The BMF celebrates five years working with the Samaritans  

by the Coventry Samaritans
26 December 2018

SamaritansFive years ago the Coventry Samaritans branch were looking for somewhere to train new volunteers. They needed modern premises with one large room with an overhead projector for group training along with several separate rooms for face to face skills training.

Mike Ballinger, director of local member Builders Supply Stores was asked by his wife Sarah, a Samaritan volunteer, if he knew of anywhere. Having been to the official opening of the BMF shortly before, he asked if the BMF could help the Samaritans. Mike says, “I recall sending an email to Peter Matthews (BMF Secretary at the time) one Monday morning and getting a positive reply within half an hour. Even better, was the fact that there was to be no charge, an enormous help to a local charity. Shortly afterwards, I also joined Samaritans and was one of the first to undergo training at the BMF.”  

The Samaritans are a national charity operating a 24 hour helpline, open every day of the year. Their mission is to reduce the number of people who die each year from suicide. Sadly over 6,000 people take their lives each year - that is one every 90 minutes. Two thirds of those are men and the highest risk group are those aged 45–59, a profile that largely reflects that of many builders’ merchants.  

For men under the age of 45, suicide is the largest cause of death exceeding those caused by accident or illness.  

Samaritans want to help anyone who is in distress and despair, not just those who are suicidal. Indeed, they like people to contact them before things get too much for them. Help is provided by listening. They don’t give advice. Instead they provide emotional support in a non-judgemental manner. The service is confidential, subject to any safeguarding concerns that may arise. Samaritans get over 5 million contacts per year, mostly by phone on the Freephone number 116 123, but also by text, email, letter and face to face.  

Samaritans work with Network Rail, the Prison Service, the NHS, and the Police. Samaritans also visit large events such as music festivals - even in large crowds people can feel lonely and distressed. Coventry branch, for example, gets nearly 30,000 contacts a year and is one of 200 throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland, comprising some 20,000 volunteers.  

No-one wants a friend or work colleague to take their life, nor do they want them to suffer from poor mental or emotional health.  

Someone who is suffering may not be concentrating and could become unsafe and be involved in an accident. Samaritans can come and talk to employees and show them how they can help. They can provide posters for staffrooms, leaflets, drinks mats and cards.   BMF CEO John Newcomb says, ”Five years on, at a time when mental health awareness is increasing, the BMF is still proud to support the Samaritans by allowing them to continue using the BMF’s meeting facilities.”  

Trevor, the Samaritans Coventry Branch Director, is quoted as saying, “We are enormously grateful to the BMF. Our volunteer numbers have been increasing, we are now training 3 cohorts each year and we could not manage without the excellent facilities so generously provided by the BMF. Having so many separate spaces for skills training improves the quality of training and thus enhances the experience that our many callers receive.” 

For more information please visit www.samaritans.org or call 116 123 (UK)    



This article appeared in the Winter 2018 edition of One Voice