The unsung ‘Brendas’ who answered obscene helpline calls

Harry said she was reeling with shock.

“At that age, we’re all hyper-sensitive, especially in front of older people. But I’ve since learnt that many of the women felt ashamed or embarrassed about it, which I feel sad about.”

The Brenda Line was abandoned in 1987.

Many of the volunteers felt the system was encouraging and gratifying callers, rather than helping them.

Chad Varah argued that the calls were just as important as any others although the anonymous nature of the helpline meant he was unable to prove the case. He died in 2007, after failing in a bid to revive the scheme.

Harry Mould says she’s not convinced the scheme was a success, but she remains fascinated by the Brenda Line and the Brendas who manned it.

“ It was a problematic system, whether you were a volunteer or a caller,” she said.

“But empathy was at the centre, a desire to be supportive whether that meant preventing something from happening or making callers feel less alone.

“The important thing is that these women existed and that they did this impossibly difficult, hilarious, terrible, kind thing and they are now all but forgotten.”