Limavady mother-of-ten protected hundreds of lives as NSPCC volunteer for 25 years
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Fiona Simpson has always loved keeping busy.
As a mother of 10 children, and grandmother of 11, who spent her career as a full-time primary school teacher while also being an active member of four local choirs, it is hard to imagine there would be room in her life for any other activities.
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Hide AdHowever, Fiona also worked tirelessly as a volunteer with no less than three of NSPCC Northern Ireland’s services due to her absolute commitment to protecting children and helping to keep them safe from abuse.
Fiona has recently retired from volunteering with the charity, and she reflects on her years of service and why she believes passionately that volunteering is one of the most rewarding activities anyone can ever do.
The 72-year-old, who is originally from Belfast and has been married for over 50 years, moved to Limavady in 1980, where she still lives. She recalls how she became involved with NSPCC Northern Ireland.
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Hide AdFiona said: “I spent many happy years doing exactly what I loved – working with children. I was a teacher at St Anthony’s Primary School in Magilligan, for 18 years, where I taught P1 and P2 classes and also had the huge pleasure of teaching music throughout the school. I took early retirement when I was 57 but there was no way that I wanted to stop working completely.
"For a while, I was a supply teacher in local schools and while that was very enjoyable, I decided I wanted to do something new. I knew it had to involve helping people – ideally children. So, I enrolled for a four-year Counselling degree at North West Regional College - It was a brilliant opportunity to learn new skills and it was really refreshing to be on the other side of the classroom for a change.
“One day, as part of the degree course, we had a presentation from Cormac Nolan who worked for Childline’s Foyle base. He told us about the service and the reasons children and young people got in touch – I was so saddened to hear about some of the calls the service received and clearly, there were many children with nowhere else to turn.
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Hide Ad"When I heard there were opportunities for volunteer counsellors, I made up my mind straightaway that I wanted to be involved. I knew I could communicate well with children of all ages and my new qualification in counselling would help me too. Saying that, when I started with Childline, I met many other volunteers who had limited formal experience with children and no experience of counselling and they were all brilliant! I would suggest to anyone thinking of volunteering with Childline to get in touch, find out more and not to be concerned about lack of experience with children and young people – the training is wonderful, really thorough, and even when you’re up and running, there’s always a staff member to support you.”
Despite having left teaching, Fiona’s life continued to be very full – as well as her children, she welcomed grandchildren to the family, was a member of a several local choirs and made regular trips to Belfast to care for her elderly mother. However, she completed her degree and embarked on a 14-year stint of service with Childline as a volunteer counsellor.
Cormac Nolan, who originally inspired Fiona to join the service, still works for Childline as a Service Head.
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Hide AdHe commented: “Fiona was an outstanding volunteer and is still a great friend of Childline. Because of her many other commitments, she often chose to work on our evening shifts, and this is the time when we frequently get contacts from children who are particularly distressed. Fiona is a sensitive and approachable person who is a wonderful communicator and was ideal for the role. She was extremely popular with all the staff and volunteers at the Foyle base and helped and reassured countless numbers of children over her years with us. It’s been such a privilege to work with Fiona and I’m so glad I went along to give that talk at the counselling course - all those years ago!”
While Fiona was volunteering at the Foyle base, she spotted a poster about NSPCC’s Young Witness Service, a free and independent service, funded by the Department of Justice NI and the only one of its kind in the UK. The Service was created to support children who need to go to court as prosecution witnesses.
It provides help and guidance to young people under 18 years of age and operates in every Crown, Magistrates’ and Youth Court in Northern Ireland. Last year, it provided support to 500 children and their families but, like Childline, The Young Witness Service could not survive without its amazing team of volunteers.
Fiona commented: “Prior to being involved with the Young Witness Service, I hadn’t really thought about what it was like for children to have to go to court. But I realised that it is difficult enough for an adult so just imagine what it’s like for a young person. I took the plunge and it was great to work directly with children and again, the service provided terrific training.
