20: For the first time in its history, Childline is not open 24/7 – Dame Esther Rantzen, Founder, Childline and The Silver Line

Good Charity Bad Charity

In the final episode of this series, Keith, Camilla, and David are joined by one of the charity sector’s most famous faces: Dame Esther Rantzen. In 1986, Dame Esther founded Childline – a helpline for children suffering from neglect and abuse. In 2012, she drew on that experience to establish The Silver Line, a helpline for older people struggling with loneliness and isolation. Both charities have since merged with larger organisations: Childline with the NSPCC, and The Silver Line with Age UK. Today, Esther remains a patron of several charities.

In the podcast, Dame Esther discusses the impact of the pandemic on the charities she founded, reflects on what decades of experience in the charity sector have taught her, and explains why it can be useful for a charity to have a “loose canon” around. This episode was recorded in August 2020.

Good Charity, Bad Charity is presented by Keith Davis, Camilla McGibbon and David Prest. It is produced by Dan Hardoon at Whistledown and supported by the Centre for Charity Effectiveness.