“You really do hear the benefit people get when they are just able to talk and be heard... really heard, without judgement or a need to 'fix' them. We speak to some people at the lowest point of their life, and it's a privilege to be part of their journey in some small way”.
I knew I wanted to do something to help people, I was about to start training as a counsellor, and when I looked at organisations I could dedicate some time to, I felt that the Samaritans training, and the skills I would then gain would really support that journey... and I am pleased to say they absolutely did!
The ethos of the organisation also sat well with me; it felt like a place that I could learn and develop skills but also put to good use the skills I already had from working in customer service for years.
Becoming a Listening Volunteer has absolutely changed me. I feel my ability to really listen to someone, not jump in with a solution, and be comfortable with silence has developed as a result of volunteering with Samaritans. In my 'day job' I've been able to use my skills in supporting staff members and building team communication.
It can be challenging at times. As someone who works full-time and has a busy home life at times my biggest enemy is often “time”. It can be hard to find rota slots available to book on to or when starting training, fitting in the weekly, one evening a week commitment for 10 weeks. It’s tricky, but when you think about it, dedicating a couple of hours a week to do something for yourself is actually time well spent!
For me, the best bit about being a Listening Volunteer are the calls; I love it when you can hear people figuring things out. As Samaritans we don’t give advice or tell people what to do, we hope that by talking things through, and with thoughtful questioning, the caller can come to their own conclusions and decisions, sometimes you can almost hear everything click into place for the caller, they get an 'ah-ha' moment, and that is awesome to be part of!
And also... the cake!! Honestly, some of the best cake you will ever eat finds its way into our kitchen, and at 3am on a Saturday morning, mid-duty, you sometimes really do need the pick me up!
There are some things that are difficult. Samaritans are clear that all Listening Volunteers must be supported so they can leave their work behind. Sometimes, the not knowing what happened next to a caller can be difficult. The phone calls are genuinely confidential, and sometimes you build up such good rapport with a caller and when they really get talking and you hear them figuring things out, it can be hard not knowing what happens next, you feel part of their story, but you don't always know how it ends.
Sometimes a call really hits home, it might be something you really resonate with, or have experienced yourself, and it can be hard not to step into advice mode, or parent mode for example, but the support we get from the leaders, senior team and the branch support team means that if ever anything does play on your mind after a call or duty, there is someone to talk to.
I definitely hope I make a difference. Callers do sometimes say 'thank you for listening, it's been so good to get that off my chest' or similar, so in those moments it definitely feels like we make a difference. Some callers also call back, because they've found the service so helpful before, that if they are struggling again, they know they can call us, so that shows we do make a difference.
The volunteers at the Derby branch are the most supportive group of people I have ever met!! Being a Samaritan's Volunteer can be an emotional rollercoaster (in the best possible way), and having the support of everyone in branch really makes a difference.
If you are thinking about volunteering as a Samaritan at Derby branch, come to an information day, you have nothing to lose but honestly it could be the best decision you make!
It costs the Derby Branch £40,000 to keep the Branch open. If you’d like to support our work, click here
Last year our 80+ volunteers gave nearly 7,000 hours to our callers, reaching out to nearly 18,000 callers by 'phone and online chat, 24/7 every day of the year.