Last week, on Thursday, July 24, we celebrated Samaritans Awareness Day, and it was one of our largest awareness events yet.
Samaritans Awareness Day is an annual event where many of the volunteer-led branches across the country hit the streets to remind everyone of the charity’s central message: We are here for anyone who is struggling when they need someone to talk to. The date of the 24th of July (24/7) was chosen to reflect the fact that Samaritans’ phone service is available to callers 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
We had big plans for the day, but before the 24th, we were already busy spreading awareness of how we help others. We were excited to be featured on two local radio stations during the build-up to the event. Our Branch Director, Paul Brady, appeared on V2 Radio, where he discussed the significance of the day with presenter Tanya McCarthy. You can see a clip of the video interview here: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1034022725553620/
In the interview, Paul explained how listening is central to everything we do: ‘I think that’s the unique characteristic of being a Samaritan, and that’s the key to our service really. That’s what it’s all about: listening and listening carefully. We don’t give advice; we just listen.’
By listening, we can give someone in distress the space to explore their feelings, and often they will find that simply having someone to talk to can help relieve many of their negative emotions.
Our Vice Director, David Longmore, also spoke to Sarah Gorrell on BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey. He spoke about what we do, the different ways people can contact us, how our volunteers support each other, and the dedication and hard work shown by our branch (not to mention all the other branches across the country) as we answer vast numbers of calls every single day. You can listen to the full five-minute interview below:
As for the day itself, we arranged to have two teams of volunteers at two different locations. One group set up at the Bognor Regis Bandstand, which is located on the promenade and overlooks the sea, while the other group was stationed at the Market Cross, right in the centre of Chichester. It was lovely to celebrate such an important day at two of our region’s most iconic and much-loved landmarks. This year marked the first time we had a presence at two locations.
We set up at both places with signs, stickers, and smiles and gave plenty of friendly ‘hellos’ to passers-by. Once again, we were overjoyed to find that so many people were happy to stop and chat. Throughout the day, we had lots of uplifting conversations with the public, many of whom expressed so much appreciation for what we do.
Here are a few pictures of the volunteers at the Bandstand. It was a warm, pleasant day, perfect for greeting everyone who was out for a walk along the seafront. As you can see, we decorated the Bandstand with a few banners and signs.
David, Paul, Barbara, and Kate at the bandstand.
Talk to Us sign at the Bandstand
Paul hanging out a leaflet.
And here are a few of the team in front of the stall at The Cross. We enjoyed being positioned right in the heart of the city on a busy summer day. Standing at the centre of the bustling crowds gave us plenty of opportunities for friendly interactions.
James, Carolyn, and Rupert in front of the Market Cross.
Jo (and a little helper) at the Cross.
Liz, Rupert, and Lizzie at the stall in front of the Cross.
We are grateful to Arun District Council and Chichester City Council for their support in allowing us to use the Bandstand and Chichester Cross for the entire day.
It was also lovely to see other branches post about their activities on social media, and to see other organisations, such as the Chichester Foodbank (where we regularly hold awareness-raising sessions and give talks to volunteers), express their admiration for us. We are thrilled to be part of such a supportive community.
It wasn’t just the volunteers at the stalls in Bognor and Chichester who were superstars. At the branch, our listening volunteers also completed a 24-hour shift marathon, listening for the full day. We’d like to thank everyone who signed up for a shift.
We can’t wait to attend more awareness events in the coming months, but wherever we are and whatever the day, our message is always the same: if you are going through a difficult time and feel as though you can’t cope, you can pick up the phone and talk to us on 116 1