VIDEO: Help the Samaritans

Last year, 88 volunteers from the Luton, Harpenden and South Bedfordshire branch answered over 24,000 calls for help, with 15 people from Leighton in the volunteer ranks. And as it is Volunteers’ Week this week, Samaritans want to say thank you to its loyal supporters and ask for more people to dedicate their time to volunteering at the branch.

Will Burton, 24, who has been volunteering in the Luton-based branch for a year-and-a-half, said: “Volunteering as a Samaritan is different from the usual hubbub of life. In a strange way it is peaceful to come away from the business of life.

“The act of volunteering is quite selfless and when you are doing it you leave yourself behind and give all that you have got for that caller.

“You certainly have to be a patient person and someone that listens and is prepared to be able to listen to a whole variety of people from all spectrums of life.”

Shae Eccleston, 34, who joined the helpline in February, said: “I had always wanted to do something like this and because I work for myself my time can be quite flexible.

“At some stage in all of our lives we have all experienced help or support from a volunteer.

“I don’t think it’s about what kind of person you need to be, there are certain attributes that you need not to have, like not to be arrogant or judgemental.

“As long as you are open minded then you can come and learn what you need to in order to be the best Samaritan.”

Elisabeth Grover, branch director, said: “Without our dedicated volunteers we wouldn’t be here for people struggling to cope.

“Volunteers from our branch of Samaritans reach out to the local community in schools, prisons and railway stations It’s clear from the call figures we’re releasing today, that sixty years after Samaritans was founded, people need us as much as they ever did.”

If you would like to enquire about volunteering, contact Elisabeth at [email protected] or call 01582 720666.