Falkirk Samaritans launch their Talk to Us campaign

Entitled Talk to Us, the campaign comes at a time of uncertainty in Europe and, closer to home, a looming cost-of-living crisis, and the charity – which aims to reduce instances of suicide and self-harm – hopes it will highlight the power of talking.

"Talking can really help,” said Claire, a Samaritans’ listening volunteer. “It helps lots of people. Samaritans gets lots of calls from people who are struggling to cope. And it can really give you the space to clear your mind, talk everything through that’s bothering you.

“It’s a safe space and available to anyone any time. Samaritans are here to listen. And it can only help, so I would really consider it. Samaritans is an easy place to reach out to.

“It's free to call. If calling seems like too much of an effort or too difficult, you can always reach out by letter or email, and you’ll get a response. Samaritans is a safe and confident place. Volunteers are trained to listen without judgement, without pressure. So, you’re in safe hands.”

Every ten seconds, Samaritans responds to a call for help. Last year, over 1000 volunteers based in Scotland answered 160,000 calls, spending a total of 36,000 hours on the phone.

Last month, the Scottish Government confirmed an extension of funding to support the charity’s listening services.

Samaritans listening volunteer Lewis said: “Speak to someone and just tell them how you’re feeling – tell them what’s going on in your mind. If you don’t have someone

you can talk to, or who you don’t feel comfortable enough to talk to, we’re here at Samaritans 24/7 and we can listen to you and explore how you’re feeling and what

you’ve been going through without judgement.”

Samaritans is also encouraging the public to raise vital funds to prevent more lives being lost to suicide and to ensure that it can continue to be there for anyone who needs a listening ear.

Visit the website for more information.