The Samaritans is a non-profit, non-religious organisation giving confidential emotional support to people who are suicidal or are in general distress. The service is provided to anyone regardless of age, creed, ethnicity, gender or sexual orientation.
Our 24-hour multilingual hotline service is operated by unpaid, trained volunteers. Since 1974, we have received more than 563,200 phone calls from callers ranging in age from 8 to 80.
Who Calls Us and What We Do
People call us or write to us because they may have reached a point in their lives where they can no longer cope alone. They may:
- Feel depressed and feel there’s no one they could turn to
- Have lost someone close to them and have intense feelings of grief and sorrow
- Feel isolated or lonely
- Have suicidal thoughts and wonder what the point of living is
- Be worried about someone close to them
- Talking through their feelings with a Samaritan volunteer can often be a turning point in their lives.
This can help alleviate the feeling of despair and provide immense relief, with someone listening, giving them time and attention, and acknowledging and respecting their feelings.