Samaritans’ Small Talk Saves Lives campaign launches to empower the public to trust their instincts and start a conversation which could be lifesaving.
Samaritans survey shows only half of the nation feel confident approaching someone they are concerned about in public. So, to boost public confidence, Samaritans’ Small Talk Saves Lives campaign, in partnership with Network Rail and British Transport Police relaunches to empower the public to trust their instincts and start a conversation which could be lifesaving.
Stockport & District Samaritans is reminding the public that we all have the potential to be lifesavers by simply striking up a conversation, as part of the charity’s latest Small Talk Saves Lives campaign.
The new campaign comes after new research from Samaritans revealed that only 50% of UK adults said they would feel confident approaching and speaking to someone they don’t know if they were concerned about them in public. The survey also suggested that we’re more comfortable behind a screen as a nation, as people would much prefer chatting to someone they don’t know on the phone (33%) or by email (18%), compared to face-to-face (9%).
Of those who said they wouldn’t feel confident approaching someone they don’t know, the top reasons holding them back were ‘worrying the person wouldn’t welcome their approach’ (44%) and ‘worrying they’d make things worse’ (29%), whilst a quarter said ‘not knowing what to say’ was also a concern.
Stockport & District and Manchester & Salford Branches alongside railway staff, will be at Manchester Piccadilly Station speaking to passengers about the campaign, on Tuesday 21st February. They will be highlighting the power of talking and providing myth-busting leaflets to help ease any concerns they may have in approaching someone in distress.
Lynn, Branch Director from Stockport Samaritans, knows the importance of talking and listening which could help save a life. She said: “It’s understandable that you might feel nervous about approaching someone you don’t know, but at Samaritans we know that suicide is preventable and suicidal thoughts are often temporary. So, just by having the confidence to trust your instincts, and use those small talk skills we all have, it could be all it takes to help interrupt those thoughts.”
“We hope that message is reassuring to people if they are worried, as there’s no evidence that you will make the situation worse and you don’t need training for this. It’s about being there for that person, listening and showing you care which can make all the difference. It has been a challenging time for everyone recently, so let’s look out for one another and save lives.”
For more information and tips, visit Samaritans.org/smalltalksaveslives or join the conversation on social media using #SmallTalkSavesLives