Nearly 1,500 calls to Scottish children's charity over Christmas ALMOST 1,500 young people contacted ChildLine Scotland for help over the festive period, the charity has said. 1,434 young people called ChildLine Scotland over festive period Nearly 7,900 called charity across UK dealing with bullying, self-harm, anorexia and suicidal thoughts Youngsters dealing with anorexia, bullying and family problems were among those who called or got in touch with counsellors online. Volunteers counselled 1,434 young people from Christmas Eve to January 4. Across the UK, 7,862 youngsters contacted the charity for help, an average of 655 per day. ChildLine cited a significant rise in counselling sessions related to self-harm and suicidal feelings. One young person who contacted ChildLine in Scotland said she had anorexia and found Christmas difficult because everyone was commenting about food and calories. Elaine Chalmers, area manager for the charity, said: "ChildLine is a vital lifeline for thousands of young people who desperately need support and advice, often on very complex and sensitive issues. Christmas can be a particularly difficult for vulnerable young people and a general lack of services and support during this time can make everything feel more difficult to resolve. None of this work with children and young people would be possible without the dedication of our trained volunteer counsellors who work tirelessly around the clock to ensure that the most vulnerable young people can get the safe and trusted support they need.