Christmas can be a tough time for some, so volunteers all over the country will be donating their time to be there for our callers on Christmas Day.
The Samaritans are there to lend a listening ear to those in emotional distress 24/7, and Christmas Day is no different.
Christmas Day is a very important time of year for Samaritans, and around 1,500 volunteers will be donating their time to ensure we are there to support our callers on what can be a very difficult day.
Among these volunteers is Hastings and Rother's own Roy Lovell, who has always volunteered on Christmas Day. Roy talks about the importance of Samaritans during this festive period, saying:
"Until you've sat in the Samaritans' phone room and taken those calls over Christmas, you have no idea how tough it can be for a lot of people.
"Some people assume Samaritans are just about suicide prevention, but there is so much more to what we do, so many issues we deal with on a daily basis. Christmas feels like a condensed version of that, people's problems seem to be turned up a notch at this time of year.
"For me, not to be answering the phones over Christmas just isn't Christmas at all. The best present we can give someone is our time to listen."
Hastings and Rother's branch director, Yvette Harris, will also be on duty over Christmas. She is encouraging those who may be having a difficult time this holiday to talk about their feelings:
"If you are feeling like its all too much, let someone know, don't hide your feelings. You can always call the Samaritans."
Yvette is also encouraging others to give the gift of listening this Christmas, saying:
"If you are having a good time at Christmas, make time to listen to others if it's not so great for them. Just having someone to listen can be a huge relief and make things easier."
You can give the gift of listening this Christmas by downloading a "listening voucher" from the Samaritans website here. Show your family and friends that they can open up and talk about their feelings, and that it's ok to not be ok, even at Christmas.
To read more about The Samaritans at Christmas, please read this article written by our volunteer Laura.