Samaritans seeking new volunteers in Louth

Samaritans said they are searching for new volunteers in Louth to get involved with the charity and give something back to the local community, all while making a huge difference to people’s lives.

Samaritans are looking for men and women, of all ages and walks of life, to join their current volunteers in dedicating around three or four hours a week to those most in need.

Martin Darling, the Director of Samaritans of Newry & Dundalk said: “Newry & Dundalk Samaritans offer round-the-clock emotional support to anyone who is struggling to cope with whatever it is that life has thrown at them.

“Every day, volunteers around the country respond to around 10,000 calls for help.

“It is a real privilege to be there for somebody who is going through a difficult time.

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“We are asking people across the South Down, South Armagh and Dundalk areas to consider making a difference to someone’s life by volunteering with us.

“It takes a huge number of volunteers to keep our service operational so if you are thinking about volunteering and making a difference to people’s lives, please have a look at www.samaritans.org/volunteer to find out if you have what it takes to be a
Samaritan.”

One volunteer in the branch is Dundalk resident Nuala who has been volunteering for around four years.

“I am originally from Dundalk. My reason for volunteering in Samaritans in Newry is because the two are neighbouring towns”, she said.

“I wanted to do something meaningful and I picked Samaritans they do not discriminate regarding what your problem is. If you have a problem and you need help, Samaritans listens to everyone.

“It is a privilege to sit and have people open up and trust you enough. You are giving them space to think about things a little more clearly and will then come up with their own solutions.”

The Samaritans said they will meet with potential volunteers over the next few weeks with the aim to start the training process in September 2025.

The training will involve some online learning as well as in person classes over a period of five weeks.

You don’t need to have any special skills to be a volunteer – all we ask is that you can listen without judgement and be able to empathise with people going through a difficult time, a spokesperson said.

Samaritans are best known for the vital support given to callers on its 24-hour telephone service and volunteers can also offer support by email and face-to-face in communities, festivals and outreach events.

Established in Ireland in 1962, Samaritans is based in 21 towns across the island of Ireland, with over 1,800 active volunteers on call 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

To find out more about becoming a volunteer with Samaritans in Newry email newry.branchrecruitment @samaritans.org. You can also check out their website on www.samaritans.org/volunteer.

The Samaritans can be contacted on freephone 116 123, email jo@samaritans.org, or visit www.samaritans.org to find details of your nearest branch.