Has anyone had or is anyone aware of a good outcome as a result of seeing an ad for Samaritans?

[fourhundredandsomething]

There are ads with the phone number on at all our local stations. Is this a good idea?

YANBU - yes it is worth the time and money
YABU -no it doesn't work

Thank you for you opinion and experiences.

Do you have a particular issue with them?

Stations? Like train stations or police or what?

Yes it works, it helps. What's the issue?

I know of a friend of friend who saw their sign at a train station he was considering jumping on the tracks, he didn’t call their number but it sort of shocked him out of it.

Well I have a friend who works on the call centre for them and she is kept quite busy, so they're being used.

I guess it's awareness and a reminder. I know the first time I called then, I was in a terrible state and could only think, what so people do when they want to die? Ah, yes, they call the samaritans.

I trained as a Samaritan. So yes I think it's a useful service! I spoke to some people in real distress and hope I made a difference by listening and helping them think things through, and I met some wonderful people too on my shifts from all walks of life.

It's not going to hurt is it

A good outcome means not hurting themselves or others if they would otherwise have. How would anyone really ever know for sure, what the alternative reality would have been? Every call that doesn't result in a bad outcome surely includes the possibility that it was a comparatively good outcome?

I was a Samaritan.
The training is rigorous and you have to do shifts including nights.
I like to think I may have been able to make a difference, if only for the time I was on the phone.
There were some calls I will never, ever forget.

The Samaritans saved me, not from dying but from a very very bad time in my life I honestly don’t know how i would have kept going without the calls and emails that I made to them. They help people.

What ab extremely odd question...., it's a charity that does an extremely important job, of course it's worthwhile

Whose time and money are you worried about wasting?

Raising awareness of the Samaritans is worth every penny.

Someone who is struggling might see the number and call.

Someone who knows someone who is struggling might see the poster and refer that person to the Samaritans

Someone might see that poster and decide to donate money. All of those actions save lives.

Keen to hear your issue?

Some sort of lazy arse 'journalism' here? Thank you.

Just a little high five to anyone on here who have given up their time to be there for others as a Samaritan ✋🏻

I don’t doubt the posters have helped someone.

What an odd thread.

I think people expect too much from the Samaritans. They’re not going to solve your problems. Sometimes when I spoke to them after DH died, the person on the end of the phone annoyed me more than helped me. But that was still better than being alone with my despair, and that’s the point.

DP was a Samaritan. I know that the calls that stayed with him the most were the ones where the caller was in the process of dying by suicide, and all he could do was be with them on the phone while happened. He said the callers weren’t expressing regret or asking for any help, just asking for company. I think that’s an incredibly important thing.

I don’t really understand the question.

sorry I was not being clear enough - I meant are the ads worth it? Not are the samaritans worth it. I am talking about the ads - do the ads help. I suppose they must do if they raise awareness, so that is a good thing.

I was asking about whether it is worth putting them up, that is all. I have some money donated at a funeral, and might fund some, that is why I am asking

I would say if it stops people from killing themselves, then yes, it is worth it.

It's not rocket science is it?

But surely you give a donation to the organisation and they decide what to do with it?

My dad was a Samaritan and a branch director. I think over many years he saved a lot of lives

If you want to support the Samaritans I'd make a donation either to a local branch or the central charity, rather than thinking specifically about it being used for adverts. There may not be a need to put any more up locally etc and I can't imagine they actually cost much. Samaritans worms in partnership with Network rail so assume it's just the costs of physically making them.

I've not taken calls from a railway station as I volunteer with Festival Branch but I think they aren't just there for people contemplating suicide there and then, but also as a general reminder to people who are having a hard time

Yes the ads are worth it. I volunteered with the samaritans over 10 years ago and I've never had a job with so much training and guidance. They won't be able to save everyone but they are there for a lot of people who may be experiencing the darkest days of their lives.

When you’re a Samaritan you never know what happens next, which is a good thing because we couldn’t do it otherwise. We get calls from all sorts of people in all sorts of situations, some of them actively attempting suicide or seriously considering it. When I’m on the phone to a caller my concern is trying to help them make the decision not to end their life at that time, and if they decide they will then I have to be beside them if they want me to. It’s a hard job at times and it doesn’t help everybody, but we try our best. I’m certain that some of our callers do benefit.