18–23 May 2026 on Jesus Green, Cambridge.
Our goal was to collect 5,000 festival glasses over the six days of the festival - thank you to everyone who helped to smash that goal and collect 6804 instead!
What a week! Our target of collecting 5000 glasses was smashed - instead the patrons of the 2026 Cambridge Beer Festival went above and beyond and donated an incredible 6804 glasses to Cambridge Samaritans. With each glass deposit worth £4, and also adding in card and cash donations, that's a grand total of £32,520 donated to fund the operations of our branch.
We are blown away by the generosity, and inspired by the clear importance the community places on human connection, and the vision that fewer people die by suicide.
A huge thank you to the Cambridge Beer Festival - not only for choosing Cambridge Samaritans as their charity partner for 2026, but also for all of the support and advice that made it a success and made us feel so welcome. Their commitment to creating an incredible community event and supporting local charities along the way is inspiring. Thank you Anthony, Mark, and the whole team!
This success was only possible thanks to the volunteers who signed up to help us raise awareness, and to collect glasses and donations. Thank you so much to everyone who spread the word about our call for volunteers, and who gave us their time during the festival! Thank you for your enthusiasm and the energy you brought - thank you for supporting us, so that we can be there to answer the phone, day or night.
These donations will fund the Cambridge branch of Samaritans to answer over 16,000 calls. That is over 16,000 times that a person in distress will reach out, and someone will be there to listen, to create a space where they can talk things though anonymously and confidentially, to help them turn a tangled mess of thoughts into something a bit more clear and maybe more manageable. We are so grateful for the support to continue this service.
The first step on the way to 6804 glasses!
Why it matters
Every 10 seconds, Samaritans responds to a call for help. Cambridge Samaritans answered 28,000 of those calls last year. We are completely staffed by volunteers and funds raised will support our vital work reducing suicide and offering emotional support across our community and on the national helpline.
Donate to Cambridge Samaritans
If you would like to donate to the branch you can do so here:
https://samaritanscommunity.enthuse.com/cambridgesamaritans/profile