Not all our work happens in the branch. Our outreach initiatives are an extension to the service and help us build bridges to the local community, raising awareness of Farnborough & District Samaritans as well as reaching out to people who may benefit from talking to us.
Schools
We have a strong relationship with many schools in the Farnborough & District area, including colleges and universities. For secondary schools, our volunteers present assemblies based around themes of emotional health, and deliver follow-up sessions on listening skills for smaller groups. In higher and further education, we attend freshers’ fairs and events to share the work of Samaritans with students.
Military
Our volunteers attend health fairs and events with the British Army. We recognise that members of the Armed Forces may face a number of challenges, so our work in Aldershot aims to raise awareness of Samaritans within the local military community. As well as supporting serving members and veterans, we extend our service to their families, providing emotional support to all who need it.
Homeless Shelters
For those who are homeless, we run drop-in sessions in Aldershot to offer emotional support. Our volunteers visit both the shelter in Grosvenor Road and the hostel in Clayton Court, offering a non-judgmental ear to those who would like to talk.
Local Companies
We run a Wellbeing in the Workplace programme for local businesses who would like to promote emotional health for their staff. Visiting local companies and business parks, our volunteers explore themes of emotional wellbeing and how to support colleagues who may be finding things difficult.
Other
The above list is by no means exhaustive. Our outreach team also visit local organisations and community groups on an ad-hoc basis, such as sharing our work with staff at local councils. If there is a group that will benefit from a visit by our volunteers, we are happy to explore this.
Contact
If you are interested in how Farnborough Samaritans can support your organisation or community group, email [email protected]