As a former wedding photographer, Mo Simpson has always been confident speaking to people.
“People is my thing!” says Mo, 65. “Making people feel comfortable, making them feel relaxed.”
It’s a skill that serves her well in her current role as a volunteer for Childline, the counselling service for children and young people under 19.
In the nine years she’s volunteered at the Childline call centre in Aberdeen city centre, Mo has spoken to young people facing all kinds of challenges, from abuse and neglect to simply having no one to talk to.
With each call, she’s been a shoulder to lean on, a faceless voice on the end of the phone who is there to listen and not to judge.
The rewards, she says, have been many. For starters, it has made her a better listener to her four grandchildren, who range in age from 11 to 17.
It has also given her insight into just how difficult it is to be a young person in the modern age of smartphones and cyberbullying.
But the biggest lift is knowing that for some of these children, Mo might well be the only person they have spoken to that day.
“It’s the gift of speech, and how it can project into a young person’s day,” Mo says. “And how by just talking to somebody, it has made a difference.”
How Mo became a Childline volunteer in Aberdeen
Mo’s journey to Childline was shaped by personal tragedy. Her husband passed away suddenly in 2006 after suffering a stroke.
“My whole life just took a complete turn,” she says.
At the time, Mo was a wedding photographer, but she found it too painful to continue.
“I honoured the weddings I had booked, but I couldn’t do it anymore. It was just too hard.”
Photography wasn’t her only passion. A trained fitness instructor, she had been teaching aerobics and ballroom classes all over Aberdeen for years.
But despite her busy schedule she was still searching for something meaningful.
In 2012, her partner, Doug, found it for her.
“Doug was at the gym one day and met a guy who worked at Childline. He came home and said, ‘I met this guy on a spin bike, and he was telling me about volunteering. You should try it.’”
Doug, who had also lost his spouse, joined her in the training programme, making them the first couple in Aberdeen to train for Childline together.
“Childline felt like the right thing to do,” Mo says. “I wanted to give something back and do something completely different and worthwhile.”
How scared was Mo when she did her first Childline shift?
Becoming a Childline volunteer isn’t easy. It takes extensive training and the ability to navigate difficult conversations with young people in distress. Mo remembers her first shift vividly.
“I was terrified,” she admits. “Would there be lulls in the conversation? Would I know what to say?”
Now, as an experienced mentor, she reassures new volunteers that their nerves are completely normal.
“I always tell them about my first shift,” she says. “If someone wasn’t nervous, I’d be worried, because overconfidence isn’t a good thing when you’re dealing with children in crisis.”
For Mo, the most important skill a Childline volunteer can have is the ability to listen.
“You can’t put any of your own beliefs or judgments into these calls. You’re there to listen, support, and not be afraid of silences.”
Over the past nine years at Childline Aberdeen, Mo has witnessed a shift in the types of issues young people are facing.
“There’s a lot more mental health concerns now,” she says. “It would be rare to do a shift without taking at least one call related to anxiety, depression or self-harm.”
She believes the internet plays a role in this increase.
“Young people today are so aware of mental health labels.
“They come on the phone and say, ‘I have anxiety. I have PTSD. I have ADHD.’ The information is out there, just a click away. But at the same time, the waiting lists to see a professional are so long.
“Some have to wait eight or nine months to get an appointment. It’s frustrating.”
‘You learn how to leave your work at work’
Despite the difficult nature of the calls, Mo has learned how to separate her volunteer work from her personal life.
“People always ask if the stories I hear make me cry,” she says. “The truth is, you develop a kind of resilience. At first, new volunteers might need to take five minutes out if they hear something really tough. But over time, you adjust. You learn how to leave your work at work.”
However, support is always available. “If something does affect me, I can always phone my practitioner for advice and support. We look out for each other.”
Where to find more information and support
- Children and young people can contact Childline free by calling 0800 1111 or visiting the website. Adults concerned about a child can contact the NSPCC Helpline on 0808 800 5000 or via help@nspcc.org.uk.
- Anyone interested in volunteering with Childline can find out more information here.
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