Samaritans are here to help, not to judge

[TrueBlueTerrier]

http://www.peterboroughtoday.co.uk/news ... -1-4037861" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

They are there to listen, not to judge, and it seems more people than ever need them.

Some telephone or text, others wander in off the street with their issues, to the Peterborough branch of the Samaritans based at St John’s Street, where a team of volunteers from the age of 18 to 80 are waiting to offer emotional support.

Last year those 75 volunteers dealt with 12,750 contacts, an average of 35 a day combining to more than 12,000 hours of listening.

But times are changing. Distress and despair caused by financial or employment issues continues to rise, and the emphasis is shifting from the individual to the corporate.

Desperate workers from both the private and public sector are starting to make unthinkable choices, and their bosses are using charities to try to help.

For example the £5 million Railways Project, led by the Samaritans and Network Rail, aims to reduce suicides on the railways by training rail staff, communication programmes, and lobbying for more barriers.

In Peterborough the branch has worked with staff at the Railway Station for three years, and also Queensgate, two places desperate people may sadly pinpoint as ideal locations to take their own lives. The charity prefers that phrase to suicide, which some believe implies guilt.

A further partnership has been formed with the Communication Workers Union (CWU), which started as a local project and has now gone national.

The CWU got in touch with the Samaritans after Andy Beeby - the chairman of the Eastern CWU branch which covers 40 workplaces stretching across the region – uncovered some alarming statistics.

A recent communication from the CWU, which is the union for postmen and telecommunications workers, said: “Mr Beeby has some knowledge of four completed suicides in the last 12 months, along with numerous attempts.

“Royal Mail brings in professional counsellors when a suicide occurs but this support is often not taken up by workers.

“This might be as a result of the macho culture in the workplace which impacts on workers’ decisions to seek help and discuss worries.”

The ‘macho’ element is referenced in the Samaritan’s latest promotion, using a boxer resting on the ropes; the stereotypical tough guy, bottling problems inside because he is afraid of ridicule.

That promotion can be seen on posters and articles, encouraging people to get in touch 24 hours a day with the confidential service.

Peterborough Branch director Mandy Thompson said: “We have had a high number of calls since the recession started. Males are four times more likely to take their lives, particularly in the working age groups of 25 to 55, so we are trying to reach out to those groups.

“We have been working with the station and East Coast Line, to provide an extension of what we provide here. We are not aware of any incidents, but we probably wouldn’t know.

“We train people on the platform - not drivers, because when they get involved it is usually too late – to approach people as a preventative measure who might be mentally disturbed and need to talk.

“We don’t say: ‘don’t be so stupid’ - instead of avoiding people that are acting in an unusual way, we train staff to be comfortable to approach them.

“We also work with Queensgate staff, some of whom have been badly affected when they have been the first to find someone who has tried to take their own life, or seeing someone jump from the car park.”

The charity is keen for businesses or workers who may have seen increased tensions to consider them as an outlet.

The word ‘Samaritan’ has religious connotations dating back millennia, but the charity is keen to move with the times, even offering a ‘text’ service primarily used by youngsters. They can also email or write, if they find speaking of their problems difficult

Mandy was once a manager of another local charity, and found that people naturally gravitated towards her to discuss their problems.

Realising she was a good listener, she spoke to other people in her workplace who were Samaritans, and started volunteering six years ago.

Branch secretary Sue Horsley joined following an experience from the other end of the phone line, 40 years ago.

She said: “I was going through a sticky patch in my life. Circumstances had forced a move into Peterborough, meaning leaving my precious job, and all my anchors went astray.

“I still don’t know where I got the Samaritans number from, perhaps a phone box, but the lady said: ‘why not come in and see us?’

“It was the early hours of the morning and that conversation got me through it.

“My husband died four years ago, and soon after that I read a small piece about a Samaritans coffee morning for people thinking of volunteering. It seemed like fate...

“The only skill you need is listening. You have to try and forget your vulnerabilities, and focus on the other person.

“Even if they are angry, they are not angry with you. There is still a perception that unless you are going to take your own life you cannot use the service, but we are there for any additional support. “There are many levels of desperation – I once had a call from a lady who had had a panic attack, and just wanted to talk.”

There are two other social groups who are perhaps more vulnerable than others.

Mandy said: “We get quite a lot of calls from veterans from the armed forces, who have found it difficult to adapt to civilian life.

“There have apparently been a higher number of suicides from people coming back from the Falklands, than people who died there.

“We also get a lot of calls from people with mental illness. At HMP Peterborough we have started running training courses through the Listener Scheme, for inmates to listen to other inmates. We go in twice a week to speak to teams of 10.”

The branch will be out in force when the Olympic torch travels past on July 3, while they will also be visited on July 26 by a charity worker visiting all Samaritan bases in the UK.

There is a real team ethos at the branch, where volunteers commit to at least 18 hours a month, following six to eight months’ training.

No-one is left alone, and Sue told the story of a shocked young volunteer who recently experienced his first volley of abuse in a late night conversation with a desperate caller.

Did that volunteer’s response help? We may never know.

Mandy said: “It’s hard to know about the impact we have on callers, because it’s confidential and we can’t ask for feedback.

“We have to believe it works. It’s difficult to prove, but we believe giving them the chance to speak can help.

“They might speak to us for one day, and never again. But we just want them to know we are here.”

The branch is always on the lookout for volunteers and fundraisers, The Samaritans of Peterborough and District are located at 32-34 St John’s Street, Peterborough, PE1 5DD

Phone: (08457) 90 90 9, or visit http://www.samaritans.org" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; for more information.