ChildLine founder Esther Rantzen appealed to people across the Bradford district to give up some time to help desperate children when she joined the Countess of Wessex in West Yorkshire.

The countess, who is is the official patron of the charity's 18th birthday, joined Esther on a visit to its Yorkshire and North East headquarters in Leeds yesterday.

A team of 100 volunteer counsellors at the centre answer telephone calls from more than 500 children across the region every day and the Bradford district has the third highest rate of demand.

ChildLine chairman Esther, who will be visiting Bradford soon to host a fundraising dinner and offer information for volunteers, said: "We know that we save lives and bring abusers to justice. We protect children from harm.

"Tragically, half the children who are at risk still cannot get through to us. Desperate children who find our lines are busy feel even more alone.

"We need two things: money to pay for the calls and volunteer counsellors. They do not have to be any particular kind of person. We have volunteers from all walks of life.

"We supply our own training so volunteers can come from any background. I know an undertaker who is a volunteer counsellor."

ChildLine is the UK's free, 24-hour helpline for children and young people and the centre in Leeds is one of 11 around the UK.

Esther said: "We need commitment to children and the desire to listen to them and work with them to find a solution to their problems. The great thing about the voice is that a voice has no colour. As far as I am concerned, as long as a volunteer counsellor understands and loves children, their age, religious or ethnic background or sex is not important. ChildLine needs all of them."

The Countess of Wessex met staff, volunteers and supporters at the counselling centre, including fundraising manager Liz Frost, from Thackley, who also works as a volunteer. Mrs Frost said people who did not want to work as counsellors could still help by inputting data, fundraising or stuffing envelopes with promotional material.

"This is important because, if we do not send this information out, people do not know what we are doing," she said. "You can give as little or as much time as you like."

Regional director Norman Titus hopes to celebrate ChildLine's 18th birthday by doubling the number of volunteers at the regional centre. "We are really looking to attract more people from Bradford," he said.

"The centre is much closer than people think and we would really value their input. We are looking to reflect the diversity in the population and that includes people from ethnic backgrounds."

The charity, which works with children to combat bullying in Hanson Secondary School and Heaton Primary School, is marking its 18th birthday with activities including ChildLine Day on October 15.

Anyone who can volunteer to work for ChildLine can call (0113) 2444004.

Children and young people who would like help from ChildLine can call 0800 1111. Lines can be busy so children may have to re-dial several times.