Samaritan Volunteers

Samaritans

Voluntary (unpaid)
Part Time
London

Samaritan volunteers don’t advise or judge. They listen. In the process, they help callers talk about their problems, express their feelings and work through their options. If you’re open-minded with a natural ability to empathise, find out more at one of our Open Days.

About the role
Giving your undivided attention to some of the thousands of people who contact the Central London Samaritans each year is incredibly rewarding. And right now, we particularly need volunteers to work two daytime shifts per fortnight, plus one night shift every four weeks. Roughly it works out at about 15 hours per month.

Our thorough training will enhance your natural ability to listen and help you support people – by phone, email and face-to-face – who are going through a crisis. When you’re on shift, there’ll always be experienced volunteers on hand to support you – you’ll never be left to cope with a distressing call on your own.

About you
You might be retired, work flexible hours or have school-age children. Whatever your circumstances, you’ll have some spare time during the day plus the ability to empathise with our callers and understand their situations. You don’t need experience or formal qualifications. Samaritan Volunteers are ordinary people from all walks of life, backgrounds and cultures – but they are all very good listeners. And many of them say that volunteering is the most rewarding thing they have ever done.

About Central London Samaritans
Based in the heart of Soho, we are the original and largest branch of the Samaritans. We offer confidential, non-judgemental emotional support – 24 hours a day, 365 days a year – to the desperate, lonely and suicidal. Rather than give advice, we help the caller express their feelings in their own way, something it can be hard to do with friends or family.

How to apply
If you’re interested in volunteering, Central London Samaritans are holding Open Days on the 26th March and 11th May 2010. Call the volunteer recruitment line on 020 7287 0545 to find out more or to book a place.

www.cls.org.uk

If you need to talk to a Samaritans volunteer in complete confidence, please call our helpline on 08457 90 90 90.