Local charity's been listening for 60 years

Ayrshire Samaritans celebrate six decades of support

- ROSS DUNN

Ayrshire Samaritans have been listening and talking to people as they faces life’s biggest challenges for 60 years now.

The charity reached the milestone this month and while a lot has changed over the past six decades, a lot has remained the same - what makes us human; the emotions we feel and the need for human connection.

The Ayrshire Samaritans, based in Kilmarnock, is a band of 25 volunteers from across the region supporting people in emotional distress and suicidal crisis from all over the UK. People who just need someone to talk to, no matter the day or time.

One volunteer, Hilary, has been helping at the charity for a staggering 38 years.

Hilary spoke about the wide-ranging work supporting the local community that volunteers undertake, including involvement in the Prison Listener Scheme, as well as occasions where those that have been saved by a call to Samaritans have given thanks directly to a volunteer in passing.

“I think we've had a big impact. I’ve had experiences of people who I didn’t know, but who have opened up about how Samaritans have helped them.

“There was one night I was heading home from a shift at the branch, and the taxi driver told me we had saved his life.

“For some reason, he phoned us on a particularly difficult night. He doesn’t know why he phoned us, but he did.