Counting the cost
Did you know it costs around £44,000 a year to run the Southampton Samaritans?
Each year Southampton Samaritans offer support to more than 22,000 people in the Southampton area. The majority of these contacts are by telephone, with each call received costing the equivalent of £2.29 to answer.
But this is not the only expense for Samaritans - each year we have to find the funds to train volunteers and ensure the day-to-day running of the Southampton branch.
Southampton Samaritans has to raise over £44,000 a year to keep the service running. Here's a breakdown of the costs so you know how your donations are spent:
- £2.29 pays for a volunteer to answer one call
- £3 provides emotional support via e-mail
- £8 funds 10 school packs to help promote emotional health work in schools
- £18 pays for the training of an existing Samaritans volunteer
- £36 keeps one emergency phoneline open for 24 hours
- £45 helps to train a listening volunteer in prisons - enabling them to provide emotional support to other prisoners
- £109 goes towards finding and training a single volunteer - an essential part of Samaritans maintaining a 24-hour service
- £1,000 helps provide regional support over the course of a year - this includes the Southampton branch being able to reach out into the surrounding communities to those at high risk of emotional distress or suicide.
Without volunteers Samaritans couldn't exist. If the Samaritans decided to pay each volunteer the average wage of £10.79 per hour, Samaritans costs would be over £26 million per year.
So, not only are volunteers essential to the running of Samaritans, but the support of the local community is crucial. If you want to support Southampton Samaritans, please donate now. There are three different ways to donate - online with a credit or debit card, by cheque, or by standing order.
You can also 'donate for free' every time you shop online if you register with The Giving Machine - find out how below.
Donate online
If you would like to make a donation by credit or debit card we have a secure online donation facility, in association with the Co-operative Bank and Charity Choice. Donating is quick, easy, and cost effective - your entire donation will come through to the Southampton Samaritans, with no hidden fees, and we can also claim gift aid if you are a taxpayer.
To donate online, just click here, or click on the image below.
Donate by cheque
Just complete the cheque donation form, print it out, and send it to us at the address shown on the form, together with your cheque.
Donate by standing order
Just complete the standing order form, print it out, sign it, and send it to us at the address shown on the form.
Shop online and donate for free
Southampton Samaritans have teamed up with The Giving Machine to generate cash donations for us every time you shop online. The real beauty of it is that it won't cost you anything!
All you have to do is register with The Giving Machine, and choose Southampton Samaritans as the charity you wish to support. Then, every time you shop online, make sure you visit The Giving Machine website, click on "Shop", and choose your preferred retailer from the list. You can then shop as normal from your chosen store.
Everything you buy generates a cash donation for us, and it all adds up quickly to a significant amount. It is estimated that 1000 online shoppers 'donating for free' to Southampton Samaritans via The Giving Machine would generate around £15,000 to £20,000 a year.
You'll find more than 100 different shops at The Giving Machine including all your favourite places - Tesco, Amazon, Ebay, John Lewis, and lots more.
To start giving for free, just go to The Giving Machine, or click on the image below.
