The man walking to every single branch of the Samaritans across the British Isles has described Guernsey as “heaven” and the only other place in the world he would choose to live.
David Matthews MBE, also known as the ‘Listening Walker’, is taking on the challenge of visiting every Samaritan branch across the UK and Ireland and surrounding islands for the second time.
His goal is to raise £50,000 for the charity’s suicide prevention services, and he wants to top the £30,000 he fundraised in 2021 during the first iteration of his challenge.
On Monday he ticked Guernsey off the list, as he paced the paths of the Bailiwick as the latest stop.
Mr Matthews said he has taken on the challenge as a way to not only raise funds, but also awareness, and in doing so, spreading smiles amongst those who staff the phones day and night for the suicide prevention charity.
As he stopped in Guernsey, he met the people who keep the island’s branch ready and waiting to help anyone who needs a talk.
Over coffee, he swapped stories with volunteers, and the impact that had was evident from the offset.
“I think becoming a Samaritan and going through the training, it fundamentally changes the way you have conversations and I think that is very evident between Samaritans” said Mr Matthews.
“When I’d done the training, initially, years ago, I realised that I was listening so much better to my friends, rather than doing that thing where you’re waiting for them to stop talking because you’ve already thought about what you’re going to say in reply.”
This deep level of listening led to an intimate story-time swapping between Guernsey volunteers and Mr Matthews, with impactful moments interspersed between shared experiences.
Jo Cottell, Joint Director of Guernsey Samaritans, praised the impact of Mr Matthews fundraising challenges.
“David is a really amazing volunteer, both by listening to our callers when at his home branch in Doncaster, but also through his Listening Walk.
“The walk is as much about raising awareness of the power of listening encouraging those he meets to reach out for help and support, as it is about fundraising.”
She further explained the impact Mr Matthew’s efforts has on local people volunteering their time, and skills.
Ms Cottell added: “For our volunteers here in Guernsey it helps us feel part of a much bigger movement of people offering time and space to those who need support. Just hearing some of David’s experiences during his walk really brings home how being there for someone can often make such a difference to them.
“It really validates the work we do. One of our volunteers today described him as being so genuine and a really ‘lovely dude’. That sums him up so well, I think.”
Mr Matthews’ connection to Guernsey goes far beyond just another stop on his mega-fundraiser.
A scouting trip over 50 years ago brought him to the Bailiwick, something that has stuck with him to this day.
“I lived most of my childhood life in South Yorkshire, and I was part of the local scout group, and I was invited to come on the summer Scout camp.
“So we set off on a coach in South Yorkshire one evening, we’d arrive in Weymouth the following morning and then get the ferry over to Guernsey. Then we’d have two weeks on Guernsey.
“I’ve heard it’s all changed now, but back in the day, the first job was to dig out the toilets, then put the tents up, and coming from South Yorkshire, which, back in the sort of mid late 70s, was very industrial, lots of mines, lots of Steel Works, to come somewhere stunning, like Guernsey, and to walk down the street and see buckets outside houses with tomatoes in saying, ‘Please take some’, it was heaven for us.
“Each day, we’d walk off to a different beach or, or we’d go to the Little Chapel, and the underground museums and all these sorts of things and we just absolutely loved it.”
He’s so fond of the island, when asked if he could live anywhere else in the world, the Bailiwick is right at the top of his list.
“Every time I come back to Guernsey, I just feel at home. I absolutely love it. I live in Scotland now, at a lovely spot, but I’ve said to loads of people when they’ve said, ‘oh, could you live anywhere else?’ I say, Guernsey. I just love it, it’s great.
“There’s 3,000 miles to go. I’m on the way home so any support will definitely be needed to get me over those last 3,000 miles.
“A little thumbs up to one of my posts, or a ‘keep going, David’, it’s all, it’s all really valuable, and it’ll do the job of getting me home.”
You can find out more about the Listening Walk, and its charitable goals, and the man behind it on the fundraiser’s website.
For more on the Guernsey Samaritans, you can head to their website HERE.