Cambridgeshire Freemason Paul Ashby with Cambridge Samaritans Vice Director Charlotte Berrill outside their Cambridge headquarters
Cambridge Samaritans are being supported through the COVID-19 crisis, thanks to a grant from the Freemasons.
The £2,000 grant is especially welcome as Samaritans’ fundraising ability has been reduced by the lockdown, but their local volunteers are still receiving 80 calls or more every day, which works out at one every 18 minutes.
Samaritans have used the money from the grant to reorganise their working arrangements so as to keep staff and volunteers safe, as well as increasing their capacity to respond to calls and emails by investing in new technology. They are also looking at introducing instant messaging as another way for people in distress to be able to contact them.
The COVID-19 pandemic has been expensive for Cambridge Samaritans. They have already had to spend around £4,000 on antiviral wipes, sprays, hand gel and costs for changes to working practices so that their essential service can continue during the crisis period.
The grant from Cambridgeshire Freemasons comes through the Masonic Charitable Foundation, which is funded by Freemasons, their families and friends, from across England and Wales.
John Humpston, Director of Cambridge Samaritans said:
“We’re very grateful to Cambridgeshire Freemasons for helping to sustain the Branch during the pandemic and by extension, our service to callers. We get many calls arising from the stresses created by the virus and, with essential telephony, hygiene and social distancing changes, the grant from the Freemasons has helped us to keep going”.
Paul Ashby, from Cambridgeshire Freemasons said:
“I’m very pleased we’ve been able to help Cambridge Samaritans with their hugely important work. Samaritans are the place that people can go to when they feel they have nowhere else to turn and where they will always have someone there to listen to whatever they need to say.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors
Photograph shows Cambridgeshire Freemason Paul Ashby with Cambridge Samaritans Vice Director Charlotte Berrill outside their Cambridge headquarters.
In response to the extraordinary need created by the coronavirus pandemic, Freemasonry is providing special funding of £2.75 million for projects helping those who are particularly affected by the virus. This extra money comes on top of the estimated £45 million given to charity every year by Freemasons.
For further information about Cambridge Samaritans, please contact: John Humpston, Director, Cambridge Samaritans – www.samaritans.org/branches/cambridge
Samaritans
Anyone can contact Samaritans for free any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. The number will not show up on your phone bill.
Samaritans responds to more than 5.7 million calls for help every year, offering emotional support by phone, email, text and face to face in its 201 branches across the UK and Republic of Ireland.
Just £5 helps us answer one Samaritans call. Go to https://www.samaritans.org/support-us/donate-online to help us be there for even more people that need us.
For further information about the Masonic Charitable Foundation, please contact Guy Roberts, Press Officer (groberts@mcf.org.uk |0203 146 3311)
