A former model and Come Dine With Me winner is calling on people in Norfolk to support the charity which helped her to cope with being abused as a child.

Polly Guy was adopted when she was just two, after spending time in care homes and foster homes because her biological father physically abused her and her twin sister, who died from the abuse.

Now the 30-year-old is planning to hold a fundraising party for family and friends to help the NSPCC and its ChildLine service, and is urging other people to follow her lead.

Miss Guy, from Bergh Apton, said: 'I also had help from this charity as growing up and learning to deal with the past and making a positive way forward. Learning to forgive and trying to understand was important for me, as it is to many others, to help move forward and have a healthy life and be able to build relationships with other people.

'Without this charity children would suffer even more.'

The NSPCC received 2,600 calls from Norfolk landlines to its ChildLine service last year. Although the 2011-12 figure fell by 445 from the previous year, the charity said this is because more youngsters are using mobile phones or online methods to get in touch, where the geographical origin cannot be identified.

Nationally, the number of calls from all sources rose by 18pc and that trend is expected to accelerate following the recent abuse allegations surrounding the late BBC presenter Jimmy Savile.

Christian Morris, community fundraising manager, said: 'Our volunteers are at the heart of our fundraising events and we are always looking for more supporters, whether it is helping at an existing event or developing a new fundraising opportunity with friends and forming a new local NSPCC support group.

'We actually have fewer supporters in Norfolk than we have in a lot of other local counties but as these figures show, we receive a large number of calls from local children. Any help people can offer us will be very gratefully received.'

For more information about the NSPCC or to discuss opportunities with local support groups in your area, contact Christian Morris, community fundraising manager via email at cmorris1@nspcc.org.uk or calling 01353 699745.

Children can contact ChildLine on 0800 11 11 or visit the website www.childLine.org.uk.

Also any adult who is worried about a child can call the NSPCC helpline on 0808 800 5000 or visit the website on www.nspcc.org.uk or text 88858.