In the centre of Hastings there is a house where around 80 local people – many from in and around Rye – quietly volunteer their time every week to listen to people on the phone from around the UK who may be lonely, overwhelmed, struggling to cope or in crisis. Some may even be thinking about ending their life.
It can be challenging at times, but it is also some of the most rewarding volunteering you can do.
We are Hastings and Rother Samaritans and we are looking for more Listening Volunteers to join us.
As an affiliate branch of Samaritans, we operate under the national charity’s umbrella but are independently run and raise every penny of our running costs ourselves. Everything at our branch is done by volunteers – from training and mentoring new volunteers to buying the tea and biscuits that fuel our shifts.
So what does “listening” actually mean?
In our busy lives, how often do we truly listen to one another? Many of us are guilty of waiting for someone to finish speaking so we can offer our opinion, give advice or tell them what we think they should do next.
At Samaritans, we do something different.
We listen without judgement. We don’t tell callers what to do or try to solve their problems. Instead, we provide emotional support by providing a space where they can talk openly and freely about whatever is on their mind, however difficult or painful that may be.
It sounds simple, but it can be incredibly powerful.
Every hour of every day, people in the UK call the Samaritans freephone number 116 123 because they need to be heard. Some have nobody else to talk to. Others don’t want to worry their family or friends or feel ashamed of what they are going through.
We believe that active listening can be life-changing and, sometimes, life-saving.
Our volunteers receive excellent training in listening skills and Samaritans policies, and are supported by experienced mentors until they feel confident taking calls independently. We always work alongside at least one other volunteer and our branch is a warm and supportive community.
Our next part-time training course starts in early September, with sessions on Saturday mornings and some weekday evenings. It is mostly in-person training at a venue in Hastings and some zoom sessions.
If you think you could learn to listen and change the course of someone’s life, we’d love to hear from you. We are also always on the lookout for support volunteers to help us with a range of roles from administrative support to fundraising.
To find out more about being a Samaritans volunteer and how to apply go to: Become a Samaritans listening volunteer | Volunteer for Samaritans
Thank YOU for listening.
If you’d like to support Hastings and Rother Samaritans by making a donation here is the link: https://samaritanscommunity.enthuse.com/hastingsrothersamaritans/profile
The search for volunteers in Rye is a constant theme in many Rye News stories. If your charity or organisation would like to appeal for more help in Rye’s newspaper, please get in touch. Our email is info@ryenews.org.uk
Image Credits: Hastings and Rother Samaritans .