“Volunteers for the service work in pairs and meet the young person on the day of the case or before it starts and then support them throughout it - it’s really important work because parents or guardians aren’t allowed to stay with their children when they give evidence and obviously this can be very upsetting for a young person. My role included explaining to them what to expect at court, who they will meet and how the system works. Although volunteers aren’t allowed to speak to the children once cross-examination starts, we are a much-needed supporting presence throughout the process.”
Fiona volunteered with the Young Witness Service, in the North West, for two years, while continuing her work with Childline. She was soon eager to volunteer with a third service offered by the NSPCC – Speak out Stay safe (SOSS), which was just starting up in Northern Ireland, in 2012. Fiona was inspired to find out more about it and then proceeded to volunteer with the service for more than 12 years, helping keep thousands of children safe from abuse.
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Hide AdThrough school assemblies and in-person workshops, delivered by trained volunteers, SOSS covers topics like bullying and abuse - without using any scary words or adult language. It is designed to help primary school aged children understand how to recognise abuse in all its forms. Using age-appropriate language, it helps them understand that abuse is never a child’s fault, they have the right to be safe, and how to get help from safe adults and the NSPCCs Childline service. To date, NSPCC Northern Ireland has delivered this service to over 90% of primary schools in Northern Ireland.
Fiona commented: “I was delighted to volunteer with the Speak out Stay safe service. It felt like being part of a family and it was lovely to be involved in delivering straightforward messages about such an important topic, to a huge number of children. The assemblies are fun, interactive and are a wonderful way to impart such vital information. I loved being back in schools again and it gave me the opportunity to work directly with children – which is such a privilege and joy for me. The volunteers work in pairs so it was also an excellent way to meet more new people of all ages and backgrounds. It was also a great pleasure to visit so many different schools across the North West – from Coleraine to Strabane and sometimes as far as Belfast if the need arose.”
In 2016, Fiona’s incredible commitment to voluntary services was recognised officially: she received NSPCC’s first Childhood Champion Award which was presented to her at a London ceremony by HRH The Duchess of Edinburgh, NSPCC’s President. A local honour followed, in 2018, when Fiona received a Charity Champion Award at the Sunday Life Spirit of Northern Ireland Awards.
Reflecting on these awards, Fiona said: “I was absolutely astonished and humbled to have these acknowledgements. I like to keep busy and am at my happiest, zooming about and doing what I can to help people in the best way I can. Saying that, I was hugely honoured and proud and it was wonderful to go to London and receive my award from the royal patron, along with Dame Esther Rantzen who founded Childline and is such a wonderful inspiration to me. It was another huge surprise and honour to receive the Spirit of Northern Ireland Award in Belfast where I had a truly memorable evening, meeting so many celebrities, including the cast of Derry Girls!”
Fiona’s family is now scattered across the globe - from Holland to Dublin and Limavady to San Francisco. Her children are adults now, with only one still living at home. Her grandchildren are aged from 9 months to 24 years, and they all get together regularly - Christmas is a busy and happy time at the Simpson household with between 30 and 40 people enjoying the day together.
Fiona still sings in four choirs, including the Cancer Focus “Sing for Life” choir, which is based in Belfast. She also enjoys Irish lessons, and her life continues to be as busy and full as ever.
Karen Walker, NSPCC Northern Ireland’s School Service Manager, concluded: “Fiona is such an inspiration to us all. She has literally gone the extra mile for NSPCC, travelling to schools in all weathers and all seasons – and always with enthusiasm and a big smile. Her strong commitment to children’s welfare shines through all that she does and she has encouraged and inspired many other volunteers during her time with us. Fiona has helped protect thousands of children from abuse and everyone at the NSPCC is so grateful for her many years of outstanding volunteering. I thank her wholeheartedly for all that she has done for NSPCC Northern Ireland, and we were all absolutely delighted when she became the first NSPCC Childhood Champion because the title of this award sums her up exactly.”
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