Ethos
The Samaritans Vision
A society in which fewer people die by suicide, people are able to explore their feelings and people are able to acknowledge and respect the feelings of others.
The Samaritans Mission
To offer non-judgmental, emotional support to the lonely, despairing and suicidal, or those at risk of becoming so.
The Samaritans Values
- The importance of having support to explore feelings.
- That being listened to, in confidence, and accepted without prejudice can alleviate despair and suicidal feelings
- That everyone has the right to make fundamental decisions about their own life, including the decision to die.
Aims & Objectives
- To offer emotional support at any hour of the day or night to people passing through a personal crisis and those who may be in imminent danger of committing suicide.
- To prepare selected volunteers to enable them to help the depressed and suicidal by complying with The Samaritans’ Principals and Practices.
- To raise awareness of the long term goals and objectives of the organisation.
You are listening to me when…
You come quietly into my private world and let me be me
You really try to understand me even if I’m not making much sense
You grasp my point of view even when it’s against your own sincere convictions
You allow me the dignity of making my own decisions, even though you may think they’re wrong
You do not take my problem from me, but allow me to deal with it in my own way
You hold back your desire to give me ‘good’ advice
You give me enough room to discover for myself what is really going on