The NSPCC Young Witness Service, which is based in Northern Ireland and is the only one of its kind in the UK, assists children and young people under 18 years old who have to attend court as prosecution witnesses.
It operates in every local crown, magistrates’ and youth court in Northern Ireland and since the start of 2021 has offered support to over 300 young witnesses. Despite the difficulties of the pandemic and lockdowns, the service has continued to support children and young people by adapting services and using appropriate technology.
Billy Eagleson, Volunteer Co-ordinator at NSPCC’s Young Witness Service.
Billy Eagleson, from Ballymena, who is Volunteer Co-ordinator at NSPCC’s Young Witness Service, said:
“Going to court can be a very intimidating and frightening experience for anyone but even more so for young people as it’s such a strange and unfamiliar environment.
“The Young Witness Service was set up because we recognised this, and we wanted to be able to support children and young people who needed to attend court to give evidence.
“Since we started in 1999, we have recruited and trained a truly amazing group of volunteers who work alongside paid staff to support these children and young people. Our volunteers come from all walks of life and are at many different stages of their career.”
Billy continued:
“The sort of support our volunteers can offer can be as straightforward as keeping a child company as there can be such a lot of waiting around during court cases. They can also chat to the children about the various court procedures and answer their questions.
“Sometimes, the young people we support are in court because something has been done to them by an adult who is a stranger or, often, by someone known to them. Often, the relationship with the volunteer can be the first step to them rebuilding their confidence and trust in adults - the importance of this cannot be overestimated.
“We are currently calling on more people to volunteer so that we can continue to offer the service to every young person who needs it. It’s a really worthwhile and important role, providing such practical help to many children and their families.”
One Young Witness volunteer said:
“When I saw the advert for the Young Witness Service, it really struck a chord with me. I had attended court in the past, in a professional capacity, so I knew how stressful those experiences were for me as an adult and I couldn’t imagine what it would be like for a child.
“I try to pick up on the child’s interests when I first talk to them - what their hobbies are or how they are getting on at school – to help them relax a bit because the whole process can be so frightening. The children often don’t know what they are coming into so it’s nice that we are there to help them.
“With us, there are no wigs, no witness box, no legal people and often, before court, I will practise with them to give them an idea of the environment. I find all this really helps ease the children into the process and when they have to give evidence they know what to expect.
“I get great pleasure volunteering with the service. To know that I’m there with a young person and am able to help and support them during a difficult time, as well as helping them to move on afterwards, really does bring great joy to me. Actually, it’s an honour - and I don’t use that term lightly - to call myself a volunteer with the NSPCC Young Witness Service.
“I do know that making that first step towards volunteering can be daunting and when I first contacted the NSPCC I felt like I was tiptoeing into a situation that I wasn’t sure about. However, because of the charity’s long experience with children, they were able to support and guide me in the right direction.
“The training is extremely thorough and there’s also ongoing support from the staff and other volunteers, so you never feel left alone. What I would say to anyone considering volunteering is to get in touch and find out more. If you do decide to go ahead, you will certainly be helping children when they need it and, believe me, that’s a real privilege.”
To become a volunteer, you need to have at least one year’s experience in a caring or supportive role, have availability during normal court operating hours (9am to 5pm Monday to Friday) and must be able to commit to the role for at least one year after completion of training.
For more information about becoming a Young Witness volunteer and full role description, please visit our volunteer recruitment website:
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