Samaritans in South Devon are encouraging people to ‘give the gift of listening’ this Christmas.
New figures have revealed one in three calls to Samaritans on Christmas Day are from people who feel lonely and isolated.
The festive period can be a challenging time and Samaritans volunteers are helping to keep the service running for those in need throughout the Christmas break, including Christmas Day.
Samaritans responded to more than 400,000 calls for help during December 2017, by phone, email and text throughout the UK and Ireland. Despite all the festivities, more than 11,000 of those calls for help and emotional support were on Christmas Day.
A spokesperson for the charity said: ‘Samaritans is asking everyone to ‘give the gift of listening’ this Christmas, by encouraging friends and family going through a difficult time to open up and know that it’s okay to not be okay, even at Christmas.’
Samaritans has produced a set of vouchers to download from its website, offering time to listen as a present, with options on a drop down menu including ‘a phone call with me anytime’, walks, and coffee and chat.
The spokesperson added: ‘A pair of novelty socks won’t save a life but listening can make a huge difference.’
Samaritans volunteer Mary Deery always volunteers at Christmas.
She said: ‘Until you’ve sat in a Samaritans phone room and taken those calls over Christmas, you have no idea how tough it can be for a lot of people.
‘Some people assume Samaritans are just about suicide prevention, but there’s so much more to what we do, so many issues we deal with on a daily basis.
‘Christmas feels like a condensed version of that, people’s problems seem to be turned up a notch at this time of year, it can be tough but it also makes it extremely rewarding. For me, not to be answering the phones over Christmas just isn’t Christmas at all. The best present we can give someone is our time to listen.’
Robert Langdon, director for Samaritans of South Devon, will also be answering the phones this Christmas.
He said: ‘If you’re feeling like it’s all too much, let someone know, don’t hide your feelings. You can always call Samaritans.
‘Whether you’re on your own, or alone in a crowd, feeling lonely and isolated can be exacerbated at this time of year.
‘If you’re having a good time at Christmas make time to listen to others if it’s not so great for them. Just having someone to listen can be a huge relief, and make things easier to bear.’
Samaritans’ ‘give the gift of listening’ vouchers can be downloaded for free at www.samaritans.org/christmas2018
Donations to the charity can also be made via the website.