Samaritans celebrates 60th Anniversary with the Prince of Wales

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, Patron of Samaritans, hosted a reception for distinguished guests and volunteers to launch the celebrations marking 60 years since the charity received its first call in November 1953.

Speaking at the 60th Anniversary reception at Clarence House last night His Royal Highness commended Samaritans’ bold vision for the future.

He highlighted that the challenges of reaching isolated people at risk of suicide, whether it be in rural or urban areas, or even online, are a priority for the charity moving forward.

Catherine Johnstone, Chief Executive of Samaritans says, “For 60 years, Samaritans has been there for people with nowhere else to turn. Over that time, more than 127,000 volunteers have answered over 115 million calls for help. But despite this marvellous work, more than 6,500 lives are still lost unnecessarily to suicide each year.

“Everyone has moments in their life where they struggle to cope and Samaritans is available for them, round the clock, every single day of the year. As a charity we relay on voluntary donations, in the next five years it is vital we double our income to achieve our ambitions including delivery of emotional support in the online environment.”

Among those present at the reception were some of Samaritans’ high profile supporters, including Stephen Fry, Joanna Lumley, Geoffrey Munn, Baroness Buscombe, Lord Grade and Baroness Wheatcroft.

Earlier today, His Royal Highness visited the offices of Central London Samaritans in Soho, where he unveiled a portrait of the charity’s founder Prebendary Dr Chad Varah CH CBE, and met volunteers, staff and donors.

Felicity Varah Harding, the daughter of the founder, was among those present to meet His Royal Highness. Felicity was an early supporter of her father’s work. More recently she has been heavily involved as a Samaritans Ambassador and Special Adviser to the Chief Executive.

Others present included Allan Toogood, a long serving volunteer, Duncan Irvine former caller and volunteer to the service, David Lock a committed fundraiser and Peter Gibson, volunteer and Director of Central London Samaritans.

Felicity Varah Harding, daughter of Samaritans founder, Chad Varah, said: “My father began Samaritans, with just one telephone. It’s wonderful to see how the charity has grown and flourished over the 60 years since he took that first call in 1953. The challenge now is to look to the future. As the way people choose to communicate changes over time, we need to continue to evolve, combining technology with compassion, to reach people who still so desperately need our help.”

In 1974 ATV promoted the work of The Samaritans when Crossroads ran a long running story which saw the regular paraplegic character of Sandy Richardson – Played by the late Roger Tonge (pictured right) – join the orgranisation as a regular helper. The work the volunteers carry out was portrayed across a number of years.

Crossroads was the first drama programme in the UK to put a telephone helpline on the end of the programme to offer support to viewers effected by thoughts of suicide when a character contemplated taking such action.

The BBC also produced a series called The Befrienders starring Megs Jenkins which was based on Monica Dickens’ novel of the same name.

Samaritans was founded in 1953 by Dr Chad Varah CH CBE. It was the world’s first 24 hour telephone helpline and has expanded from one man and a phone, 60 years ago, to 20,665 volunteers, in 201 branches, answering more than five million calls for help, today. Someone makes contact with Samaritans every six seconds.

The charity’s vision is that fewer people die by suicide. In 2011, 6,045 people across the UK took their own lives. Last year volunteers answered more than 650,000 calls for help from people with suicidal feelings.