Open day event at Caithness Samaritans in Thurso

Samaritans of Caithness opened its doors on Saturday morning to host a special event in which all were invited in for a cup of tea and a biscuit.

Situated at Riverside Place in Thurso, the branch has been running from the wee office for 43 years and has provided a listening ear for all those struggling with their mental health.

Several of the volunteers were at the base in Thurso including the director Catherine Simpson who is director and Barbara Bethell who will take over from January 1.

Catherine said: "I've been volunteering for 20 years and I've been regional director and director for the branch.

"We are always looking for volunteers and it's really worthwhile to be at the end of the phone when someone needs to talk to you. It's really good when someone comes on the phone very distressed and when you finish that call they have thanked you for being there. If someone is thinking of taking their own life we can sometimes point them in a different direction. We don't give advice but we can say 'have you thought of...?' That makes a big difference."

She said that the training, which lasts over several weeks, is very intense to help prepare the volunteers. The open day was a chance for local people to visit and find out a little more about how Samaritans work.

Paramount to the role of a Samaritans volunteer is the respect for an individual's privacy and a non-judgemental stance – total confidence is essential. The organisation believes that "suicide is, for some, a last desperate resort" and it finds "that just talking really does help".

Caithness Samaritans is run entirely on donations, bequests, and the fundraising activities undertaken by its volunteers. You may have encountered them rattling collection tins in the local streets, or in the supermarkets. They also have a presence at the County Show, and other summer events in the county. All money collected and given stays in Caithness, and pays for telephone calls, heat, light and insurance.

The organisation stresses how it seeks volunteers who are just "ordinary people" and who are able to spare a few hours every week to come into the centre and answer calls. If you are interested in helping, you can email angmaymac@gmail.com for more information. A Samaritan will call you back if you wish to leave a number.

The Samaritans can be contacted on 116 123 free from any phone, or call 0330 094 5717 where local call charges apply.

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