Weston-super-Mare & North Somerset Samaritans, based by the Playhouse in Weston, issues plea for volunteers
Samaritans branch is issuing a plea for volunteers and is inviting potential recruits to a recruitment information session on November 30th.
Jo Green has been involved with Weston super Mare Samaritans, for six years – a year-and-a-half of which has been as director. The work she does, alongside more than 65 Samaritans colleagues, is voluntary.
The branch is always searching for more volunteers, not only to answer phones but to help out with technology and administration support.
The recruitment information session is on November 30th and starts at 10am until 11.30am.
“We’ve got volunteers who have been with us for more than 20 years,” said Jo. “But people leave as they get older or change jobs and move house, so we need to constantly replenish our team.
“What we do is we listen without judgement – no opinions or advice. In normal circumstances, if you talk to someone close to you, the tendency for those people would be to give opinions and advice. This means that we have to put a different hat on when we come in.”
All Walks of Life
Listeners help people in distress to talk through and explore other options than ending their own life, with the Samaritans’ vision that fewer people die by suicide.
Jo said volunteers were ordinary people ‘from all walks of life’ while they are grateful for anyone’s help, no matter how little or how much they could offer.
Samaritans receive extensive training which takes about a year, with support ‘all the way through’ the training process, according to Jo.
Night Owls
In particular, Weston super Mare Samaritans is looking for volunteers who could be on the phone lines at night. The busiest period of the night is around midnight.
Jo said: “We’re looking for volunteers that can fill any of the gaps, but it’s more important that we fill the night shift – the most important time is at night.
“We have people called Night Owls who just do night shifts. We’d bite the hands off anyone who wants to be a night owl.”
The Samaritans night shift runs from 10.30pm to 6am which is broken down into two shifts – 10.30pm to 2am and 2am to 6am.
Listening shifts are always in the company of another volunteers – Samaritans workers are never on duty alone.
Jo said: “We get more out of it than we put in. It’s incredibly rewarding to be with someone when they really need you. We need people who are prepared to listen, to have humility and respect for anyone whatever their circumstances may be.”
Book a Space
The next recruitment information session is on November 30th and is a chance for people to see whether being a Samaritans volunteer is for them.
The book a place, email [email protected] and include a phone number.