Bolton

About Bolton Samaritans

Bolton Samaritans was founded in 1965 and has supported people from across Bolton and the surrounding area ever since. Around 50 listening volunteers answer calls from our branch, providing emotional support to anyone who needs someone to talk to.

Samaritans volunteers are Listening Volunteers or Support Volunteers, working together to support callers and keep the branch running. Bolton Samaritans is led by Co Directors Mary and Will. Listening Volunteers answer phones, while Support Volunteers help in a range of other ways, including fundraising, publicity, administration, recruitment, training, and the day-to-day running of the branch.

Samaritans’ vision is that fewer people die by suicide. We are here for anyone who is struggling to cope, who needs someone to listen without judgement, or who feels they have nowhere else to turn. To contact Samaritans, callers can phone the freephone number 116 123, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.

Our volunteers are ordinary people who give their time freely to be there for callers when they are needed most. We also play an active role in the local community, raising awareness of Samaritans and emotional health through talks, outreach work, and links with local organisations. All our volunteers are unpaid.

As well as our branch, we also run a Samaritans charity shop at 840 Bury Road, Breightmet, Bolton BL2 6PA. The shop helps raise vital funds to support the work of the branch, and we are always pleased to hear from people who may be interested in volunteering there. If you would like to find out more about shop volunteering, please email [email protected].

It costs money to maintain and run our branch, including our premises, telephone systems, utilities, and equipment. Local fundraising and donations are an important part of helping us continue to provide this much-needed support.

We welcome donations, large or small, and every contribution makes a difference. We are also pleased to hear from individuals or organisations interested in supporting the branch through fundraising, partnership working, or other community involvement. If you would like to get in touch with Bolton Samaritans, please email [email protected].

Volunteers, training, and branch expectations

New Listening Volunteers are trained in Samaritans listening skills, then mentored and guided through the process of becoming full Samaritans volunteers. In return, volunteers are expected to take part in training and mentoring, and then commit to regular weekly shifts.

Working in and around Bolton

Bolton Samaritans supports the local community by giving talks, presentations, and workshops to raise awareness of Samaritans and the importance of listening. These can include:

• Samaritans – who we are and what we do
  
• The power of listening
  
• Wellbeing in the workplace
  

We can also support local organisations, schools, colleges, universities, and community groups with talks, awareness sessions, and information stands.

If you would like Bolton Samaritans to attend your event, workplace, school, college, or community group, please email [email protected] and we will be happy to discuss this with you.

Our privacy statement

At Samaritans, privacy is at the heart of what we do. We are committed to protecting your privacy and the personal information that we hold. Read our privacy statement here.