Samaritans
For the ethnic group of this name, see Samaritan
\n
Samaritans (formerly
The Samaritans) is a British-based registered
charity aimed at providing emotional support to anyone in emotional distress or at risk of
suicide. The organization's name comes from the
Biblical parable of the
Good Samaritan. Though, the organization is not a religious one.
History
\nSamaritans was founded in 1953 by Chad Varah, whose pastoral work as a vicar had led him to understand that there was a need for this service. At the time there were an average of three suicides a day in London. The movement grew rapidly: within ten years there were 40 branches and there are now over 200 branches across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Samaritans offers support through 18,300 trained volunteers and is entirely dependent on voluntary support.
The name was not originally chosen by Chad Varah: it was part of a headline to an article in the Daily Mirror newspaper about Varah's work. Some in the organisation find the name unhelpful, as it suggests a Christian basis to the work, whereas in fact Samaritans stresses that it is completely non-religious. However, given the high profile and public awareness of Samaritans in the UK, it is extremely unlikely that the name will change.
Samaritans' work
\nThe core of Samaritans work is a telephone helpline, operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. In addition, the organisation offers a drop-in service, undertakes outreach at festivals and other outdoor events, trains prisoners as "Listeners" to provide support within prisons, and undertakes research into suicide and emotional distress.
Since 1994, Samaritans has also offered confidential email support. Initially operating from one branch, the service is now provided by the majority of branches and co-ordinated from the organisation's general office. It receives tens of thousands of messages each year, and aims to answer each one within 24 hours.
Samaritans stresses that the service it provides is not counselling, and it will not give advice. Rather, it provides a listening ear and an opportunity to talk through problems. The organisation's vision is for a society where fewer people die by suicide because people are able to share feelings of emotional distress openly without fear of being judged. Samaritans believes that offering people the opportunity to be listened to in confidence, and accepted without prejudice, can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings. It is the aim of Samaritans to make emotional health a mainstream issue.
International reach
\nThrough its email service, Samaritans work has extended well beyond the UK and Ireland, as messages are received from all around the world.
Samaritans was previously part of Befrienders International, an organization set up to coordinate similar activities internationally. However, this organization collapsed in 2002, and Samaritans is now leading efforts to find an appropriate replacement.
External links
\n* Samaritans home page\n* History of the Samaritans\n* Samaritans email support
Category:Charities
