Blackpool Samaritans appeal to businesses to Pay for a Day

Companies and organisations can also help demonstrate their corporate social responsibility to the community at the same time by taking part in the Samaritans’ Pay for a Day campaign.

Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre Samaritans needs £147 a day to keep going.

The Samaritans receives more than 2,000 calls a month and the branch gets 70 telephone calls, five emails and six text contacts on top of the face to face contacts.

Director Angie Pascoe said: “Local businesses often ask us how they can help as they want to demonstrate their social value to the community.

"With this in mind, we have decided to ask companies within our area to support us, and therefore our callers.

“It costs £147 to run and maintain our branch and shop each day, this includes initial and on-going training for all our volunteers and paying for our Freecall service 116 123.

"We are a self-funding branch and cover the daily running costs with the proceeds from our charity shop and many small fund-raising events throughout the year. In challenging times, this becomes increasingly difficult each year.

“It costs £147 to run and maintain our branch and shop each day, this includes initial and on-going training for all our volunteers and paying for our Freecall service 116 123.

“We are volunteers and this amount enables us to have a Samaritan available for callers, however they choose to contact us.

“People talk to us anytime they like, in their own way – about whatever’s getting to them."

She said out of more than five million contacts to the charity last year, 80 per cent were not suicide related. The charity has around 70 listening volunteers who always work in pairs, three hours per shift, up to eight shifts per day.

Last year the likes of BES Utilities, Octego and Happy Creative were high profile supporters of Pay for a Day.

Happy Creative’s Karen Lambert said at the time: “It’s good to see awareness of mental health rising in our society and in our workplaces; how a person thinks and feels, in my opinion, is just as important as their physical health.

“We’re delighted to support the campaign and thank The Samaritans for providing such a valuable service.”

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