Chesterfield Samaritans have been saying “Talk to Us” for over 50 years! -

July is Samaritans #TalkToUs Month with the 24th July (24/7) as Samaritans Awareness Day, because they are there to listen 24/7. The charity’s annual campaign, highlights the power of talking.  Chesterfield Samaritans have been working to provide emotional support to our Chesterfield community since 1971.

Jane, Director of Chesterfield Samaritans told us –

“There’s no typical person who calls Samaritans’ helpline. There’s no typical problem that people talk to us about. People talk to us about job stresses, being out of work, money troubles, family struggles, relationship issues, trying to measure up, feeling alone, feeling worthless, feeling sad or angry all the time, getting into trouble, being abused, feeling suicidal, needing to drink to get through the day…Sometimes people get to a point where they feel they can’t cope, where it all feels too much to handle. It’s worse if you feel you can’t talk to anyone about what’s weighing on your mind.

That’s where we come in. You can talk to us about anything that’s troubling you. If something is hurting or upsetting you, talk to us about it. We don’t judge. We won’t judge you. We take you as you are, and respect whatever feelings or thoughts you may be having.

We’ll support you to come to your own decisions about what’s best for you. You’re likely to know yourself better than anyone and be the best judge of what’s right for you. We’ll support you to take what steps you can to cope with what life’s thrown at you.

We can explore suicidal feelings with you. By encouraging people to talk through suicidal feelings, we hope that fewer people will choose to die by suicide. We know many people who call us are not suicidal and, by asking about suicidal feelings, we’re not making assumptions about how you feel. But we’re giving you the opportunity to talk about feeling suicidal if you need to.

We’re available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.We’re available all hours, by phone, email e online chat), every day of the year so we’re here when you need us. You don’t have to wait for an appointment or for office hours.

There are many different ways to contact us. You can choose the ways that suit you best. You can give us a call, send us an email, use on-line chat, write us a letter or visit us face-to-face in a local branch during the hours that the branch is open for you to visit in person.

We are a charity. We aren’t run on government funding. We depend on public and business donations. We give you something unique. The fact that we’re volunteers not paid professionals is really important. We come from all kinds of backgrounds; we’re men and women of all ages. We’re trained to listen to you and help you to talk through your worries, troubles and concerns. We have the experience of talking to all kinds of people, each of them different.”

www.samaritans.org/branches/chesterfield/