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BBC News
7 hours ago
- BBC News
Exodus of Samaritans volunteers after Kent branch closure
Over 85% of volunteers at a Kent branch of Samaritans that closed in April have now quit the charity. Former volunteers at the Folkestone branch told the BBC they turned down the option to move to another base further away or work remotely for logistical reasons, but also felt that they had been treated poorly by the charity. Samaritans refuted this claim "in the strongest possible terms". A spokesperson said the branch closed as it was "not being run in-line with the high standards of Samaritans". Founded in 1953, Samaritans focuses on preventing suicides by connecting trained volunteers with people who are July, Samaritans announced that it would close over 100 branches across the UK and Ireland - but said the Folkestone office's closure "had nothing to do with the recent proposals to secure the future of our charity".Asked about the large number of volunteers who had quit the charity following the closure of the Folkestone branch, a Samaritans spokesperson said: "The circumstances of one individual branch are not a predictor of outcomes elsewhere."The services at the Folkestone branch were paused in January before it was permanently closed in April. The charity said the closure was "related to issues regarding leadership, quality, and compliance matters". Former volunteer Nicola Joyce said news of the closure was a shock. "We were left just not really knowing what was going on," she said. "It felt very baffling."The Edwardian house that the branch was based in went on the market on Tuesday for £277,500. Ms Joyce said the building offered a real sense of community that felt very "homely". The 83 volunteers based at the Samaritans centre in Folkestone were offered the opportunity to relocate to offices in Canterbury or Ashford, but only nine transferred while two chose to work Watson, 81, said he turned down the offer to work from home because he did not have the appropriate IT skills. A former headteacher, he had been a volunteer at Samaritans for 21 years and said leaving the charity had left "a big gap" in his life and "that feeling that you're no longer helping people".He said the closure was done in a very "cruel way". Ms Joyce turned down the opportunity to work at another branch because she couldn't leave her dog at home for long hours, but also said that after the closure she no longer wanted to volunteer for the organisation."One of the things that upsets me most is how disposable we all felt," she said."At no point did the central charity formally acknowledge us or thank us."Some of us had volunteered for years, for decades. One member of our branch for over 50 years."We cared so deeply and gave so much. It felt brutal."A spokesperson from Samaritans said individual volunteers were contacted personally by phone call and letter in January and again in April "to fully explain the situation". They were also offered "emotional support" and a coffee morning. "Samaritans absolutely appreciates and values the efforts of all our 20,000 plus volunteers," the spokesperson added."While we understand how disappointed Folkestone volunteers will have been in the eventual outcome, we would never treat any volunteers in the manner being suggested." Nicola Ellingham, who volunteered at the Folkestone branch as IT support, said volunteering was "not just about answering the call, it's about being part of that local community".She said working in a bigger, centralised branch would not offer that and could feel anonymous. Remote working would not work, she said, because some calls could be "extraordinarily harrowing" and it was important to be in the same room as someone else "just to be together and to talk through what's happened". Samaritans chief executive Julie Bentley previously told the BBC: "Samaritans provides a life-saving service, day and night, 365 days a year but the changing needs of our callers and volunteers mean thinking differently about the way our services need to work."We are engaging with our volunteers on proposed improvements that will mean we are able to answer more calls, have more volunteers on duty and be there for more people in their darkest moments."Samaritans volunteers are hugely dedicated to being there for our callers and they remain at the heart of our service, but it has become increasingly clear that having over 200 branches, varying in size from 10 to 300 volunteers, is not sustainable and hinders us providing the best possible service to people who need us."
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Colchester woman adding posters to bridges amidst calls for more safety measures
A COLCHESTER woman is continuing her crusade for more safety measures on bridges over the A12 by adding posters to the city's blue bridge. Edafe Capener, 52, a holistic therapist, who lives in Mile End, has added six Samaritans helpline posters to the bridge near junction 28 and the Chitts Hill footbridge. It comes as Mrs Capener, residents and city leaders called for better safety measures after police were called following concerns for a woman on a bridge over the A12 last Thursday. It led to widespread disruption on the A12. Samaritan posters - Ms Capener added a crystal for people to keep and hold incase it helps (Image: Newsquest) Mrs Capener and her husband added the posters on both bridges across the weekend, using zip ties to attach them to the bridge's fencing. She said: 'We've done this so if someone is in desperate need, that call could make a whole lot of difference. 'The Samaritans have trained volunteers who can take calls at all hours of the day. 'At least if people come to the bridge, they can read the posters, and it is a deterrence. Area - the blue bridge (Image: Newsquest) 'People say 'oh, they could go somewhere else', but that's one less bridge they may go to. 'If we can safeguard the bridges, people will read the messages. 'I want to put six posters on each bridge in Colchester, maybe it will help them reassess their situation.' Councillor Sara Naylor, who represents the Lexden and Braiswick ward has already called for a summit to bring together emergency services, the county and district councils and MPs. Speaking up - Edafe Capener (Image: Newsquest) Road - the A12 below the blue bridge (Image: Newsquest) Ms Naylor wants people to receive the care they need before reaching crisis point. Mrs Capener wants fencing at the blue bridge to be made higher to make it safer. National Highways already works closely with the Samaritans, police, and authorities and routinely reviews incidents to see what more might be done to help people in crisis. A spokesman previously told the Gazette 'there isn't a single solution that works for every situation' and there can be 'complicated technical challenges involved in altering bridge structures' However, National Highways does 'carefully review the options' and takes 'practical steps to address them'.
