Volunteers in Bolton are among 14,000 listening volunteers at Samaritans branches across the UK and Ireland that provide vital emotional support to people struggling to cope every day of the year, including Christmas.

But the branch’s volunteers are gearing up for a challenging winter as the cost of living continues to bite, leaving many people facing difficult decisions to cope with their ever-stretched finances.  

New insights from a survey of Samaritans volunteers across the UK and Ireland found that three quarters (74%) thought that the cost of living will impact callers more over the winter.

Mary, director for the Bolton Branch of Samaritans said: “We know that this time of year can be challenging for all sorts of reasons, but with the ongoing cost of living crisis, things might feel even harder this year. That’s why it’s so vital that our volunteers are there for those who want to break their silence.”

Francesca, 39 knows how hard the festive period can be. After spending lockdown on her own Francesca began to struggle with anxiety, brought on by isolation and loneliness. She reached her lowest point while decorating her Christmas tree on her own and turned to Samaritans for support.

Francesca said: “I kept seeing videos of happy families playing quizzes on zoom and families in matching pjs at Christmas, and at that moment in time, I felt so lonely. My mind was in a downhill spiral. I’d exhausted all avenues of calling my mum, my friends, my work friends - I felt like I was becoming a nuisance. I felt like a broken record. I thought I'd be annoying them if I called them again.

“When I was in the darkest place I had ever been in my life – the most desperate. When I was in that moment, I called Samaritans and I even began laughing at the end of that call. It gave me hope; that if I could feel ok at the end of that call, I would feel ok again in life.”

Samaritans launches this year’s Break the Silence campaign to remind people that they don’t need to struggle alone.

The charity is asking people to donate to keep Samaritans here for people to talk to when they are ready to break their silence. Making a donation as little as £5 will help Samaritans’ volunteers answer a call for help from someone struggling this winter.

Visit https://www.samaritans.org/donatebranch/ to find out more.

In addition to the listening service, Bolton Samaritans also have an experienced “Outreach Team” who engage with local community groups, businesses and other organisations concerned with suicide prevention.

The team attend events, provide support and give talks, and would love to hear from you if you think they may be able to help. You can contact the Outreach Team at publicity.boltonsams@gmail.com .