Lancaster & District Samaritans are looking for volunteers for their listening and support service and also for backroom tasks and in their shop. They will be holding an information evening next Thursday at Lancaster Library for people to find out more about becoming a Samaritans volunteer.

Demand for their service has been growing rapidly and the charity is almost wholly dependent on volunteers to provide a service to people in need and distress.  Samaritans is well known for the listening service, usually a person at the end of the phone, sometimes face to face, and more recently by email.  They also need volunteers who can help in other ways – by doing useful administrative tasks at their Sun Street office, for example managing stationery stocks or publicity materials,  or by providing practical help or supporting in the Samaritans charity shop in Damside Street.

Being a volunteer can be incredibly rewarding as well as being hard work.  The comprehensive training Samaritans provides equips you with many skills and these are not only useful in your role as a volunteer but can be of great benefit to you in both personal and working situations.  You will also meet and work with like-minded people who want to make a difference to others who are less fortunate than themselves.

Their information evening will be held on Thursday 14 November from 5.45pm – 6.45pm  in Lancaster Library, upstairs in the Sanctuary (there is a lift / disabled access).
To find out more, or if you can’t attend on Thursday but are still interested, visit http://branches.samaritans.org/lancaster/ or phone 01524 61666 or email samaritanjan@yahoo.co.uk .