Find out if being a listening volunteer is right for you.

Help people at difficult times

Every 10 seconds someone contacts us. Every 10 seconds we can help someone turn their life around. As a listening volunteer you get the chance to make a real difference to someone’s future.

Get support every step of the way

You’ll receive full training to prepare you for the kinds of conversations you’ll have. And when you start out, you’ll have a mentor with you, to give you confidence you’re doing the right thing.

Learn to do something valuable

You’ll gain a range of new skills and the confidence to use them, including the ability to understand people and manage difficult conversations. Many employers value these kinds of skills.

What it’s like being a listening volunteer

• It’s always different and always interesting – no two conversations are the same.
• It feels like a privilege to have people confiding in you.
• You’re never on your own, and there’s a fun, supportive atmosphere in our branches and hubs.
• You can offer support by online chat or the phone.
• You can take a break between conversations whenever you need to.
• Spending a few hours helping other people can make you feel good about yourself.

Can anyone be a listening volunteer?

Samaritans welcomes applications from a wide range of applicants.

Anyone has it in them to be a Samaritan. You won’t need to have previous experience or qualifications, but you will need to be non-judgemental and accepting of others.

It doesn’t necessarily matter if you’ve gone through difficult times yourself, what matters is that you want to help people – all kinds of people, from all walks of life.

You need to be 18 or over, and because we'll invest in you (our training is really high quality), you need to see this not just as a short term role but something you're likely to do more long term.