Editing Samaritans (charity) (section)

==Services==
[[File:Beachy Head suicide phone.jpg|thumb|right|Sign promoting Samaritans near a payphone at [[Beachy Head]]]]
The core of Samaritans' work is a [[crisis hotline|telephone helpline]], operating 24 hours a day, 365 days a year. Samaritans was the first 24-hour telephone helpline to be set up in the UK.{{citation needed|date=January 2025}} In addition, the organisation offers a drop-in service for face-to-face discussion, undertakes outreach at festivals and other outdoor events, trains prisoners as "Listeners" to provide support within prisons, and undertakes research into suicide and emotional health issues.

Since 1994, Samaritans has also offered confidential [[email]] support. Initially operating from one branch, the service is now provided by 198 branches and co-ordinated from the organisation's head office. In 2011, Samaritans received over 206,000 emails, including many from outside the UK, and aims to answer each one within 24 hours.<ref>{{Cite web|title=Contact a Samaritan|url=https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/|access-date=12 June 2020|website=Samaritans|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Samaritans is currently piloting a [https://www.samaritans.org/how-we-can-help/contact-samaritan/chat-online/ webchat service] to allow correspondents to communicate with listening volunteers by instant message.

In 2009, Ofcom introduced the first harmonised European numbers for harmonised services of social value,<ref name="116xxx-guide">{{cite web | url=http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/numbering/guidance-tele-no/116-euro-numbers | title=Harmonised European numbers for harmonised services of social value (116XXX numbers) | author=Ofcom | author-link=Ofcom | publisher=Office of Communications | date=27 July 2010 | archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100727000915/http://stakeholders.ofcom.org.uk/telecoms/numbering/guidance-tele-no/116-euro-numbers | archive-date=27 July 2010 | url-status=live}}</ref> allocating 116 123 to Samaritans. This number is free to call from mobiles and landlines. From 22 September 2015, Samaritans has promoted 116123 as its main number, replacing the chargeable 0845 number previously advertised.

In 2014, Samaritans received 5,100,000 calls for help by phone, email, text, letter, [[minicom]], [[Action on Hearing Loss|Typetalk]], face-to-face at a branch, through its work in prisons, and at local and national festivals and other events.<ref name="facts">{{cite web|url=http://www.samaritans.org/about_samaritans/facts_and_figures.aspx|title=Suicide: facts and figures|access-date=28 May 2017}}</ref>

Samaritans volunteers are given rigorous training to be non-judgmental and empathetic. By listening and asking open questions, Samaritans volunteers try to help people explore their feelings and work out their own way forward.{{Citation needed|date=September 2019}}

Samaritans does not denounce suicide, and it is not necessary to be suicidal to contact Samaritans. In 2014, nearly 80% of the people calling Samaritans did not express suicidal feelings.<ref name="facts" /> Samaritans believes that offering people the opportunity to be listened to in confidence, and accepted without prejudice, can alleviate despair and make [[emotional health]] a mainstream issue.

In 2022, Samaritans campaigned to have "suicide websites" shut down; stating that it believed that the UK government's [[Online Safety Act 2023|proposed online safety bill]] "isn't fit for purpose". Smaller "pro-suicide" websites which can push people to commit suicide are the charity's biggest concern in this area.<ref>{{Cite news|last=Crawford|first=Angus|date=3 February 2022|title=The families fighting to shut down suicide websites|page=1|work=BBC News|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-60236776|access-date=3 February 2022}}</ref>

=== Media guidelines ===
In 2013, following extensive consultation with journalists and editors throughout the industry, Samaritans produced a set of guidelines outlining best practice when reporting suicide. Since its publication, the organisation has received many awards in recognition of its work influencing the way in which suicide is reported.