A Cornwall-wide charity has seen a marked increase in volunteers coming forward.

Samaritans of Cornwall at Truro has seen a dramatic rise in enquiries about volunteering, following an on-going publicity campaign.

As an independently registered charity, run entirely by volunteers, Cornwall Samaritans relies on over 120 volunteers to reach those in the county who are desperate, depressed, anxious and - as in the case of 20 per cent of callers - having suicidal thoughts.

Sue Wright, branch director of Cornwall Samaritans, said: “Volunteers are the absolute life blood of our organisation. We take over 52,000 contacts each year in our busy branch, the only one in Cornwall. Our volunteers are changing lives every day, and developing valuable skills along the way. We welcome and value every volunteer, from all walks of life.

"Whatever their interests, experience or skills, we could well have a role for them.”

Contacts could be calls, texts, emails, or people visiting the branch.

The number of suicides in Cornwall continues to be higher than the national average, and the instances of self-harm and attempted suicide continues to rise; whilst some areas of the county are in the top 10 per cent most deprived areas of the country – so it is vital that the charity not only continues, but increases its work.

It is due to the dedication of its volunteers that Cornwall Samaritans continues to be there whenever callers need them; so a drive to increase the number of volunteers is vital.

At a recent information evening held at the branch on Treyew Road in Truro, 19 people attended, many of whom will go on to attend a selection day and then, after an informal interview with further discussions and references, will be asked to enrol for the next training course - the start of the journey to becoming a fully-fledged Samaritan.

This will enable the branch to add further listening shifts, alongside increasing the important Outreach work that the volunteers do throughout the county – offering talks to organisations and groups, as well as providing listening volunteers in locations such as A+E, police custody and train stations, where support on the ground is vital.

Volunteer recruitment will also help to raise awareness of the importance of the organisation, at a time when the charity is undergoing a major appeal to raise £200,000 to complete the £625,000 needed in order to relocate to a more accessible premises in the Truro area.

The Truro branch relies on volunteers from throughout the county, who fulfil four shifts a month, including an overnight duty; they carry out listening shifts and Outreach work, as well as attend various awareness events throughout Cornwall.

They also train new volunteers, maintain the property, help with IT, admin and fundraising, as well as staffing the very successful Cornwall Samaritans shop at Par Market, which is invaluable for branch funds.

Volunteer Richard Sutton, said: “I have been a Samaritan for over twenty years and I am still learning so much about people and life. It’s the most worthwhile thing I do, it makes me realise that my problems are not so great after all. Samaritans has changed my life and the way I look at others. I’m sometimes asked if volunteering has changed at all in those years? Callers problems and concerns certainly haven’t changed, but we are much busier now and, interestingly, there is a marked increase in emails and text messages, particularly from younger callers.”

Cornwall Samaritans are encouraging anyone that would like to find out more to attend their next Information Evening, to be held on March 5 at 7pm at their centre in Treyew Road, Truro.

For further details a message can be left on 01872 222 321 or CornwallSamsFR@gmail.com

You can also find out more by visiting Cornwall Samaritans’ website www.samaritans.org/truro or Twitter @CornwallSamari1