Samaritans’ vision is that fewer people die by suicide.
Edinburgh Samaritans is a registered Scottish charity which is a branch of Samaritans, a charity which operates throughout the UK and the Republic of Ireland. Edinburgh Samaritans, based at 25 Torphichen Street, Edinburgh, EH3 8HX, aims to be open to telephone callers 24/7, 365 days a year. Around 26,000 inbound calls were taken in 2022. We also offer emotional support via email and online chat and hope to re-open to face-to-face callers, that service having been suspended during the pandemic.
The objects of Edinburgh Samaritans are:
• To enable persons in Edinburgh and the Lothians and the surrounding area as well as elsewhere who are experiencing feelings of distress or despair, including those who may be at risk of suicide, to receive confidential emotional support at any time of the day or night in order to improve their emotional health and to reduce the incidence of suicide;
• To promote better public understanding of suicide, suicidal behaviour and the value of being able to talk to someone to express feelings which might otherwise lead to suicidal thoughts or impaired mental health;
• To collaborate with and support Samaritans Central Charity (SCC) and its affiliated branches in fulfilling these objectives.
The branch is run almost entirely by our 195 volunteers including selection and training, fundraising, marketing, outreach, IT, property maintenance and health & safety.
Volunteers are involved in outreach to schools and communities and supporting listening schemes in two prisons.
In 2020, the branch opened a charity shop, the first in Scotland, which is already our largest regular source of income. The shop is managed by a full-time manager and two assistant managers assisted by a team of volunteers.
