While Christmas is a time of festive joy for many, for thousands of children across the UK it represents a period of intense fear and isolation. Last year, a 13-year-old girl named Tiffany faced a nightmare scenario: the man who had sexually abused her was coming to her family home for Christmas dinner.
A Desperate Call on Christmas Morning
With her parents unaware of the abuse, Tiffany felt sick with dread and had nowhere to turn. On Christmas morning, she picked up the phone and called Childline, the free, confidential service run by the NSPCC. Rebekah Hipkiss, a 60-year-old Practitioner with 15 years of experience, was the volunteer who answered that heartbreaking call.
"I remember the call vividly," Rebekah recalls. "Listening to her sobbing was heartbreaking. This 13-year-old girl woke up on Christmas morning, not excited to open her presents, but terrified because the relative who’d been abusing her was about to walk back into her home – her safe place."
Rebekah listened for around 20 minutes as Tiffany spilled out her story, offering empathy and validation rather than direct advice. While she doesn't know what happened to Tiffany afterwards, she is confident that simply being heard made a crucial difference, helping the girl feel calmer and one step closer to taking control of her situation.
The Stark Reality Behind the Festive Season
Tiffany's story is tragically common. Last winter, nearly 3,000 children contacted Childline specifically about abuse. The service is a vital lifeline throughout the year, with a child reaching out on average every 45 seconds. Last year alone, the charity delivered over 160,000 counselling sessions.
"We are a listening service – our job is to hear young people and validate their emotions," explains Rebekah. "We empower young people to make their own decisions by helping them see their options. It can be a slow process – one step at a time."
The nature of the calls on Christmas Day follows a poignant pattern. The early shift often begins with thank you messages from young people whose lives volunteers have saved, such as those who have taken an overdose. As the day progresses, the calls reflect the unique pressures of the season: children in care feeling abandoned when parents don't show up, young people struggling with eating disorders facing festive food, and tensions in blended families boiling over into arguments.
How Childline Supports Volunteers and the Public Can Help
Rebekah oversees volunteers from one of 12 Childline bases across the UK, located in Aberdeen, Glasgow, Belfast, Foyle, Cardiff, Prestatyn, Birmingham, Leeds, Liverpool, London, Nottingham and Salford. Volunteers commit to roughly 26 shifts a year and undergo rigorous training over 12 weeks, with constant support from Practitioners.
The NSPCC relies heavily on public support. Donations make up 80 per cent of the charity's funding. Contributions of just £4 could help answer a child’s call, while £80 could help answer 20 calls. The charity also urgently needs more volunteers to keep this essential service running.
For Rebekah, the work, while often emotionally overwhelming, is profoundly meaningful. "Listening seems such a small thing but I firmly believe we change lives," she says, reflecting on calls from children grieving a loss, being bullied online, or facing exploitation. Even on Christmas Day, after her shift ends, she will go home to her own family, carrying the knowledge that for some children, that phone line is the only source of hope.
