VOLUNTEERS of Coventry Samaritans met at Tile Hill and Coventry stations on Friday (April 8) to raise awareness of the Samaritans’ service.
As part of a regional campaign to target the Midlands’ train stations, the samaritans explained to residents how talking can help when people are upset or troubled.
With a guaranteed audience, residents were handed out leaflets and advised about the group’s monthly meetings where more information about Coventry Samaritans is provided.
Coventry branch director Roger Hughes told The Observer that by tackling Coventry’s railway stations, it gave them more time to interact with the public.
He added: “We handed out plenty of leaflets to the public and meeting people at the railway stations worked really well as people were more likely to engage with us in comparison to if we met them in the street.
“We depend on volunteers to run our service and don’t pay people within our branches.
“But volunteering at Coventry Samaritans has its benefits and we’re keen to encourage people that need our support and feel upset to come forward and talk to us.”
Coventry Samaritans take calls 24 hours a day and hold meetings once a month for people to come in and talk about their issues.
Their next meeting takes place tonight (April 14) at 7pm in the group’s Earlsdon branch on Moor Street.
For more information about Coventry Samaritans, visit www.samaritans.org/branches/coventry/news
