Samaritans: How to give and raise money or volunteer for the Bognor Regis, Chichester & District Branch

A call is made to the Samaritans every 10 seconds in the UK – and that figure is rising as loneliness, debt, anxiety and despair become more and more of an issue. There are around 85 volunteers (including trainees) at the Bognor Regis, Chichester & District Branch currently – although more are needed and recruitment is ongoing. They cover shifts to man the phones 365 days a year and answer emails from some of the most emotionally vulnerable people in the country. They are all unpaid, as is the management team that run this branch of the charity. “We provide tea and coffee for the volunteers,” said Sharon Kettlewell, treasurer of the branch. “And then there’s the everyday things like loo roll and washing up liquid. We have a cleaner who is the only paid person and then there are repairs and the bills you get with any property.” Sharon has the unenviable task of supporting the branch to raise the money needed every year to pay for the running costs, ongoing training and support of volunteers and outreach work. The majority of the running costs are on telephone bills, lighting and heating – a cost Sharon says has gone up hugely recently as it has for most people – and for general running, refreshments and repairs at the office building at Argyle Road in Bognor Regis. Recently the gutters had to be cleared out and there was a fault on the boiler which had to be fixed. These unexpected costs put even more of a drain on resources. Volunteers can claim expenses for travelling to and from the centre – but most don’t claim it and many donate and fundraise as well. Every year fundraising events, legacies and donations help to meet the bills, and there are a number of ways people can help. Fundraising – collections, donations and sponsorship Marathon runs, hosting a coffee morning, a fun event, sponsored swims or a donations in lieu of birthday presents are just a few of the many ways people could help the branch. Money raised can be securely paid in to the branch through its website, and this can also be used to make one-off donations or to set up regular donations. To make a donation click here. EasyFundRaising – a no-cost way to give through online shopping Your weekly grocery shop, takeaway or online purchases can also help raise money for the branch – at no cost to you. You can also support the branch via EasyFundRaising, a scheme which turns your everyday online shopping into free donations for your chosen charity. When you use EasyFundRaising, you can choose to give to the Bognor Regis, Chichester & District Branch whenever you shop online with selected brands – and there’s lots of outlets taking part including Tesco, M&S, Argos, JustEat, Booking.com to name a few. To find out more and to create an EasyFundRaising account click here – or download the app, and then just shop as normal. Giving in kind – could you offer your services? Day to day maintenance of the building costs the charity thousands every year. Sharon said many local firms, especially smaller companies, have been incredibly generous in charging less than they would normally for repairs, fixes and other work. If you or your firm could offer your services for free – perhaps plumbing, decorating, window cleaning or providing teas and coffees or even loo rolls – then please get in touch with Sharon. You can email BognorRegis@samaritans.org Volunteer Of course the biggest gift to the charity is your time. If you could help run the branch, make collections or host events at your home or business or offer your services to the management committee that would be a huge help. And of course there are the volunteers who man the phone lines and emails too. All of them receive professional training, ongoing mentoring and support to do the work they do. It might be for just a few hours a week, or more, but if you have empathy, can be non-judgemental and would like to be a listening ear and a kind voice to someone in despair and you’d like to find out more please contact the branch. Find out more To find out more about volunteering, fundraising or the work of Bognor Regis, Chichester & District Branch of Samaritans visit the website here. Donate to the branch – for one off or ongoing donations click here. If you want to speak to a listening volunteer call the Freephone line 116 123. Alternatively, you can email jo@samaritans.org