Up to half of Samaritans volunteers isolating during pandemic

Up to half of crisis charity the Samaritans’ volunteers were off self-isolating during the pandemic in Northern Ireland, a branch director said.

Some people were coming in two or three times a week to fill the gaps.

Someone calls the charity every seven seconds across the UK.

Wesley Wilson said: “We lost about 30% of volunteers who had to self-isolate.”

The director of Samaritans’ branch in Bangor said that was for medical or other reasons.

“That rose up to nearly 50% by the height of the first lockdown.”

Normally, volunteers do one day a week.

By the height of the pandemic they were doing maybe two or three a week to fill the gaps left by others self-isolating.

Mr Wilson added: “We were able to manage the service.”

The Samaritans received a £50,000 donation from Electric Ireland following its resolution of an official investigation into its business practices.

The money was spread across its branches in Northern Ireland.

The Bangor branch costs £30,000 a year to run.

That pays for telephone bills, heating and lighting.

All the workers are volunteers, but some expenses can be paid.

Mr Wilson said there had been significant demand for services during the pandemic.

“The majority of calls would have anxiety somewhere about Covid.

“They are people who are afraid of catching it.

“Those people with mental health issues normally do things to distract from the anxious thoughts, like taking exercise and engaging with others, groups or social events, ways they can distract themselves from thinking about anxiety.

“With lockdown they could not do that, and they were ruminating with the anxiety that they have.

“Covid has taken away things they can do.”

He said someone across the UK calls Samaritans every seven seconds.

“We do not have to look for callers.”

Leading mental health charities have written to Matt Hancock calling for a “historic” commitment to mental health in England, with the pandemic pushing the issue into the spotlight.

The experts say that mental ill-health remains the “biggest contributor to overall population ill-health in the UK”.

The Samaritans are open 24/7 by phone on 116 123, by email and in person.