Community / Shetland Samaritans mark 70 years of service
THE LOCAL branch of the Samaritans is marking the 70th anniversary of the national charity with a number of events in Shetland.
The charity has grown from the first phone call taken in London seven decades ago to now supporting people throughout the UK, from the Channel Islands to the far north.
Shetland branch director Wilma Goodlad said that at that time encouraging people to talk about their feelings and mental must have been unusual.
She said that compassion to reach out with a listening ear to anyone who needs to talk is at the heart of the charity’s work.
“Its work continues to hold at its core, the power and simplicity of human connection and the importance of being listened to,” she said.
Samaritans will be at the local Tesco store on 10 September – World Suicide Prevention Day – to raise awareness of the they work they do.
During the week before, local members will be talking with students at UHI Shetland and the Whalsay Junior High School about ways to care for one’s emotional health.
Samaritan volunteers can be contacted day and night on the charity’s’ freephone number 116 123.
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