This campaign has now closed

In recent years we have seen a 20% increase in calls to our helplines from people in emotional distress and the need for our services has never been greater. The telephone system that we currently have is not technically advanced enough to cope with this increased demand or to encourperate our email and text support services. Sadly this means that even though we may have trained and willing volunteers waiting to listen, because of techonology callers can receive an engaged tone. Give that 1 in 5 of our callers are suicidal, we cannot accept this situation. We will create a pioneering new contact system (Samaritans Connect) bringing together all our services under 1 umbrella and ensuring that our listening volunteers have the best tools to carry out their vital work and that callers in need can get through to us 1st time, everytime.

100%
Categories

  • Education/Training/Employment Education/​Training/​Employment
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • Children (3-18) Children (3-18)
    • Older People Older People
    • Women & Girls Women & Girls
    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)
    • Other Other

    Situation

    Part of the Chad Varah Appeal (named in honour of our visionary founder) this project will drastically develop our service in the UK and ensure that callers can get through to us 1st time, everytime. In the UK Samaritans are the only 24 hour, confidential support service. We take a call every 6 seconds and last year we received 2.6 million contacts from people suffering from emtional distress or despair. Our aim is to reduce suicide and it is heartening to know that 3/4 of suicidal people felt contact with Samritans helped them take a decision not to end their life. However, last year 370,000 callers to the Samaritans received an engaged tone. Given that a high proportion of our callers are experiencing acute despair and feelings that may lead to suicide, we need to ensure that these people get to access our vital service. Our current system is no longer fit for purpose and as such we are committed to finding a technological solution to benefit our caller, volunteers and ultimately save lives.

    Solution

    100%
    Categories

  • Education/Training/Employment Education/​Training/​Employment
  • Health/Wellbeing Health/​Wellbeing
  • Other Other
  • Beneficiaries

    • Children (3-18) Children (3-18)
    • Older People Older People
    • Women & Girls Women & Girls
    • Young People (18-30) Young People (18-30)
    • Other Other