A beautifully iced cake was the feature of an afternoon tea held for volunteers of Bracknell, Wokingham, Ascot & Districts branch.
Raising a toast, branch director Barbara Denyer said:
Here’s to our Golden Anniversary and many, many words of thanks to all the many volunteers, past and present.
The event was held on Saturday 6 August in the Knowl Hill, Twyford garden of a volunteer who for many years has, like so many others, come weekly to the branch centre at Mount Pleasant, Larges Lane, Bracknell, to be part of Samaritans’ 24-hour service of providing listening support to those in distress.
Tribute was paid to those who began the branch in 1972. The founder was the Rev Canon Colin Hill OBE, a now retired priest of the Church of England, who at the time was rector of Easthampstead in Bracknell New Town. He went on to be vicar of Brightside in the diocese of Sheffield, vicar of Croydon, and a chaplain to the Queen. Assisting him were members of his parochial team at the time, the Rev John Everest, who was district vicar for Wildridings and the Rev Hedley Ringrose, who was district vicar for Great Hollands.
Local Samaritans’ branch director Barbara Denyer cuts the 50th anniversary cake
Many branches were founded by ministers of the Church of England but Samaritans’ founder, Preb Chad Varah, laid down the principle that volunteers should never seek to influence callers with regard to politics, philosophy and religion.
The branch has put together a short history, which pays tributes to its founders and recounts its four different premises over the decades and some key visitors and supporters of the branch, including Samaritans’ founder Preb Chad Varah, Monica Dickens, great-grand-daughter of Charles Dickens and founder of Samaritans of Boston, Massachusetts, USA and jazz and blues singer Marion Montgomery.