Gavin’s story

“I run my own business, delivering health and social care in the community. In my role, I work a lot on social media and websites and I feel very comfortable standing up and talking in front of people.

“I have two teenage children. I have been coaching rugby for my son since he was seven. I’ve been divorced for 10 years and have been learning to live as a single parent — juggling having the kids 50 per cent of the time and balancing work. This is one of the things that triggered my change of outlook on life.

“I decided to go alcohol free four years ago. I wasn’t addicted but it was a habit and I didn’t want it in my life. I initially took a tactical break for a month in January 2019, but it will be four years in January since that break. I joined one year no beer and got involved in a community of people that struggled with drink, and started reading books to better understand the human brain, and our anxieties.

“But I think the past 30 years of my life have really underpinned my conversion. I have had some difficult times and I’ve felt incredibly lucky to have had someone, a family mentor, to talk and unload my thinking.

“My daughter, aged 15 now, was born with DiGeorge syndrome and had open heart surgery on her first birthday. My father died at 58 with a twisted bowel and got septicaemia. We buried him and two weeks later, my mum took her own life. This bereavement is an integral part of who I am and why I joined Samaritans. I want to give back.

“For many years, before I was a Samaritan, I was the person that people would go to for help, and I would probably give an opinion and help people untangle their thoughts and come to a solution. But I was encouraging them to make those decisions. The difference now is that we don’t give opinions – we simply listen.

“We are just helping people identify the challenges they are facing. The call I had the other night was from someone who felt like Christmas wouldn’t be the same as their parents had passed. During the course of the call, we explored it further and just through listening, it helped them peel back the extra layers of what they were going through to really understand the problem.

“Being able to sit and take a call and you feel that they are grateful for you. It’s not rocket science to be there for people when they need it. Knowing that you are making that difference to people is the most rewarding thing. When you have someone say thank you – thank you for helping me clarify my thoughts. You know that you’ve made a difference to how they feel. I think they do feel that you are talking to them one to one. That has to be the greatest feeling – helping another human being.

“If you want to have someone sit in it with you and face it with you – Samaritans is the ideal place to go in your time of need. They are there 24/7. You are never alone.”

Lives change when we break the silence. You can help volunteers, like Gavin, be here to listen to people when they need us most. A simple donation has the potential to change countless lives.

With your support, we can be there to listen when people break their silence.