'There’s no denying you can hear some sad and shocking things in this role and, certainly, it’s been brought home to me that life can be really difficult for some children'
A Belfast woman has spoken about her role as a volunteer for a charity dedicated to helping children experiencing bullying, suffering with their mental health or having troubles at home.
In 1999, after a happy career with Action Cancer, she joined Raleigh International and headed up the Millennium Award Scheme where she worked with young people and took them all over the world - Namibia and Costa Rica being particularly memorable expeditions. "While I love taking part in sport for its own sake, it is always good to have a goal – for example, I really enjoyed completing Cancer Research’s 100 day skipping challenge in 2023. Then, at the age of 57, I set myself my biggest challenge to date which was a triathlon in aid of Childline."
"The training is excellent, very thorough, and even where you’re up and running, there’s always a staff member to support you if you need it - I appreciated this very much and it’s good to know you’re never on your own." "We are contacted about so many things – from online exploitation to family problems and body image to loneliness. Whatever the issue, we are led by the young person and, very often, all they want to do is to talk in confidence to someone who isn’t judging them.
"The whole thing went past in a bit of a blur, to be honest, but the atmosphere was fabulous, with amazing volunteers who were very supportive and encouraging. The hardest part was moving from each aspect of the triathlon to the next because your body has to adjust to a completely different pace – especially between the cycling and the run. However, I finished in 1 hour and 36 minutes so I was delighted.
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