One-2-One with Duncan

Each quarter we ask one of our volunteers to provide us with an insight into why they chose to become a Samaritan volunteer, what roles they have undertaken within the organisation, how long they have been a Samaritan volunteer and how being a Samaritan volunteer has affected their lives both from a volunteering and personal perspective.

Duncan our current Branch Director

Q. Can you give us an insight into why you chose to become a volunteer?
I wanted to try and be useful. Being a lifeboat man would be a lot more glamorous, but I get seasick.

Q. How long have you been a volunteer?
14 years, it seems like I have always been a Samaritan.

Q. Please describe how you see the work of being a Samaritan?
I find it an honour and privilege to be sharing people’s deepest feelings, because we aren’t involved and are outside their circle of contacts. Samaritans is the only 24 hour / 7 day a week service. At any one time 400 –500 Samaritans are sat at phones all over the country.

Q. What roles have you undertaken while in the Samaritans?
Training, Day Leader and Directors. I enjoy training; I find it very refreshing to meet new people.

Q. How has being a volunteer affected your life both from a volunteer and personal perspective and what does being a Volunteer mean to you?
It gave me experience of volunteers and volunteering, has helped me in my career. I feel we can listen and allow people to have silences.

Q. You have taken part in 'Crisis Open Christmas', can you tell us about this?
Crisis is a charity, which fights for hope for homeless people, all year round. Crisis opens six shelters for a week at Christmas. They hire a warehouse and kit it out for 700 – 800 homeless people over Christmas. All facilities are provided, sleeping (on camp beds with blankets), 3 meals a day, Medical Services, Dentists, Opticians, clothing, housing advice and the Samaritans. The Volunteers from Samaritans stay nearby and will do this on top of their ordinary duties. Individual volunteers only do 48 hours each, in shifts as the work is very intense and can be very harrowing; they may come away physically and emotionally exhausted.

Q. How did you find the experience of working with Crisis?
I have been 4-5 times and found it very intense, tiring but extremely worthwhile. Homeless people have had a lot to cope with in life and I am pleased to be able to help.

Q. Have you attended any conferences and regional trainings that you have felt have been particularly worthwhile?
It is always worthwhile attending the Annual Conference and meeting Samaritan colleagues from other branches.

Q. How do you fit in the overnight duties?
I feel everyone finds their own way to fit in a night shift. It is no great hardship, I just build it into my life.

Q. Can you tell us about your role as director?
My role as a Director involves:-

• I am still a listening volunteer, meeting weekly commitment.
• Ultimate responsibility for the branch.
• I need to be involved in all the teams working within the branch.
• A link with the wider movement.

Q. What do enjoy most about being Director?

• I value contact with all the teams within the branch.
• I enjoy links outside the branch and seeing how it fits into the wider movement.

Q. How much time does in take on top of your regular commitment?
That is hard to say, varies immensely, some weeks hardly anything at all and others we have meetings both in the branch and at regional and national level. It could be more than a full time job but because I work full-time, I delegate and have great faith in my teams; I couldn’t work without them. The job doesn’t take as much time as some people think.

Q. Can you tell us what your goals were for our branch when you became Director and do you feel you are on course to achieve them?
I knew I wouldn’t have a great deal of time but I felt great responsibility to look after the branch and keep it in good shape for the next Director. My own personal goal is to remain a volunteer after being Director (many Directors leave)

Q. What is your vision for the future of our branch?
I would love to see our branch fully open (24hours a day, 7 days a week) The branch is the Volunteers in it and more Volunteers would allow us to open more.

Q. When your Directorship ends, for what would you like to be remembered?
Not making a complete mess of things!

Q. Is there any one message that you would like to send to the members of the public?

• We are ALWAYS there – at some point in most peoples lives they need someone impartial to talk through thoughts and feelings.
• Volunteers get an awful lot out of being Samaritans and we are looking for ordinary, down to earth people who care, to help us with our work.

Our thanks go to Duncan for this brief insight into his reasons for becoming and remaining a volunteer with Samaritans, and to our reporter for conducting the interview and preparing this article. Next quarter the spotlight will fall on one of our latest volunteers.

How about YOU?
If, having read this One-2-One it has inspired you to want to become a Samaritan volunteer in any capacity whatsoever then all we ask is that you do something about it NOW either email our Branch Secretary with your contact details or alternatively download an Information Pack by clicking on either of these links.

One day YOU could be the focus of a Samaritans One-2-One and an inspiration to others!

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