When we realised that we couldn't host our 49th AGM in person, we took our meeting online with great success.
Eventually, we will have a proper “in real life” celebration with all our volunteers and supporters”
Lynn, former Director of Durham Samaritans
Our virtual gathering was an ideal opportunity to reflect on an exceptional year and for the branch team to celebrate everything they had achieved since November 2019.
The Regional Director revealed at the AGM that in 2020 our branch had answered 2,500 emails, taken 11,682 calls and spent 3,114 hours on the telephone.
Our director said: "Since our last AGM back in October 2019, we have all faced many challenges, on many levels. I am so proud of everything our team has done during the COVID-19 pandemic and it’s an absolute testament to our wonderful and resourceful volunteers – who have taken on deep-cleaning and additional shifts as well as hosting morale-boosting Zoom quizzes so we could connect online – that we were able to keep our branch running throughout 2020."
Amidst the 2020 challenges, two particular highlights shone through for our branch.
From a fundraising perspective, last summer 12 volunteers got together with friends and family to take part in Samarathon, raising an incredible £5,654 for the branch. Durham Samaritans also trained two new groups of volunteers and continued a programme of improvements to the branch premises.
To mark our 50th anniversary year, we will be running virtual events throughout the year. Since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, we have learnt a lot about how to adapt to and thrive during an incredibly challenging time, and we will channel that experience into our activities during 2021.