Listening volunteers are there for anyone who needs someone. Every year, they spend over 900,000 hours responding to calls for help and they can change the course of someone’s life.
This page is for students, staff and alumni of Anglia Ruskin University who are interested in joining our volunteer team at either the Cambridge or Chelmsford campus.
Why volunteer with us?
Make a Difference:
You'll help people when they need it most, making a real impact on their lives.
Personal Growth:
You'll learn important skills like listening and empathy, which can help you in all areas of life.
Better Communication and Understanding Others:
You'll get better at understanding others and expressing yourself, which is valuable in any situation. Volunteering will help you connect with people on a deeper level.
Community and Connection:
You'll become part of a caring community, making friends and working together to help others.
Fulfillment:
Helping others feels good. You'll find meaning and satisfaction in making a positive difference.
What you will do
As a listening volunteer, you will:
Listen and Support:
You'll be there to listen and offer support to people who are going through a tough time.
Answer Calls and Chat Online:
You'll choose between taking phone calls and chatting with people online who need someone to talk to.
Evening Shifts:
Volunteers typically dedicate themselves to one evening shift per week, lasting around 3 hours, where you'll be available to provide support during times when it's needed most.
Be Non-Judgmental:
You'll be accepting and understanding, without judging anyone who reaches out for help.
Work with a Team:
You'll work together with a team of volunteers who share your commitment to helping others.
How we'll support you
We care about the development and wellbeing of our volunteers:
Dedicated Training:
Our volunteer training programme lasts 9-12 months and includes structured online group sessions through to taking your first calls and online chats with a mentor. Training places are in high demand and there is limited availability.
Development Opportunities:
You will receive ongoing training as an experienced Samaritan, and you can take on additional responsibilities like becoming a mentor or leader.
Volunteer Care:
We have support systems in place to support you on shift, such as shift partners, debriefs, remote leaders and other dedicated volunteers who look after your wellbeing.
Can anyone be a Listening Volunteer?
Samaritans welcomes applications from a wide range of applicants. Anyone has it in them to be a Samaritan. You won’t need to have previous experience or qualifications, but you will need to be non-judgmental and accepting of others.
It doesn’t necessarily matter if you’ve gone through difficult times yourself, what matters is that you want to help people – all kinds of people, from all walks of life.
You need to be 18 or over, and because we'll invest in you (our training is high quality), you need to see this not just as a short-term role but something you're likely to do more long-term.
To safeguard our volunteers and callers, the listening role requires a criminal record check. If you have a criminal record, it won't necessarily stop you from becoming a volunteer. We’ll consider each case individually. For more information you can read our Criminal Records Vetting Policy.
And we have zero tolerance for anyone who tries to take advantage of the vulnerable people who contact us.
How to get involved
If you're interested in becoming a listening volunteer with the Anglia Ruskin University Samaritans Hubs, we invite you to apply today. Simply fill out our online application form below, and a member of our team will be in touch with you shortly.
If you have any further questions, please contact trainingschool@samaritans.org