York Samaritans

Samaritans is a National Charity offering confidential emotional support to anyone passing through crisis, with a special concern for those who are feeling suicidal.

Recruitment
If you are interested in finding out more about becoming a volunteer then please:

Write to: York Samaritans, 89 Nunnery Lane, YORK YO23 1AH
Phone: York (01904) 655888
E-mail to: york&district@samaritans.org

History
Samaritans have been in York since 1967, firstly in Bootham and now in 89 Nunnery Lane.

The York Branch is open to telephone calls 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Visitors are welcomed between the hours of 8.00am - 10.00pm seven days a week. We offer time and space for people to talk about their feelings. Our volunteers listen and do not tell people what to do or not to do. Anything said to a volunteer is completely confidential within the organisation. We are not a religious or political organisation.

How did it all start? Samaritans was founded by a Church of England Priest named Chad Varah. He became concerned about the suicidal after he had held a funeral service for a 14 year old girl who had killed herself. Some years later, he learned that there were several suicides a week in London alone, remembering the 14 year old girl he decided to try and help those people who were in despair and contemplating suicide. He set up a telephone line which first rang on 2nd November 1953. Originally coping with all the callers and visitors himself he soon found he needed help. Local people began to make tea and run errands for Chad, talking to those who waited to see him. Chad discovered that often people did not want to see him once they had been offered a cup of tea and had spoken to the volunteers who had made it. It was then that Chad realised that most people did not need to see him: they were finding the emotional support they needed from those who had come to make tea and had time to listen and care. And so, Samaritans evolved and the volunteers took over from where Chad had started. The volunteers were and still are chosen for their qualities, not qualifications, for their tolerance, patience, caring and ability to listen without wanting to give advice or make judgements.

And now.....
The York Branch alone receives nearly 1500 calls every month, and this figure is set to rise. We can be contacted by telephone 01904 655888 or textphone 08457 90 91 92 (for those with hearing or speech difficulties). We get calls from all types of people with many different backgrounds and from people with all different reasons for contacting us. When things get too much, when it seems that life is no longer worth living, when it would help to talk to someone who cares, contact Samaritans - we're always there.

National Contacts
As a national organisation you can contact The Samaritans using our national emergency number 08547 90 90 90. You can write to us at: Chris, P.O. Box 9090, Stirling FK8 2SA or email us on jo@samaritans.org or email anonymously on samaritans@anon.twwells.com.

Volunteers
There are currently just over 18,000 volunteers nationwide, approximately 120 at the York Branch. The committment asked for at York is between 12-16 hours per month including 8 overnights per year. We are always looking for listening volunteers. If you'd like to find out more, give us a call. We regularly hold Introduction mornings throughout the year which will give you an opportunity to discover more about how the Branch works, and if becoming a Samaritan is something you wish to do.

Fundraising
The Branch is entirely funded by donations in one shape or another. Most of which is raised by our fundraising team, the Friends of York Samaritans and generous donations from local business in our Pay For A Day Scheme. Our fundraising team hold events and collections throughout the year, whilst our Pay For A Day Scheme asks local companies to support us by paying for one day's running costs. The Friends Of York Samaritans is a group whose aim is to raise money and awareness for the Branch within the local area, these people are also an essential part of the York Branch, give us a call if you wish to join them - you do not have to be a listening volunteer to be a member of the Friends.

As a caring organisation within this local community we aim to reach out to as many people as possible who are passing through a crisis in their life. We do this in many ways, through publicity, links with other organisations and groups and by giving talks.

For more details call the York Branch on (01904) 655888 or visit the national website below: