Young people in Gibraltar are being affected by the enforced lockdown with calls to Childline Gibraltar’s free helpline service doubling during the month of March. Social-distancing policies also meant that Childline Gibraltar were forced to cancel two of their largest and much needed annual fundraising events. They have also faced logistical and financial challenges in continuing to deliver the helpline service whilst maintaining standards of confidentiality, supervision and accountability. We have awarded a grant of £16,850 to the charity to cover the support for their daily helpline for the next three months. This will enable the charity to focus on offering the best support to young people in Gibraltar during this difficult time.
“Childline staff and volunteers are dedicated to providing our Helpline and our Appropriate Adult service every day of the year, no matter what the circumstances” explained Annie Green, Chairperson of Childline Gibraltar. “We knew that complying with “lockdown” regulations would be challenging but it was vital to ensure that there was no interruption to our services. Remote working conditions were established, ensuring that Childline’s service via the Helpline, WhatsApp, email and Live Chat continued uninterrupted. The Kusuma award will alleviate the inevitable budgeting concerns and allow our staff to commit more fully to supporting and engaging with the children and young people who contact Childline, especially during these unprecedented circumstances. We are so very grateful to Kusuma for their very prompt and generous response.”