Thank you for continuing to highlight the concerns about the Samaritans charity (Samaritans to push on with branch closures despite volunteers’ objections, 1 October).
I am a volunteer in the north-east of England and I and many of our volunteers have felt very unhappy about the proposed changes. It is really rewarding being a Samaritan, but can also be very challenging. Volunteers need a high degree of motivation, and this has inevitably been affected by the proposals.
Interestingly, in 2021 our chair, Keith Leslie, published A Question of Leadership, which is about leading organisational change. According to the Amazon description of this publication “60% to 70% of change initiatives fail”, caused by the leader’s “inability to fully consider the consequences and magnitude of the situation”. Also it states that change initiatives often overlook the mental health of those involved. I haven’t read this book, but I really can’t understand how its author could consider continuing as our chair when the leadership has run roughshod over the charity’s very core: the volunteers. I believe that our CEO, Julie Bentley, should also consider her position.
I am sure that most volunteers realise that change is inevitable and important. The drastic measures initially proposed do not take into account the dedication, loyalty and hard work that it takes to keep us all going. We still have no details of the new proposals, but a kinder and more inclusive approach would be greatly appreciated.
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