WELCOME TO SAMARITANS of NORTH DEVON & NORTH CORNWALL

OUR 1st BRANCH opened on October 23rd 1967 in a tiny terraced house in Tuly Street, Barnstaple, taking 1,000 distress calls a year. The number of calls and visits were to increase steadily over the years; until such time that the actual building was creaking at the seams to cope with the demands.

Growth has been a constant thread in our history and, when in 1975 we had to vacate 11 Tuly Street, we were privileged indeed to acquire our own premises at 2 Summerland Street, Barnstaple for £7500 and which is our present address.

Thirteen years on, at the start of 1988, an appeal was launched to raise £20,000 to fund renovations to the house. It desperately needed reshaping completely in order to create a centre, designed for the purpose of befriending and answering the many hundreds of calls being received annually by the Branch. Contributions came from Industry, Local Authorities, Voluntary Organisations, School Pupils, Trusts in the area and personal donations. We now take over 12,000 calls and answer approximately 1,400 emails a year.

We are available to anyone who is in emotional distress, confidentiality of course is always respected; it is so important that callers know Samaritans is a safe place to share their feelings. There can be many reasons for someone to call us, maybe the most common causes for their feelings of despair are: relationship and family problems; unemployment; bereavement; financial worries; health problems; stress and college or peer pressures, to name but a few.