Samaritans (charity) facts for kids
Samaritans logo as of 2019
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| Formation | 1953 |
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| Headquarters | Ewell, England |
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Region served
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See also International reach |
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Founder
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Chad Varah |
| Website | samaritans.org |
Samaritans is a charity that offers emotional support to anyone feeling distressed. They help people across the United Kingdom and the Republic of Ireland. Often, they do this through a special telephone helpline. The name comes from the Bible story of the Good Samaritan. However, the organization itself is not religious.
Samaritans is also part of a bigger international group. This group is called Befrienders Worldwide. It works with other services like Lifeline International. They all help people around the world.
Contents
History of Samaritans
Samaritans was started in 1953. A church leader named Rev. Chad Varah founded it. He was a vicar in London. His idea came from an experience he had years before. He was a young curate in Lincoln at the time.
The organization grew very quickly. Within ten years, there were 40 branches. Now, there are 201 branches. These are spread across Great Britain and Ireland. They work together, ignoring national borders. This shows that their service is not about politics or religion.
Samaritans relies completely on volunteers. In 2015, over 21,200 trained volunteers helped out. The name "Samaritans" was not chosen by Chad Varah. It came from a newspaper headline in 1953. The article was about Varah's important work.
In 2004, Samaritans needed more volunteers. They launched a campaign to find young people. They wanted those aged 18–24 to join. Phil Selway, the drummer from the band Radiohead, helped with this campaign. He was also a Samaritans volunteer.
Chad Varah felt a bit sad about Samaritans in 2004. He thought it had changed from his original idea. He had wanted an emergency service for desperate people. Later, he met with the new leaders. He was happy to hear about their continued good work. In 2006, his son, Michael Varah, joined the board of trustees.
How Samaritans Helps People
The main way Samaritans helps is through a telephone helpline. This helpline is open 24 hours a day. It is available every single day of the year. Samaritans was the first 24-hour helpline in the UK.
Besides phone calls, they offer other ways to get help. You can visit a branch for a face-to-face chat. They also go to festivals and other events. They even train prisoners to be "Listeners." These Listeners offer support to others in prison. Samaritans also studies emotional health issues.
Since 1994, Samaritans has offered email support. This service started with one branch. Now, 198 branches help with emails. The main office helps to organize this. In 2011, they received over 206,000 emails. Many of these were from outside the UK. They try to answer every email within 24 hours.
In 2009, a special free number was created for Samaritans. This number is 116 123. It is free to call from mobile phones and landlines. Since 2015, this has been their main number. It replaced an older number that cost money to call.
In 2014, Samaritans received 5.1 million requests for help. These came through phone, email, text, and letters. People also got help face-to-face at branches. They also helped through their work in prisons and at events.
Samaritans volunteers get special training. They learn to listen without judging anyone. They also learn to ask open questions. This helps people explore their feelings. It helps them find their own way forward. Samaritans believes that listening can ease sadness. It helps make emotional health a normal topic.
Keeping Information Private
Samaritans has a strict rule about keeping calls private. This rule applies even after a caller has died. They will only share information in very rare cases. This might happen if someone is threatening volunteers. It could also happen if a caller is stopping others from getting help. Or, if there is a serious safety concern for a child. In these few cases, they might need to share information.
In 2011, the Samaritans in Ireland made a change. They agreed to report some situations to the Health Service Executive. This applies when it seems a child might be in serious harm. This rule helps protect children.
In 2011, Facebook worked with Samaritans. They wanted to offer help to people in distress. This led to some concerns about privacy. Some people felt it might invade privacy.
Global Connections
Samaritans' work goes beyond the UK and Ireland. This is thanks to their email service. They receive messages from all over the world.
Samaritans is connected globally through Befrienders Worldwide. This organization has over 400 centers. These centers are in 38 different countries. They offer similar support services. Samaritans took over this network in 2003. Some centers in Befrienders Worldwide also use the name Samaritans. This includes centers in Hong Kong, India, Serbia, the United States, and Zimbabwe.
There is also a group called the Volunteer Emotional Support Helplines (VESH). This group includes Samaritans (through Befrienders Worldwide). It also includes other big international services. They are working to create a stronger global network of helplines.
See also:
- The Samaritans Hong Kong (Multilingual Service)
- The Samaritan Befrienders Hong Kong
- Samaritans of Singapore
- Samaritans USA—This group formed in 2005. Samaritans of Boston joined with their Framingham branch. There are other Samaritans offices in the U.S. They work independently but share the same goal.
Other Helpful Charities
Many other helplines offer services similar to Samaritans. These often focus on specific groups of people.
One example is Nightline. These are student-run services at universities. They offer support and information at night for students. Most Nightlines are part of the Nightline Association.
Shout is a free mental health helpline in the UK. It offers the first 24/7 text message support service. It helps people who are struggling to cope.
In the UK, ChildLine is run by the NSPCC. It is similar to Samaritans in some ways. However, it only offers support for children. A similar service, also called Childline, is in Ireland. It is run by the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (ISPCC).
Another example is Aware. This group is based in Ireland. It helps people who experience depression. It also supports their families and friends. Aware offers a Helpline service. They also have support groups and monthly talks. These help to educate people about depression.
See also
- Mental health in the United Kingdom
- Andy's Man Club - Men's talking group
