Esther Rantzen was in Yorkshire today to launch a new helpline for the region's children - and appeal for more cash to help the thousands who still can't get through.
ChildLine Yorkshire and North East, which opened nine months ago, receives more than 20,000 calls a week. But a shortage of resources means counsellors can only answer one in four callers.
Today, at the opening ceremony of the Leeds counselling centre, Ms Rantzen made an appeal for funds to open more lines.
She said: "This is such a vital service. There is now a huge demand for the service ChildLine provides to local children and I appeal to people to continue to support us and help us to help their children."
The regional helpline, set up after an initial appeal raised £450,000, costs more than £400,000 a year to run. It is open from 3.30pm-9.30pm Monday-Thursday. At other times, children are put through to the 24-hour service in London, where they have to compete with children calling from all over the UK.
The Leeds-based counselling service has the capacity to open more lines and is aiming to be open every day by the end of the year - providing it can raise the necessary funds.
* ChildLine can be reached on freephone 0800 1111.
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