Paul Burstow MP has praised the work of Samaritans who help Sutton residents in their darkest hour.

On Tuesday 24th July (24:7) Paul visited the Surbiton Samaritan branch – one of two branches which serve Sutton – to raise awareness of the vital work of the Samaritans.

The Samaritans is a nationwide charity that relies on volunteers to talk to distressed callers on the 24 hour helpline. The volunteers deal with cases that range from those wanting emotional support to callers on the verge of committing suicide.

Sutton and Cheam MP Paul Burstow visited the organisation to view the jobs undertaken by the volunteers in the operation rooms and to help raise awareness of their vital work.

Earlier this week, Mr Burstow also unveiled the Government’s new national framework to improve mental health and wellbeing. Coproduced with 5 leading mental health organisations, it sets out how people and organisations can promote good mental health and support those at risk.

Paul Burstow said: “I was touched today to see how the hard work of Samaritans volunteers truly helps Sutton residents in desperate need of support. It is great to see members of the community coming together to perform this noble task in their spare time, and the visit has given me a genuine insight into the vital service they carry out.”

“Charities like the Samaritans are fantastic and we must continue to support their work so that more and more local people get the emotional support they need in their darkest hour.”

Iain MacKay, Chair of Kingston Samaritans added:”We were very pleased to hear of the government’s practical concern to reduce the tragedy of suicide in our society. As Samaritans we strive to support anyone in distress, whether or not they have suicidal feelings.

“Callers are very welcome to visit us at our Centre in Surbiton as well as to contact us by phone or e-mail.

“We support all sections of the community and we wish all sections to be represented in our volunteers. Anyone who feels they can spend some time lending a friendly ear is very welcome to contact us.”

If you need to talk or would like to help, you can contact the Samaritans on (020) 8399 6676.
http://paulburstow.org.uk/