Thanks to a donation of £30,000 from Lincolnshire Freemasons, the vital lifesaving work of the Samaritans' 'listening ear' service in Lincolnshire can continue when copper cable phone lines are phased out next year and replaced with 'Voice over Internet' technology.
Lincolnshire Freemasons have stepped in with a donation to buy the latest modern equipment and train more than 300 volunteers working at five locations in the region in its use. Together, they answered more than 37,000 cries for help last year.
Samaritans' Assistant Director of Business Development Jason Jaspal said:
"By 2027, the nation's analogue telephone infrastructure will be switched off. We are working on a new system for Samaritans 203 branches across the country, including five in Lincolnshire, to safeguard our 24-hour helpline service, which supports thousands of people in a crisis daily.
We are so grateful to Lincolnshire Freemasons for this generous donation, which means we can continue the crucial work of these five branches - not just next year, but for many years into the future, potentially saving many lives."
Lincolnshire's senior Freemason Dave Wheeler said:
"The value of the work done by Samaritans' volunteers is beyond priceless. Last year alone, their listening volunteers responded to more than 37,000 calls for help from people experiencing their darkest moments, and there's no reason to suppose the number will be any smaller this year, next year, or any year after that.
We don't know what personal struggles people around us, or even amongst our own friends or their families, are experiencing, but I have no doubt that this donation will provide a platform for volunteers ready to help steer them through troubled times."
The funds come from the Freemasons' charity, the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded entirely by Freemasons through fundraising activities, raffles, and collections.
The donation will fund:
- New equipment and installation at five Samaritans branches in Lincolnshire
- Specialist headsets, including Bluetooth and accessibility versions for people with hearing aids
- WiFi connectors
- Cables and lightweight handsets that look and feel like phone handsets but are connected by USB (for volunteers who don't like headsets)
- Training and support of volunteers to bring them up to speed with the new technology and systems
- Covering volunteers' expenses so no one finds finance a barrier to volunteering
- Branch outreach in communities across Lincolnshire
Last year, centre by centre
- Scunthorpe: 119 volunteers supported 9,579 calls for help
- Lincoln: 51 volunteers supported 7,352 calls for help.
- Grimsby & Cleethorpes: 40 volunteers (including those who support the running of the shop) supported 5,076 calls for help
- Boston: 36 volunteers supported 4,812 calls for help
- Grantham: 96 volunteers supported 10,247 contacts through 9,958 helpline calls and 289 online chat conversations.
