Press Release: Garrison recruits stress down for Samaritans

Recruits at Catterick Garrison will be “at ease” on  Friday 1 February in support of the local Samaritan Stress Down Day.

The Infantry Training Centre at the super garrison, which puts around 2,700 recruits per year through the combat infantryman course, will be supporting the day by holding a relaxing lunch time at the Beharry Centre where the recruits eat and put their feet up.

A juke box is being supplied free of charge by Betterdaze to help with the party atmosphere and there will be a raffle with the top prize of an overnight stay  for two at Scotch Corner Hotel. There will be balloons, lollipops and Samaritan pens for sale.  Garrison Radio will be supporting the event together with the WRVS and with HIVE, the Information office for the Services Community which assists the Army with welfare referral support.

This is the second national Stress Down Day and is designed by the Samaritans to highlight how stress in the work place can affect emotional health. They hope to raise as much money as possible throughout the day so that they can continue to help those who need support.

Regimental Shepherd Sgt Richard Ellis said “The emotional well-being of our recruits is paramount to the Army and whilst we give our recruits as much support as possible, we acknowledge that sometimes a recruit with problems might want to speak to someone outside the Army. We are grateful for the work Samaritans do to back up our own welfare schemes and pleased we can support them in return”.

The 60 Northallerton volunteer Samaritans take around 19,000 calls a year, some of which are from serving Army personnel or from their wives and partners. All calls are held in complete confidence and give the caller time and space to explore their own feelings and options. Northallerton Samaritans can be reached on 01609 776161 or by e-mailing jo@samaritans.org.

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Editor's Note

According to the Samaritan Stressed Out Survey 2006 – 2007, work related stress,  depression or anxiety accounted for 13.8 million lost working days at a cost of £3.7billion to British Industry.  A third of UK workers said they were unable to get to sleep at night through anxiety and a half of the workers surveyed said they had seen colleagues cry over pressure at work.

It is the aim of Samaritans to make emotional health a mainstream issue Samaritans believe that offering people the chance to be listened to in confidence and accepted without prejudice can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings.

Samaritans is a registered charity with 16,800 trained volunteers.

FOR MORE INFORMATION contact: Siobhan Gifford, Publicity Officer: Northallerton & Dales Branch on 07966 228206 or at siobhan333northallerton@yahoo.co.uk.