Samaritans has announced plans to close at least half of its 200 branches across the UK and Ireland, moving volunteers into larger regional hubs and piloting remote call handling. The shake-up has left some volunteers dismayed, with accusations of bullying over the way the changes have been communicated.
The mental health charity told volunteers in a video last week it hoped “within the next seven to 10 years, our branch network will have reduced by at least half” and that it would move to “fewer but bigger regions”. Julie Bentley, the charity’s chief executive, said much of its fundraising income was going into “maintaining bricks and mortar, rather than being used to improve our services”.
Some volunteers have expressed fears the charity is moving to a “call centre-style” model that would remove the “camaraderie” found in smaller branches. There were also concerns that volunteers, many of whom are over 50, would be unable to travel large distances to branches in large towns and cities. One volunteer said: “Almost every single volunteer that I have spoken to have said if they introduce call centres, we’re out.”
The charity said remote volunteering would allow people unable to travel to branches to give their time, particularly for night shifts. Samaritans said it would consult volunteers about its plans before the trustees made a final decision in September, and any proposed changes will take place over a number of years.
In a statement, Bentley said: “Samaritans provides a life-saving service, day and night, 365 days a year, but the changing needs of our callers and volunteers means thinking differently about the way our services need to work. Over 200 branches, varying in size from 10 to 300 volunteers, is not sustainable and hinders us providing the best possible service to people who need us.”
