Becoming a Samaritans Volunteer

Support Volunteers work closely with our branch volunteer teams carrying out mainly administrative duties to keep our North London branch operating smoothly – this could include admin duties in the branch or remotely from home or supporting local Fundraising events. These are generally flexible, interesting and fulfilling roles and could require approximately 4 hours volunteering a week. Please start your registration process using the following link: https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/volunteer/

For our Regular and Night Listening Volunteer roles, we also hold frequent Information Events throughout the year where you can hear from current members of the branch, find out more about our services and what’s involved when you volunteer for North London Samaritans—because it’s quite a big commitment: regular Listening Volunteers are expected to do one shift, including one night shift within each five-week period.

Information Events are delivered via online virtual meetings to groups. There is no obligation to volunteer once you have attended an Information Event, so why not come along?

Upcoming Information Events

Typically, we hold two Information Events each month. The following dates and times are available for the forthcoming months:

• 9 August 19:00–21:00
• 24 August 10:00–12:00
• 7 September 10:00–12:00
• 27 September 19:00–21:00
• 19 October 10:00–12:00
• 25 October 19:00–21:00
• 2 November 10:00–12:00
• 8 November 19:00–21:00
• 23 November 10:00–12:00

Please start your registration process using the following link: https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/volunteer/ and we will confirm your place at an Information Event as soon as possible.

Then What?

To be a Samaritans Listening Volunteer you don’t need special qualifications or knowledge – just a few hours a week, and the ability to listen without judgement to people experiencing suicidal feelings or feelings of distress and despair.

If you are interested in volunteering after you have attended an Information Day, you will be invited to attend a Selection Interview. This is when you will meet two of our trained and experienced Selection team volunteers, and is an opportunity for us to get to know you, and for you and us to find out if the role is right for you. We can also work out whether you are interested in becoming a Listening Volunteer or a Support volunteer.

Samaritans Core Development and ongoing support

Our recruitment and training is all done by volunteers. It can take a few months from when you make your first enquiry, but we value everyone who is interested in volunteering with us.

Listening Volunteers have to be thoroughly trained and prepared for their role. The initial training course at North London Samaritans uses the national Samaritans Core Development (SCD) content and spans 8 or 9 weeks. Trainees must attend all the weekly face-to-face sessions, which take place at the Branch's community hall, Shaftesbury Hall, N11 2QN on Thursday evenings. In addition, there are a series of short digital sessions to be completed online by trainees outside of the face-to-face sessions, and all trainees will have a personal mentor who will be in contact with them to provide support every week. The amount of time a trainee might expect to devote to training is approximately 4 hours per week.

When a trainee has successfully completed the course, they are invited to a Skills Day, which is usually a Saturday. Throughout the day they will have a chance to practice their skills, and the branch trainers will be able to check they are sufficiently prepared for the role.

Once you have entered the branch, you will work with a mentor and attend additional ongoing training workshops at intervals.

In terms of support, volunteers are never left to cope with a difficult call on their own. When they are on the phones, and afterwards too, there will always be an experienced volunteer on hand to offer support.