137A High Street, Weston super Mare, North Somerset. BS23 1HN
Telephone no. 01934 632555
Volunteering
NEW VOLUNTEERS ALWAYS NEEDED!At any one time we have between 55 and 65 volunteers providing the telephone helpline for distressed and suicidal callers.
Even though everyone in our branch is an unpaid volunteer, it still costs approximately £18,500 each year to run the branch.
Support volunteers make a vital contribution to the branch by undertaking administrative work, helping to publicise Samaritans and forming part of our fundraising team. Every year they organise a wide range of fun events to help raise money for the branch.
Further information about the work of Samaritans is available on the national website: www.samaritans.org.
Could you help?
If you would like to join our branch of Samaritans please contact:
Weston super Mare Samaritans, 137A High Street, Weston super Mare, North Somerset BS23 1HN
Tel. No: 01934 632555
Samaritans volunteers are ordinary people offering confidential emotional support for people experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those feelings which may lead to suicide. You don't need any formal qualifications or previous experience to become a Samaritans volunteer. You do need to be a good listener and allow people the time and space to explore their feelings.
To volunteer you need to be 18 or over and willing to do 1 duty a week, which includes 2 late nights and 1 full night in any 12 week period. For those who would find such a listening commitment difficult, there are other volunteering opportunities within the branch.
If you would like to apply to join us, please download our Application Form here. Please complete and return this to the address above, along with one page explaining why you want to volunteer and the qualities you feel you have that would make you suited to becoming a Samaritan.
Information Day:
An informal meeting plus group discussions and activities. Information Day gives the general public the opportunity to explore situations that might be faced by listening volunteers and also to help the Selection team decide if Samaritans is the right organisation for the potential volunteer. Please see the 'News' page for details of the next Information Day.Training sessions:
Focusing in-depth on the role of a Samaritans volunteer (dates and times to be found on the NEWS page).Probationary period:
If invited to join the branch, a new volunteer will serve as a probationer for the first six months, carefully guided in the early weeks by an experienced Samaritans volunteer.Mentoring:
When a new volunteer enters the branch following their initial training, they are allocated a mentor. The mentor's role is to support, nurture and guide the new volunteer through their first 6 months of listening. The mentor ensures that the new volunteer is fully informed of the paperwork involved, understands the system for caller care, is able to answer emails, and feels confident in taking calls.This is a vital part of the completion of their training. A warm welcome into the branch and a sensitive, caring mentor can make all the difference.