Samaritans seek good listeners

Newbury Samaritans are looking for people to join their team of volunteers

NEWBURY Samaritans are seeking good listeners to join their group of volunteers, in order to provide 24/7 support to the local community, as calls escalate, in the wake of the festive season.

Based in West Street, Newbury Samaritans answer over 25,000 calls and emails every year from people in emotional distress, or at risk of suicide.

“Volunteers come from all walks of life and backgrounds, but have one thing in common – they are all good listeners,” said Newbury Samaritans' director, Helen Rodgers.

“Letting callers talk about their problems can relieve a lot of their anxiety and stop it building up. It can often be the first step to dealing with whatever problems or worries they have and start to take charge of their life again.”

Mrs Rodgers said ‘dark days' following the festive season made January a particularly busy time for the Samaritans, with an upsurge of around 20 per cent in calls, including those in distress as a result of redundancy, due to the gloomy economic climate.

Volunteers are given extensive training over an eight-week period to cope with telephone calls, with the next training period scheduled to start in mid-April.

The West Street Newbury Samaritans centre, which opened in 1987, was refurbished in 2006, following a bequest from a former volunteer and a gift from Greenham Common Trust, when it was officially opened by Newbury MP Richard Benyon.

Find out more about the Samaritans at an information evening, from 7.30pm to 9pm on Wednesday, February 9 at the United Reformed Church, Cromwell Place. Alternatively, for more information, telephone 01635 580410, leaving contact details.