Welcome to your Spring 2026 edition of 24/7!

We know Blue Monday is a myth and feeling low isn’t something that happens once a year. At Samaritans we do Brew Monday instead to celebrate the power of human connection through a cuppa and a catch-up.

Now in its ninth year, Brew Monday saw more than 290 events take place across the UK and Ireland on 19 January, from libraries to railway stations by way of 10 Downing Street. Thanks to our sponsors, Three UK, everyone was encouraged to take a moment during the day and were reminded of the benefits of a break.

It was fantastic to see so many Samaritans and partners coming together, dispelling the myth of Blue Monday over 50,000 brews!

When Anya lost a friend to suicide in 2020, it was an eye-opening experience on how people can suffer in silence.

We had known each other since we were 16 and he was always the life and soul of the party. He would light up a room when he walked in and was probably the last person you would ever expect to take their own life.

I suppose what happened to my friend left me feeling a bit helpless and I wanted to stop that happening again to someone else. Becoming a Samaritan has been the best thing I've ever done. It’s so rewarding. I now volunteer once a week, doing the online chat. There’s a lot of demand for it, especially with younger people. Chatting online is what people are used to nowadays, so it’s good that we’re reaching even more people who might need support.

At Samaritans, we give people the space to open up, without judgement, without opinions, and without advice.

I spoke to someone recently who said, “This is the first time I've been able to truly be myself.” That had such an impact on me, for them to be able to say exactly what’s on their mind and what’s happening for them. And it’s not by doing much, it’s just from listening. Moments like that make this feel like a real privilege and highlight the power of listening – it can be life changing.

Being a Samaritan has given me a purpose. It fills your soul.

The Premier League are helping change the game by encouraging football fans to talk about how they feel and creating safe spaces for this on select matchdays every week.

Every 90 minutes someone in the UK takes their own life and middle-aged men are one of the groups most at risk of suicide.

Football has the power to bring people together and spark meaningful conversations. Last year, on World Suicide Prevention Day, the Premier League and Samaritans launched Together Against Suicide, an initiative to support fans affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts.

The initiative, backed by all 20 Premier League clubs, aims to direct fans experiencing suicidal thoughts to the support available, helping them feel confident to start that first conversation that could make all the difference. It raises awareness of the signs to look out for and equips fans with the skills to start conversations and guide others toward further support if needed.

And finally, it helps to foster a culture of connection, care and early intervention across football communities.

The campaign has garnered so much support that the UK Government are now on board and have included it as a key pillar in their new men's health strategy for England. Score!

In memory of her cousin Henry, Laura Biggs and nine of her friends and family conquered the Three Peaks challenge over the first weekend in May 2025. Together, they scaled Ben Nevis, Scafell Pike, and Yr Wyddfa (Snowdon) in 24 hours, and raised vital funds for Samaritans. 

It was an incredibly emotional and physical 24 hours and something which brought us closer together as both friends and family of Henry.

We shared our memories of Henry, laughing and (at times) crying as we plodded on through the night. There was something really special and poignant about pushing ourselves to our emotional and physical limits together and being absorbed in some absolutely stunning nature. The whole experience has made me reflect a lot on my own mental health too which can only be a positive thing.

A key highlight happened as we were climbing up Yr Wyddfa, our last mountain of the challenge. We were absolutely shattered and really needed a boost. A fellow hiker saw our T-shirts and shouted “Go on Samaritans! What an amazing cause!”. Then a whole chorus of people started cheering us on. Naturally we all started tearing up and honestly it still makes me feel emotional now.

We all truly appreciate the amazing work you do and are so proud to have played a small part in supporting you.

Samaritans has been campaigning for urgent, mandatory suicide prevention training for all emergency service workers, as they’re often first on the scene when anyone is in suicidal crisis.

• 30 MPs joined our Westminster event to hear directly from emergency service workers about why this training is needed. Hundreds of us emailed our MPs beforehand, urging them to attend. We filled inboxes, and they showed up.
• Momentum snowballed as we sent MPs campaign toolkits and saw them take to social media to show their support publicly.
• Local politicians told us your emails, highlighting emergency call-out figures to suicide related incidents in your area, influenced them to support the campaign.
• We alerted our communities to the issue, sending emails to local newspapers and getting editors’ letters published in the news from Lancaster to Salisbury.
• Because of all of us taking action, we’ve successfully secured new suicide prevention guidance in a toolkit for firefighters being sent out by the National Fire Chiefs Council, and the Government has committed to suicide prevention and trauma training for new police recruits and supervisors in a white paper. 

When Deepak’s struggles with self-worth led him to an abusive relationship, he knew he needed help.

I started struggling with how I felt about myself as a young boy, experiencing feelings of low self-worth and loneliness.

My constant need for affection made me feel anxious in relationships and I ended up with someone who was verbally and physically abusive towards me. She would try to emasculate me by saying things like, “you’re not man enough for a woman like me.”

Even though I felt this way, I stayed in the relationship as I was dependent on her affection and approval.

Things came to a head one night and I broke down to my brother. That’s when I realised I didn’t have the skills to cope with what was going on and really needed help.

So, I reached out to Samaritans. I called a few times before I could bring myself to speak and when I finally did, I didn’t say much. But then quickly, things started pouring out.

It was my first real experience of someone just listening to what I had to say and giving me room to explore my feelings. Ultimately that was the call that changed my life. I began the slow but important steps to recovery, and started creating some positive change in my life. I couldn’t be prouder of what I’ve achieved today.

It’s a beautiful way to celebrate a treasured loved one: sharing their name, a personal message and, if you wish, a photo to see their memory shine.

By making an optional donation with your dedication, you’ll also help Samaritans be there 24/7, 365 days a year for anyone who needs us.

Leave a dedication today

For more information, please email [email protected] or call 03709 00 00 32.