The Guardian
4 days ago
- The Guardian
‘Soul-destroying': Samaritans volunteers blindsided by proposed closures
At the Walsall branch of Samaritans, it has been a tough few years of campaigning for the funds needed to replace the now leaky portable cabin they have operated out of for the past 60 years. After raising almost £300,000, they are on the home stretch towards reaching their final goal, and being able to replace the building they use to help local people in the depths of crisis. Then came the shock announcement from Samaritans central office: that it proposes to close at least half of its 200 branches across the UK and Ireland in the next 10 years. One member of the Walsall team said: 'We just don't know what to do now. Do we carry on? It's soul-destroying.' Dozens of branches across the country have raised alarm at the charity's 'in principle' decisions, which are still under consultation until the board of trustees meet in September, fearing it could lead to a loss of volunteers and morale. These include moving volunteers into larger regional hubs, which some fear will create a 'call-centre-style' model, and piloting remote call handling. Volunteers at the Walsall branch said they had been blindsided by the news. 'We had an event last week and someone else had raised £1,000 for us, and we didn't know what to do. Do we take the money? Because we know now that our branch could be closed,' one volunteer, who asked to remain anonymous, said. 'Every step of the way, central office have known exactly what we're doing. And we've got this money and we're very concerned about whether it has been ringfenced for the building. Because that is what it was raised for.' She said the portable cabin they had used for decades had slowly fallen into disrepair and was in dire need of replacement. 'At one point we were frightened to use the toilet because the floor was going to give way,' she said. They originally set out to raise £250,000 in 2023 but were advised by Samaritans central office earlier this year to revise their target up to £320,000 due to rising building costs. They received many donations from other branches, the volunteer said, as well as from members of the public. Samaritans central office said it was in discussion with the Walsall branch on its possible options. A number of Samaritans listening volunteers said they were worried the charity was spending too much of its funding on staff salaries, at the expense of the branches run by unpaid volunteers. The average number of paid employees at the charity has increased from 277 in 2022 to 305 in 2024, and more than £15m of the charity's total income of £24.6m went on wages last year. Of the 201 Samaritans branches, 144 are affiliated organisations that are separate legal entities with their own financial accounts, who organise their own fundraising and give a portion of the money they raise to the central office. Volunteers said they were told that last year these affiliate branches received a total income of £11.1m and spent £9.3m. The charity's central office said that money was not the primary reason for proposing to close branches, and that ultimately it wanted to reduce fragmentation across its service, although volunteers had reported having to spend more time and effort maintaining the buildings they operated in. Sign up to First Edition Our morning email breaks down the key stories of the day, telling you what's happening and why it matters after newsletter promotion In a video sent to the charity's 20,000 volunteers, the Samaritans CEO, Julie Bentley, said: 'Much of the money that is currently raised from the public in the name of Samaritans is necessarily going into maintaining these bricks and mortar, rather than being used to improve our services.' Volunteers have been told the charity could not provide an 'overall figure' for how much money is spent on buildings. Many said they were also worried about a potential exodus of volunteers who may not want to continue their shifts if forced to travel to a branch further away, or work from home. This year, the Folkestone, Dover and Hythe branch was closed after a safeguarding issue, with only six of the 55 listening volunteers based there choosing to move to another branch. 'People love being a listener, I cannot emphasise enough how important it is to people, so integral to who they are. And they are really devastated, but they can't continue,' said Nicola Ellingham, a former IT support volunteer at the branch. 'They can't get to the other branches. They're just too far away. And they feel they've been let down.' The former Labour strategist turned political commentator Alastair Campbell, who has spoken openly about his mental health, said he was worried by the plans as Samaritans was 'very much a branch organisation'. 'The branches give resources to the centre,' he said on The Rest is Politics podcast. 'The thing that is really unique about the Samaritans, sometimes they're called the fourth emergency service. There is something very special about them.' His co-host, the former Conservative minister Rory Stewart, said: 'This sounds like they're going down the wrong path. I'm sure providing advice to people works best when you have a local branch network that understands local conditions. I'm sure they're underestimating what they'll lose in fundraising from these voluntary branches. Most charities that have gone down this path … have regretted it and ended up killing a lot of the spirit and soul of the organisation in the process.' Samaritans has been approached for comment.
