This collaboration brings together two charities that can be found at the very heart of their communities, united by a shared commitment to supporting people when they need it most.
The challenge:
Food bank teams often provide far more than food, they offer emotional support and a listening ear to people facing some of the hardest moments in their lives.
In recent years, the pandemic, economic uncertainty, and the increasing pressure many people feel in their lives has placed a heavier emotional burden on those working or volunteering in food banks. Many found themselves navigating difficult conversations with people in distress, sometimes involving suicidal thoughts, without formal training or the tools to respond confidently.
While food banks across the Trussell network operate independently, there was a shared need for consistent, practical support to help teams manage the emotional demands of their roles, and to build resilience within a sector that’s often stretched beyond capacity.
The solution:
Trussell partnered with Samaritans to roll out three focused, skills-based training sessions, ‘Conversations with vulnerable people’, ‘Managing suicidal conversations’ and ‘Debriefing for individuals and teams’.
Each session was designed to last three hours, which was a format that worked best for busy food bank teams with limited capacity. Samaritans’ award-winning Learning & Development team collaborated closely to ensure the content aligned with the needs of frontline staff and volunteers who regularly support vulnerable individuals.
The training provided a space for open conversations, offering tools and frameworks for managing emotional conversations, recognising distress and supporting team members through structured debriefing.
Participants learned how to listen without judgment, ask the right questions and close conversations sensitively. The sessions also helped staff and volunteers to better manage stress, stay grounded under pressure and support one another through challenging situations.
The impact:
The feedback from Trussell has been overwhelmingly positive. Staff and volunteers left the sessions feeling more confident and reassured that they were handling difficult conversations appropriately.
Participants highlighted how the techniques they learned, like active listening and compassionate communication, helped them not only in their roles at the food bank but also in their personal lives.
Learned so much about asking the right questions, expressing empathy, how to be gently persistent in asking questions and closing conversations sensitively. It has been such a positive learning experience.
Course participant
Your people and teams can benefit from Samaritans’ training too.
Get in touch with our team today