How the Samaritans help with the winter blues
For the majority of us Christmas is a fun and festive period during which we have the opportunity to spend time with our families. Of course to a positive there is always a negative and sadly for millions out there, Christmas is just a raw reminder of things that aren’t so jolly.
Considering we are in the midst of a recession, the £10 million that The Samaritans raise each year is an astonishing sum, all of which quite rightly goes straight into the business of helping people.
The Samaritans aren’t a service which gives advice, it is a service which listens and then gives the caller some options. They have very little information about their callers and only know the bare minimum so the main priority is for them to be an ear for those that need it.
“Psychiatric research has found that a lot of the time that is all many people want: a friendly ear. Offer to listen to someone, and it can help reduce emotional distress. And so that is precisely what we do.”
Though the charity is believed primarily to offer support to those who are contemplating suicide, they actually deal with a whole host of other problems with 80 percent of 2007s calls being attributed to other issues, many concerned financial worries.
As with most charities, the Samaritans rely on the good natured public to help run the whole operation. Each volunteer has to go through rigorous training and are required to fit in a mandatory 15 hours a month, including one night shift.
Though they now have more than 15,000 “listening” volunteers across the UK and they always need more.
For volunteering opportunities, visit samaritans.org or contact the national Volunteer Recruitment Line on 08705 627282. For emotional support, call 08457 90 90 90 or e-mail jo@samaritans.org