We are Samaritans

Samaritans is here for anyone finding it difficult to cope – day or night, 365 days a year.

We listen and provide a human connection so that nobody has to face their struggles alone. We take action to prevent people reaching crisis point, helping people find ways to cope and learn the skills to be there for others. And we campaign to make suicide prevention a priority.

Samaritans is a charity working across the UK and Ireland and it’s your donations that fund our life-saving work, and your support that helps make it possible.

About Samaritans

• We are the only 24/7 prevention charity working across the UK and Ireland.
• We have over 200 Samaritans branches across the UK and Ireland.
• We are a team of around 22,000 Samaritans volunteers, around 300 staff and many thousands of supporters.
• Our helpline is open day and night, 365 days a year, for anyone struggling to cope.
• We provide face-to-face support in communities and prisons, and at festivals and events.
• We work with a range of industries and organisations to increase our reach and impact.
• We provide letter, email and online chat services for people who prefer not to call.
• We provide the tools and training to help people look after themselves and those around them.
• We carry out research to understand the issues around self-harm and suicide.
• We work with governments to influence positive change.
• We campaign to make suicide prevention a priority.

In this report you’ll see how, in 2021/22, we worked to meet our pledges in the four priority areas set out in our 2015-2021 strategy:

• Service: We will improve the quality and consistency of our service.
• Access: We will improve access to Samaritans’ services.
• Influence: We will have stronger and more effective external influence and connections with partners.
• Evidence: We will improve collection and application of evidence.

We also report on the three factors on which all our work depends:

• Our people: We have an amazing team of around 22,000 Samaritans volunteers and 300 staff.
• Our brand: We’re known, trusted and respected, which inspires people to reach out to us, volunteer for us or support us.
• Our income: Your fundraising and donations make it possible for us to be here today and in the future.

This year, we developed our new strategy, Tackling Suicide Together: providing a safe space in uncertain times, which will steer our work for the coming five years. To inform the strategy, we worked closely with people who have been affected by suicide or suicidal thoughts, our partners, and those who volunteer and work with us or support us.