Samaritans has revealed plans to relocate volunteers to larger regional centres, test remote call handling, and close at least half of its 200 branches in the UK and Ireland.
In a video released to volunteers last week, the mental health charity expressed its desire that “within the next seven to 10 years, our branch network will have reduced by at least half”.
People experiencing mental health crises can call or message the charity's 22,000 listening volunteers at 201 locations throughout the UK and Ireland. While some branches also provide in-person services, it claims that its helplines receive calls every ten seconds.
Although there wasn't “a definitive view” on the number of branches the charity required, chief executive Julie Bentley stated: “It's likely that within the next seven to ten years our branch network will have reduced by at least half.”
She added: “With less branches, we'll look to move to fewer but bigger regions.”
More than 200 branches, according to the Samaritans, "is not sustainable and hinders us" from offering the greatest service.
The changes will start in April in the UK and 2027 in Ireland if the charity's board approves the measures at a meeting in September. It has not yet been determined which branches could close.
According to the charity's directors, callers won't notice a difference because the majority of users' interactions with the Samaritans will take place over the phone, which may cause people to be unaware of its branch structure.
Worries among volunteers
There are concerns that volunteers may quit the organisation as a result of the stress of answering suicide-related calls alone, since plans for "virtual volunteering" have been made allowing people to answer calls from home.
Additionally, female volunteers have expressed that the volume of sexual and aggressive calls the charity receives makes them uneasy about working remotely.
Some offices “don't support the effective delivery of our services to callers” and “don't retain enough volunteers,” according to Ms Bentley's message to the staff.
The fact that too much of the Samaritans' revenue is going into “maintaining bricks and mortars, rather than being used to improve our services” is another issue she raised.
They worry that the charity's plans may result in the establishment of massive, impersonal phone centres in major cities and towns, which would make it harder for volunteers from rural regions to serve and diminish what it means to be a Samaritan.
According to the charity's most recent financial statements for 2023–2024, personnel expenses accounted for about two thirds (£15.3m) of its £24.6m revenue, with less than four per cent going towards property and buildings.
If approved, the plans would also cause the organisation to stop doing some of its present initiatives, such as giving speeches in schools and running the Veterans Emotional Support Line.
