Providing a listening ear with Samaritans during COVID-19

Gavin started volunteering with Central London Samaritans in 2001.

‘I’d been living in London for a year or two and wanted to start giving something back and feeling part of the community’, he explains.

Gavin was struck by the core values of Samaritans — confidentiality, not judging callers, listening deeply, always allowing people to make their own decisions and providing human contact.

‘Samaritans’ vision is that fewer people die by suicide. I find this incredibly powerful in its simplicity’, he says.

As a listening volunteer, Gavin supports people who contact the Samaritans in distress and despair. This can be over the phone, by email or in-person, although face-to-face visits are currently suspended due to COVID-19.

‘Many of our callers are not feeling suicidal at the time they contact us but are struggling and need support. The trust that they place in us is humbling at times’, he reflects.

Most Samaritans volunteers do three shifts every four weeks, one of which is a late night.

‘The night shifts can be tough, but it’s when our callers need us the most as so few services are available 24/7’, Gavin says.

As a longstanding Samaritan, Gavin is now a volunteer team leader on some shifts, as well helping to train new volunteers. In the past, he has also held other branch roles including Deputy Director and trustee. To carry out some of his duties as a trustee, Gavin used his Service Time (the three days King’s staff are given to undertake voluntary work) to support the small staff team during the week, using more of his work-based experience.

The challenges of the pandemic have undoubtedly had an impact on many people’s mental health. It is estimated that one in four calls to the Samaritans are related to COVID-19.

‘It’s definitely been more intense, particularly at the start of lockdown. There was a lot of anxiety and worry. People rely on a lot of services and support that suddenly became very hard to access — not being able to see family or health professionals, for instance. It felt even more important that Samaritans was able to be there 24/7’.

‘Although there have been some misleading claims in the media, it is too early to say if there has been an impact on rates of suicide,’ Gavin says.

While Samaritans’ in-person services are closed, their free support has remained around the clock over the phone and online.

As volunteers are designated key workers, Gavin has been able to travel into central London for shifts, and the Samaritans’ phone room has been reconfigured to allow listening volunteers to take calls at a safe distance.

Gavin’s experiences as a Samaritan have shaped how he approaches his relationships with others.

‘We would all benefit and learn by listening more and talking less. You genuinely never know what someone is going through or is carrying with them, so being just a bit kinder can make a huge difference.’

Find out more about volunteering with the Samaritans on their volunteers webpage.

Suicide is preventable. You can call Samaritans for free, day or night, on 116 123 or email: jo@samaritans.org