The Lord Mayor’s Appeal has raised nearly half a million pounds to help fund Samaritans’ life-saving helpline and a new wellbeing initiative which is transforming workplaces.
Samaritans is one of three charity partners which are supporting the appeal over three years to create a healthier City for people of all ages.
Thanks to the hard work of the appeal and the generosity of its partners, Samaritans is better equipped to respond to the five million calls for help its 24-hour helpline receives each year.
Ruth Sutherland, Samaritans’ CEO, said: “We’re incredibly grateful to the Lord Mayor’s Appeal for raising this money which really will save lives. By working together, we’re raising awareness of our vital services as well as creating happier and healthier workplaces where people can thrive. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve together over the next two years.”
High on the list of concerns from callers are challenges that can affect anyone: family issues, relationship difficulties, loneliness and isolation, and worries about mental health and physical health. People also contact Samaritans when they are feeling suicidal.
Money raised has also helped to fund the award-winning Wellbeing in the City, an initiative which is part of its This Is Me workplace mental health campaign. Wellbeing in the City brings Samaritans’ listening and wellbeing skills into the workplace through a set of online learning resources.
Thousands of employees have already completed the recourses across the Capital and beyond, from employers including PwC, Bank of England, Leeds Building Society and the Civil Service. After completing the training, more than 90% of participants said they felt more confident approaching someone who was struggling and more able to look after their own wellbeing.
Peter Estlin, the Lord Mayor of the City of London, said: “We’re delighted to see our support having such a transformational impact on people’s lives through Samaritans’ life-saving helpline and the innovative ‘Wellbeing in the City’ project. Our mission is to help one million people thrive through our multi-year strategy, and we’re now well on our way to achieving this target.”
