medal last year for going above and beyond in her role as a counsellor where she has volunteered for more than 13 years.
She said: “It is lovely to be thought of in this way. It’s great Childline volunteers are being recognised for the wonderful work they do.
“I don’t think anyone volunteers at Childline for the recognition, they do it because they feel so passionately about the service.
“It’s not getting any easier for children and young people, it’s so important that Childline is there to give children someone to talk to, that’s what keeps me going.
“Some nights you get a young person thanking you for being there to listen to them – nice things like that make it all worthwhile.
“You get so much satisfaction from being a Childline volunteer. I have been volunteering for more than 13 years and I still get the same buzz from coming in to work my shift.”
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Childline manager Leanne Ferries said: “Our volunteers are there to ensure that children and young people have support at a time when they really need someone to talk to.
“We are immensely proud of our volunteers and it’s fantastic to have an event to honour our volunteers and celebrate their achievements.
“We are always in need of more volunteers to support children and young people. I would urge anyone who thinks they would like to volunteer as a counsellor to please get in touch.”
