Volunteers at Central London Samaritans provide confidential, non-judgemental, emotional support for anyone who is struggling to cope. We're here to listen round the clock every single day of the years. Since 1953 we have never closed our phone lines. We want to ensure that no call for help goes unanswered.
Sadly there was an increase in the number of suicides recorded in England & Wales in 2019 compared to the year before (data from the ONS). Men aged 45-49 remain at the highest risk of suicide in 2019, a worrying trend that has persisted for decades. We are also seeing a continued increase in suicides among young people, especially females under 25, increasing since 2012 to its highest level in 2019. One in fifteen adults in England say they have attempted suicide at some point in their life.
For almost everyone who contacts us, it's the human interaction that's important. Getting a response from a real person, being heard, not judged and offered a safe place to explore whatever is troubling our callers makes the difference. Almost three out of four people tell us that they feel more understood, and less alone or anxious, after contacting Samaritans. We know that our service can help people before it's too late.
The role our volunteers play is crucial in suicide prevention. Not only it can save someone's life but also supporting someone who is in suicidal crisis prevents the tragic knock on suffering of the friends and family of the individual in question. "Its not that one phone call magically fixed everything - the problems were still there - but it was a turning point. And since then, I've been able to build the sort of life that would have seemed impossible to me." - Samaritans Caller
This project has provided additional documentation in a PDF file (projdoc.pdf).
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