Hundreds more Samaritans volunteers will be on shift in the coming years thanks to a donation of £150,000 from Three UK as part of its ongoing partnership with the charity.
The funding sees Three UK become a proud supporter of the Samaritans Training School, a project designed to make the charity’s volunteer training more flexible and accessible. Three’s funding will help Samaritans recruit and train 300 more listening volunteers who will go on to deliver around 13,000 hours of volunteering – answering around 50,000 calls from people who need emotional support.
The news comes as Samaritans marks 70 years of helping anyone that is struggling to cope, 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Over the last 70 years, its volunteers have answered more than 134 million calls for help. The generous donation from Three UK will help Samaritans continue to be there for people who need their support, now and into the future.
With a shared belief in the life-changing power of human connection, Three UK has been supporting the charity since April 2021, helping to expand its emotional support services along with training, resources, and fundraising initiatives. This latest donation brings the total raised by Three, it’s employees and customers, to an excess of £590,000.
To help mark this partnership milestone, Three and Samaritans have collaborated on a new film which highlights the importance of Samaritans vital service.
Jason said: “I guess it was probably the lowest point in my life. I’d gone through redundancy, divorce, and bereavement. It got to a place where I was feeling a lot of pain and overwhelming, and no hope or purpose. That’s when I knew that I was really in a bad place and that I needed to reach out for support. I found the strength internally to talk about my problems, to share my problems. I think that one phone call to Samaritans set me on a new path.”
Elaine Carey, Chief Commercial Officer at Three said: “Three is very proud of the partnership we have with Samaritans. At the heart of both organisations is the importance of communication and using the power of human connection to make people’s lives better. Samaritans Training School represents that synergy as we support Samaritans with the evolution of their service to help more people access emotional support, 24/7, 365 days a year.”
Sonya Trivedy, Executive Director of External Engagement at Samaritans said: “We’re really proud of our partnership with Three UK. Together, Samaritans and Three believe in the power of human connection and listening and we’re delighted that they are supporting Samaritans Training School.
“With Three’s help, Samaritans can adapt quickly to an ever-changing landscape and ensure we‘ll have enough volunteers to meet the high demand for our support both now and in the years to come.”