Samaritans branches have trained teams of volunteers, who can visit a school, college or youth group to give a talk to young people.
Our talks can be about emotional health, the value of listening, coping strategies or about Samaritans and the importance of accessing support and where it can be found.
Our talks in schools
In 2015, Samaritans volunteers visited over 600 schools and youth groups, talking to 40,000 young people. Our volunteers use a range of pre-prepared talks, lessons and workshops which are aimed at young people from Year 9 upwards. These can be adapted to meet the needs of the school, college or youth group. The visit could be an information-giving talk to a large group, or interactive activities and can be delivered to smaller groups.
I learned to always speak to someone. Don’t hold your feelings in.
Student
Why have a talk?
- Create an understanding of emotional health and its impact on the wellbeing of young people
- Raise awareness of the importance of emotional support and where it can be found
- Explain the value of listening
- Encourage young people to consider the possibility of calling Samaritans if they are struggling to cope
- Raise awareness of the existence of Samaritans and what we do
Ultimately, we believe that helping young people to express how they are feeling and be able to talk, reduces emotional distress.
Get in touch today to find out more or request a schools talk.
For professionals working with young people
If you work with young people and are looking for resources about emotional health, coping strategies, developing communication skills, resilience and help-seeking behaviour, you may also be interested in DEAL, our free teaching resources. All of these free web-based teaching resources, with lesson plans, audio visual resources, teachers notes and staff training materials can be accessed on our website.
What happens when you contact the education team?
When you get in touch via the contact form, you are contacting the education team. We will get in touch with your local branch of Samaritans who will contact you as soon as possible to arrange the support or information you have requested. View our privacy statement here.