Samaritans facing volunteer exodus over proposed branch closures

Hundreds of Samaritans volunteers say they will leave the suicide prevention aid if they are supported to close more than 100 branches at a meeting this weekend.

Some opponents of the changes are afraid that a personnel migration can put the ability to arouse doubt the calls of the charity institution.

DISCUSSED PLANS, Introduced in JulyHe would see at least half of the Samaritans branches in England and Ireland.

Volunteers will work instead of larger offices, or the charity will answer the calls from the house while moving to embrace a remote working model.

In a statement, Samaritans suggestions would mean that we can “respond to more calls, interrupt waiting times, and make people volunteer with us”.

If it passed, the first branches would start to close in April in England and 2027 in Ireland, and there would be a gradual decrease for the next decade.

The critics of the plans say that the changes will destroy the work of Samaritans in local communities, and that the leadership of the aid organization has repeatedly ignoring the demands of the plans to ensure the logic of plans.

Some branches wanted to trust the President at a meeting next month.

More than 50 branches, more than a quarter of the total, immediately increased concerns when plans emerged, and the opposition is seen only growing.

The list of branches to be closed was not published, but James Watkins, Denbightshire is afraid of someone in Rhyl.

In the heart of the town, in one of the most largest neighborhoods in the UK, it is located with high levels of mental health problems.

58 -year -old Mr. Watkins says that the aid organization of the volunteers has been withdrawn to help their own community as well as a telephone line.

He said branch volunteers have recently increased the awareness of their assets at a local college and train station.

“We all have a local branch and will probably go if we close. Our branch has been going for more than 50 years and our connections with our community has grown and grew.” He said.

One of the 40 to 50 volunteers in Rhyl, but after talking to his colleagues, he said he wasn’t aware that if the branch closes, he would stay.

Last month, Mr. Watkins organized a survey about volunteers at Wales. He said that all Galli volunteers received a response from 210 people, one -third of the volunteers.

Three -thirds of the responding said that they would not move if their branches were closed. The same ratio said they would not be interested in volunteering from afar.

“With less people, [the Samaritans] He won’t be able to answer too many calls. This is the point we continue to do and seems to fall into the deaf ears. This may be the beginning of the end for Samaritans. “

He described the leadership proposals of the aid organization as “resistant to the future” and said that having more than 200 branches is not sustainable and prevented us from providing the best service “.

Samaritans sees himself as the fourth emergency service and estimates that he answered the call every 10 seconds.

Despite the debate, the charity insists that “365 days a year, day and night, to continue to be there for those who struggle to deal with England and Ireland.”

The proposals aim to increase the number of volunteers, including the charity institution, including remote work.

Mark This is a red herring, Mark said Mark Watkins, who has been volunteer on Wight Island for the last 17 years.

It draws attention to the fact that remote work is not properly piloted and plans to make more voluntary welding “airy fairy”.

Wight Island Branch does not believe that the branch will remain 65 volunteers.

“If you are alone at home at 03:00 and receive a call that we will describe as suicide at home, you have no shift friends to support you – Samiris have never happened in 70 years. The callers have no right to worry, Mark Mark Watkins said.

Samaritans says remote volunteering is currently a pilot, and if it is approved, it will only be an option in a branch, as well as an option.

Although the plans are open to consultation, the branch managers and volunteers in the south of England in northern Scotland said they had not listened to the BBC.

“There is a lot of despair and disappointment,” Colm Martin, who has been volunteer for five years at the Kingston branch of London, said, “There is a lot of despair and disappointment.” He said.

“There was no ironic listening for a charity.”

Mr. Martin said that the proposals became a vocal critic and that an application had to be closed and that a new internal E -mail system was proven to be very problematic.

“They did not provide any evidence for these changes [to branches]. There is a ready -made focus group [thousands of volunteers] – They could ask us what we thought. “

The anger of a letter signed by seven branch directories to the delegation of Samaritans to the Board of Trustees, that President Keith Leslie wants to be removed at a meeting in late October.

“We do not think that these concerns are fully heard, and we fear that the implementation of the existing principle decisions can seriously damage and reduce the organization.”

Approximately 150 branches are independent organizations responsible for all money collection transactions and receive very little financial support from the headquarters of the charity.

Some of them will benefit from any sale of facilities by adding another layer of unhappiness for many volunteers if these branches will be closed for free offices by local organizations, but if these branches will be closed.

“We listen to feedback from 23,000 volunteers during this process and will be carefully evaluated in making this final decision,” said the General Manager of the Charitable Organization. He said.

“Samaritans’ life -saving work is needed more than ever, but I am sure that everyone who comes together for our beneficiaries and seekers will be prepared more powerful and better than ever to meet the difficulties of the future.”

If you are experiencing distress or despair, help and support details in the UK BBC’s action line.