No call for help goes unanswered

Real People, Real Stories is Samaritans new awareness campaign supported by National Rail, aimed at men aged 20-59 years old, launching on 19 March for six weeks in England, Scotland and Wales. The campaign sees men who have overcome tough times sharing their stories to encourage men, who are most at risk of suicide, to seek help by contacting Samaritans 24/7 free on 116 123 or Samaritans.org.

We're hoping to reach millions of people with our Real People Real Stories campaign.

One focus is an exciting partnership with talkSPORT radio, sporting celebrities, including Leon McKenzie, who are supporting the campaign by sharing their stories about their tough times, and letting others know how they came through it. We hope that this campaign will help more people stop, listen and know that Samaritans are there for anyone who’s finding life tough right now. Read Leon's story; https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/campaign/real-people-real-stories/leon/

Our campaign will be online and on social media – we hope everyone will get behind it and share our case study videos with the hashtag #RealPeopleRealStories

Wherever you are, look out for real story ‘headlines’ advertising on billboards and bus stops across England, Scotland and Wales. Also awareness-raising events at railway stations and in the community, with Samaritans volunteers out in force in England, Wales and Scotland helping to spread the word – and at the same time on hand to talk to anyone who may be feeling overwhelmed.

The campaign has been funded by the rail industry, and Samaritans has been given free of charge advertising space by Network Rail and Train Operating Companies. These poster sites allow us to reach a high number of people with our messages and raise awareness of our essential service to those who might need us. The rail industry has funded this campaign as part of our wider suicide prevention partnership.

Please do help us make the campaign a success. Please watch the real stories fromfrom real men [http://www.samaritans.org/realpeoplerealstories] who have been through tough times.

You can also support by following the campaign @samaritanscharity on Instagram or sharing the video @samaritans or Facebook at www.facebook.com/samaritanscharity, using the hashtag #RealPeopleRealStories.

Please look out for the campaign and share it with your friends, family, neighbours and colleagues to help us reach as many people as possible with this important message.

Suicide is a very complex issue and often there isn’t one main reason why someone has suicidal thoughts or decides to take their own life. If you’re worried about someone, head over to our website for some advice on signs to look out for:

Many people struggle to cope at one point or another of their lives. Experiencing a range of emotions during these times is common.

• You might not always be able to spot these signs, and these emotions show up differently in everyone
• Feeling restless and agitated
• Feeling tearful
• Not wanting to talk to or be with people
• Not wanting to do things you usually enjoy
• Using alcohol or drugs to cope with feelings
• Finding it hard to cope with everyday things
• Not replying to messages or being distant.

Some people do not exhibit any signs of being suicidal but go on to attempt to take their own lives which underlines the complexity of this issues. Whatever you’re going through, you can call us free 24/7 on 116123 or email us at jo@samaritans.org

https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/campaign/real-people-real-stories/seeking-help-can-save-your-life/