The future of Jersey’s Samaritans branch is unclear, amid plans from the charity to overhaul their entire frontline service following warnings that the current model of 200 local branches is “not sustainable”.
The charity provides a 24-hour helpline as well as help via email or correspondence and in prisons.
In Jersey, there are more than 50 volunteers operating out of a building on Hue Street which was donated to them.
But the charity recently warned that they were considering closing down more than half of their 200 branches across the British Isles.
Last year, Express went behind the scenes to discover how Jersey’s branch works.
Volunteers take calls from across the British Isles dealing with issues ranging from bereavement to alcoholism and debts.
At the time, Branch Director Tarnia Snepp explained that Jersey’s 55 active volunteers meant the local Samaritans branch is able to be open 65 hours a week, but said that she hoped to bring this number up to 100 people over the next three years.
Calls come from across the British Isles and, with 20,000 volunteers nationally, a Jersey caller is very unlikely to speak to a local volunteer, but, as Tarnia explained, they are welcome to check which branch they are speaking to.
Even if they haven’t been dealing with a local caller, nothing relating to the Samaritans is discussed outside the building – with volunteers describing it as “like working for MI5”.
The proposed new model would see volunteers commuting to larger centres, rather than the smaller branches it currently uses, and could move towards remote volunteering.
Contacted by Express, the charity’s central office said they were consulting with their volunteers on the plans and added that there was no “definitive view at this stage of the number of branches, or which branches, that could be closed and which could be scaled up”.
The plans were part of “future-proofing work” intended to increase the number of calls they take, reduce wait times and increase the number of volunteers, they said.
They stressed that the proposals were not confirmed.
Julie Bentley, CEO of Samaritans, 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.
“We are engaging with our volunteers on proposed improvements that will mean we are able to answer more calls, have more volunteers on duty, and be there for more people in their darkest moments.
“Samaritans volunteers are hugely dedicated to being there for our callers and they remain at the heart of our service, but it has become increasingly clear that having 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.”
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