We are developing a range of opportunities for people with lived experience to be involved in the work that we do.
This could involve working alongside us on specific projects, joining an advisory group, or becoming a Board Member.
If you have experience of suicidal thoughts, self-harm or you’ve lost someone to suicide, we’d like your help to shape the work we do. Complete our survey or sign up to a focus group:
Current Opportunities
With you, for you: Creating Samaritans’ first Lived Experience Strategic plan
At Samaritans, we aim to embed the voices of people with lived experience of suicide, self-harm and bereavement by suicide in all our work. We believe the expertise brought by people like you is vital, we know that lived experience involvement help ensure the charity delivers effective, relevant, and high-quality work and services.
We need to develop our approach to embedding lived experience in everything we do – from decision making to service design, and Research to policy and campaigns and much more. This is why the charity appointed a Head of Lived Experience earlier this year.
We are excited to say development of the charity’s first Lived Experience Strategic Plan has started.
How are we developing a Lived Experience Strategic plan?
We're using a process called co-design, where the perspectives and decisions of all stakeholders are treated equally. For us this includes people with lived experience, staff and our volunteers. The plan is due to launch in Autumn 2024.
How can I get involved?
We've run over 5 focus groups already and spoken to almost 70 people, thank you to everyone who has taken part. There's still time to share your views, we’d love for as many of you as possible to get involved!
Complete our survey to share your thoughts - Deadline: 1st May 2024
If you have any questions please contact Suki Westmore
Reducing access to the means of suicide: the lived experience perspective
What: A research team based at the University of Glasgow seeks to engage people with lived and living experience of suicidal behaviour in Scotland with a view to developing a set of recommendations about actions that could be implemented to prevent suicide by hanging and self-poisoning (the two most common methods in Scotland).
You are invited to take part in a study that aims to develop a set of recommendations to the Scottish Government and CoSLA about actions that could be implemented to prevent suicide in the country. The study focuses on hanging and self-poisoning. Participation involves completion of a consent statement and online questionnaire. If you are considering taking part in the study, please click the weblink below to find out more information.
Suicide Prevention Delphi Study Phase 2 (qualtrics.com)
Why: Your contribution will potentially make a difference to the way that practitioners, community leaders and policy makers in Scotland develop and implement actions to prevent suicidal behaviour. You are unlikely to benefit directly from taking part in this study. However, based on an analysis of questionnaire responses by all those who take part, the research team will be able to make recommendations on preventing suicide by hanging and self-poisoning.
Who: We invite you to participate if you are aged 18+ years, living in the UK with lived and living experience of suicidal behaviour.
Where: Online: Suicide Prevention Delphi Study Phase 2 (qualtrics.com)
When: Until 6th May 2024
Time/Time commitment: Completion of the questionnaire should take no longer than 40 minutes.
Support & questions: As with all research that asks about suicide, there is a small possibility that some questions may lead you to think about certain experiences in your life that you may find upsetting. When you consider whether or not to take part in the study, you will receive a support sheet, which contains a list of agencies to contact if you need more information or to talk with someone. You may also wish to contact your GP or another healthcare professional.
If you have any questions or would like to know more please contact Dr Heather McClelland
Deadline: 06.05.2024
Evaluating surveillance technologies for suicide prevention in public places
What: Take part in an interview with a researcher from the University of Westminster about the role technology may play in suicide prevention in public spaces.
We want to find out how best to support people who are experiencing suicidal thoughts in public spaces and what role (if any) technology could play in this.
We will discuss surveillance technology (like smart CCTV), including what you think about the possible effectiveness and acceptability of these. We will ask you to share your experience with suicidal thoughts or attempts, though there is no pressure to talk about personal experiences, you can share thoughts on just the technology.
Read our information sheet to find out more.
Why: We want to hear a range of perspectives to help us develop an understanding of how surveillance technologies are perceived and what the possible effects may be. This will help us produce guidance for the use of technology in suicide prevention in public spaces.
Who: People with lived experience of suicidal thoughts/behaviours; People who care for or have lost some to suicide
Where: Phone call, a video call, in-person visit or something else - you can choose and we will try to accommodate this.
When: Dates to be arranged with you
Time/Time commitment: We anticipate that the interview will take around an hour. You may also wish to have a phone call before the interview to find out more about it, or afterwards to check in with how you found the experience.
Participants will be renumerated for their time with a £25 voucher
How: If you are interested in this research or have any questions please contact Beth Cliffe ([email protected]).
Deadline: 01.08.2025
Read our information sheet to find out more.
During 2023 people with lived experience influenced our Online Harms campaign, joined our Research Ethics Board, sat on interview panels and have been co-designing our first ever Lived experience Strategic plan.
When you take part, you’ll have the opportunity to influence Samaritans work first hand, learn new skills, connect with like minded people and support our mission to ensure fewer people die by suicide.
We will promote all current opportunities on this web page, if you can’t see anything it means we’re working on new projects. Check back soon as opportunities are added whenever possible.