'We're the human contact for those reaching out in despair' says volunteer helping save lives

'Deaths of despair' hit the North East twice as badly as in London
-Credit: (Image: Getty Images/iStockphoto)


"We're the human contact for those reaching out in despair." That's the message from a volunteer helping people in North Wales during difficult periods in their lives.

Tucked away in an office in Rhyl, the dedicated band of Samaritans volunteers are providing emotional support to some of the most vulnerable people in the community. They’re on the phone day and night, often when most of us are fast asleep.

And when they’re not on the phones, they can be found out in the community attending events and reaching out to members of the public right across North Wales.

James - co-director with Mair of the North-East Wales Branch - spoke about the work they do as the group appealed for more volunteers.

James said: "Our callers come from all sorts of backgrounds, and we accept them with open arms whatever their needs; we offer confidential, non-judgemental support to all. We're the human contact for those reaching out in despair. Many people find talking and offloading to a Samaritan easier than sharing their problems with friends and family because of our unbiased approach to listening.

Fundraising for the north-east Wales Samaritans
Fundraising for the north-east Wales Samaritans

"Many of our callers lead so-called regular lives but have often been knocked by a stressful event like a bereavement or a relationship breakdown. People with longstanding mental health issues phone us a lot too, particularly in the evenings or on weekends if they can’t get hold of their community mental health team.

"We often get calls from elderly people that are feeling isolated. We always give them time, conscious that loneliness can be a silent killer.

"Calls from young people are common too. Sometimes they’re living at home with their parents, or sometimes away at university. Anxiety around friendships and relationships is a recurring theme. We also get a lot of calls from prisoners. Many of them seem to have had difficult upbringings and have mental health or addiction problems and having someone to listen to them seems to make a world of difference.

"Lastly, we get calls from people that are thinking or planning to take their own lives. These can be some of the hardest calls our volunteers encounter but also the most rewarding; we listen intently to the person’s situation and try to help them detangle their thoughts, to make sense of what is happening and ultimately calm them down until they’re happy to finish the call.

"There is no rush to open up to a volunteer immediately, the person calling can take all the time they need to feel comfortable and confident enough to open up to us. There’s real strength in opening up when times are hard and when a person’s ready, we’re here to listen."

  • The Branch need more volunteers to listen to callers and provide emotional support to those who need it, ultimately saving lives. Anyone wanting to make a real difference in their community, can contact the organisation today – https://www.samaritans.org/wales/support-us/volunteer/become- samaritans-listening-volunteer.

  • And if you're ever having a difficult time, people can phone 116 123.