Contact us
116 123 free from any phone
4 Emmanuel Road
Cambridge CB1 1JW
Where we work
Cambridge
How we can help
Accessibility information
- Accessible toilets
- Wheelchair accessible
- We are fully accessible including a platform stairlift to our first floor.
Welcome to Cambridge Samaritans. Our 150+ volunteers are here 24 hours a day to answer your call on 116 123. You may also see us out and about at events or collecting funds - come and say hello!
Cambridge Samaritans Street View
Our 2023 in numbers
- 27,962 calls answered
- 8,780 hours on the phone
- £55,000 per year to stay open.
Only possible thanks to our generous donors.
We’re run entirely by our unpaid, local volunteers.
What we do
We’re here to support and listen to callers, day or night, without judgement and in confidence. We stand with you in your darkest hours, whatever you're facing.
Who we are
We’re people from all walks of life, from across the Cambridge region. There’s no such thing as a typical Samaritan, but what we have in common is that we’re committed to offering emotional support to anyone in distress.
Our busy branch has over 150 volunteers and our door’s always open to new applicants. We’re active in our local communities, in so many different ways. From outreach in schools and colleges, to our work with Littlehey Prison, to our membership of the Cambridge and Peterborough Suicide Prevention Network, providing a presence at events such as Cambridge Pride and working with Network Rail at our three regional stations…we never stop!
We’re an independent, local charity completely run and staffed by our volunteers. We’re lucky to have our own building in the heart of Cambridge where we do our listening shifts day and night, and where we train our people.
We can only do what we do thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors and support volunteers. They are key to helping us to be there for people in desperate situations. Take a look at our fundraising pages to see if you can help.
We’re proud to be part of the network of more than 200 branches and locations across the UK and Ireland, having been one of the first to be founded in 1962.
Why we do it
In 2023:
- There wasn't a single second when Samaritans weren't on the phone to someone.
- Every ten seconds a Samaritan answered a call for help.
- One in four calls, that involved emotional support, featured suicidal feelings.
- 70% of callers said their call had a positive impact on how they were feeling, a week after calling. *
*Markham, T., Forshaw, A. and Sutcliffe, R. (2020). Samaritans Caller Outcomes Study. Birmingham: MEL Research Ltd.
“Cambridge Samaritans were my lifeline when I was feeling desperate. They saved my life.”
JW, a caller.
"It’s been fantastic to link with Samaritans locally- it was great to have them at Cambridge Pride running a stall."
Lara Jaffey, CEO, The Kite Trust and co-founder of Pink Festival Group.
Join us
We really are a community at Cambridge Samaritans. We welcome anyone who wants to join us, and we’re committed to equality and diversity. We think you’ll find us a friendly, sociable, supportive bunch, and we offer great training on the journey to becoming a Samaritan.
Being a Samaritan is demanding and rewarding. What we do really matters. If that’s something you’d like to be part of, please get in touch. Find out more about volunteering for Samaritans.
More information
For more information about our work in Cambridge, please email [email protected]
Our privacy statement
Samaritans is committed to protecting privacy and the personal information that we hold. Read our privacy statement here.