Meet the counsellor who launched the UK’s first crisis hotline for emergency service workers

Scott Lawrence Pileckas started community work when he was just 10 years old and has dedicated the last three decades to making a positive difference.

Though he lives in Milton Keynes, his projects have also benefited the Towcester community and his latest is set to help emergency service personnel all over the country.

Scott’s past projects have included the ‘Community Fridge’, which highlights the importance of reducing food waste and ensuring food security for vulnerable residents. This was franchised to the county in 2019 as a result of its success in Milton Keynes.

This initiative sees food donations from shops redistributed and thousands of meals have been given out to those who need them most.

Building on that foundation and success, Scott has launched new projects aimed at addressing the unique challenges faced by those in the emergency services.

Back when he lived in America, Scott trained as a firefighter from the age of 18 until he was 22. Though it was his work as a biologist that brought him to the UK, Scott noted the absence of a crisis helpline for those who help keep us safe.

For the past half a decade, Scott has worked for Citizens Advice and this includes the Northamptonshire area.

As an on-call suicide and crisis counsellor, Scott has seen how the pressures of these roles can take their toll and believes the past year has been the most concerning.

It was an anonymous call from the wife of a police officer which encouraged Scott to take action. The woman was experiencing severe domestic violence and did not feel safe to reach out to her husband’s employer. Through Scott and his Citizens Advice team’s help creating a bespoke plan, she found safety.

Scott told the Chronicle & Echo: “Although my priority was always the immediate safety of the family, their situation opened my eyes to the lack of accessible, specialist support for officers and their loved ones.

“Police families often feel reluctant to seek help within their own force due to concerns about confidentiality, stigma or other barriers. That realisation convinced me there had to be a better way – an external support system that could intervene before stress or trauma escalates to dangerous levels.”

The hope is that it will eventually be a 24/7 service and a vital lifeline for people in need. As an authorised agent for The Trussell Trust, Scott can also discreetly provide food parcels to individuals in these professions – without the fear of stigma or embarrassment.

The hotline currently operates from 8am until 10pm seven days a week and this can be accessed by phoning 0300 102 8516.

“Our ultimate goal remains to provide 24/7 support, recognising that police officers, firefighters and other emergency workers operate around the clock and deserve the same level of support,” said Scott, who wants to grow his team of three as time goes on.