Full News Report
22nd September 2023
Cornish charity needs to raise £1m
A CORNWALL-wide charity is appealing for help to raise funds for its life-saving and life-changing services.
The Samaritans are holding an anniversary ball and charity auction at St Blazey’s Eden Project on Saturday, November 11, and need items to go under the hammer.
The event is likely to be attended by more than 200 people including Samaritan patrons, celebrity chef Rick Stein; the Bishop of Truro, the Rt Rev Hugh Nelson; Sam Rabey, the deputy mayor of Truro, and Tim Owen of ‘3 Dads Walking’.
Samaritans of Cornwall is an independent charity, run completely by volunteers – including Sue Wilkins, as director. “Although receiving administrative support from Samaritans’ national head office, we do not receive any funding from the central charity,” said Sue. ‘We are completely self-funding, needing to raise more than £100,000 each year just to operate, so it is vital that we fund-raise locally to ensure our charity continues to deliver its services here in Cornwall.”
Cornwall Samaritans marked its 50th anniversary during 2019 but the Covid pandemic meant that the birthday went uncelebrated. “It is now 75 years since the UK charity itself was established, so to mark both occasions, we are organising our ball and auction,” said Sue.
In April, Tim Owen, one of the ‘3 Dads Walking’ project, and two other fathers whose daughters had taken their own lives, met Prime Minister Rishi Sunak to impress upon him the need for suicide prevention among the young, especially through the school curriculum.
The fathers walked 300 miles in 2021 to raise awareness of the need for action to reduce the number of young people taking their own lives and Tim will share his experiences and tell his daughter Emily’s story at the November bash.
The monies raised will assist the much-needed £1-million redevelopment of Cornwall Samaritans’ premises in Treyew Road, Truro, to make the building more accessible for both volunteers and service users.
The Cornwall branch responds to more than 20,000 calls, web-chats, e-mails and face-to-face contacts annually, running almost 24/7 throughout the year, and provides a listening service for people in despair and distress. The number of suicides in Cornwall is higher than the national average, and the instances of self-harm and attempted suicide continue to rise.
The Samaritans’ vision is to alleviate emotional distress and reduce the incidence of suicidal feelings through the simple act of listening, without giving advice or judgement, and providing a confidential opportunity to explore feelings and emotions.
“In the current climate, where many people are feeling the effects of the cost-of-living crisis and anxiety on their mental health, Cornwall Samaritans has never been more crucial for our community,” said Sue.
To donate to the auction, or purchase tickets, please contact Samaritans of Cornwall at Truro on cornwallsamsfr@gmail.com. For more information, visit www.samaritans.org/truro or find them on X (formerly Twitter) @cornwallsamari1