Stronger Support For Samaritans Needed

Commenting on his support for the Samaritans 24:7 campaign to raise awareness of Samaritans service and their need for volunteers and funds, Liberal Democrat for Chesterfield Paul Holmes MP said:

"I have visited the Samaritans in Chesterfield and seen them at work. They operate at the forefront of people's emotions enabling those in distress and despair, from stress and depression to serious suicidal thought, to find a way forward. The 24:7 day allows me to throw my support behind this campaign.

Samaritans requires volunteers with a range of skills from being able to listen to being willing to sort mail, raise funds and crucially to work to ensure that this key community resource is plugged into its residents at every level.

The Samaritans relies entirely on fund-raising and donations from the public and companies as the charity receives virtually no Government funding. They urgently need £15 million a year to keep its service running.

I'll be contacting my constituents and suggesting that if they are looking for a unique and useful volunteering experience that they contact Samaritans to find this."