WE DO MAKE A DIFF PRIVILEGE TO BE THAT THE LINE WHEN SOME FERENCE... IT IS SUCH A T PERSON AT THE END OF EBODY REALLY NEEDS YOU
| Published date | 08 March 2023 |
| Publication title | Wishaw Press |
When callers reach a highlytrained volunteer at the end of the phone, what they need is simply to talk it through.
Dan Russell was aged just 22 when in 1971, as a recently-graduated trainee solicitor, he noticed an appeal in the Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser for volunteers for the soon-to-be launched Lanarkshire branch of The Samaritans.
"I wanted to give something back and make a difference," said Dan, who began his training soon after the acceptance of his application.
A year later, the Hamiltonbased branch opened its doors and began taking calls.
Its driving force was a local church minister and two Hamilton residents who'd been volunteering at the Glasgow branch.
Dan, now aged 73, is the Lanarkshire branch's longest serving volunteer and has proudly watched it evolve over the past five decades.
As he explained, calls initially came through the Hamilton telephone exchange on a local number prefixed by 698.
They then moved from the Hamilton number to an antiquated BT system, which saw calls tripping to alternative Scottish branches should Lanarkshire be busy.
The most sweeping change came 10 years ago with the introduction of the national 116 123 number, which can be accessed free from anywhere in the world.
"From where we were 50 years ago with a Hamilton exchange of 698, the number of calls have gone up exponentially," said Dan, who explained that the expense of the freephone system is met by the charity.
Now, technology detects which lines are available and directs the call. And, as new volunteer Maureen has come to realise, those calls can arrive at the Lanarkshire branch from anywhere in the UK.
"I've had only one Scottish call in the first six weeks I've been on the phones," she explained. "The rest have been from all over England."
T" hose who elect to commit their time toThe Samaritans." each have their own reasons for volunteering - and 67-year-old retired teacher Maureen, who does a weekly four-hour shift, is no exception.
"A year ago, I was retiring," she said. "I felt as if I knew that, when I retired, I'd need to be doing something, because I had a busy job. I was in education - a maths teacher. It is that thing about giving something back. I felt quite fortunate I could retire and do something else that I didn't need to be paid for.
"I come from a big family, and being able to...
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