Listening Volunteers needed by Samaritans

Every 10 seconds someone contacts Samaritans. As a listening volunteer you get the chance to make a real difference to someone’s future by phone or email. You’ll receive full training to prepare you for the kinds of conversations you’ll have. Then, when you start out, you’ll have a mentor with you to give you confidence that you’re doing the right thing. You’ll gain a range of new skills, including the ability to understand people and manage difficult conversations. Many employers value these kinds of skills. Samaritans is proud to offer its services 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Listening volunteers typically do one shift of 3 hours each week, including a shift during the night once a month. Shifts are available at various times during the day and volunteers often say that the conversations they have during the night are the ones they feel have made the biggest difference.

Skills

We're looking for people who are: Open minded: willing to understand someone else’s point of view, even if it’s different from yours. Supportive: maintaining a friendly and supportive atmosphere. Empathetic: comfortable with your own feelings and able to share another person’s feelings. Discreet: careful with any information you're told, never sharing it outside Samaritans. Accepting: not discriminating against anyone for any reason, including gender, race, sexuality, disability or political views. Honest: able to tell the truth even when it’s difficult – for example about the type of support Samaritans can offer people, even when they want more.