Care minister visits Samaritans (From Sutton Guardian)

Sutton and Cheam MP visits Surbiton Samaritans

6:00am Sunday 12th August 2012 in News

Care minister visits Samaritans

The MP for Sutton and Cheam paid a visit to the Samaritans in aid of National Samaritan Awareness Day.

Care minister, Paul Burstow, praised the work of Samaritans when he visited their branch in Surbiton on Tuesday, July 24.

He said: “I was touched today to see how the hard work of Samaritans volunteers truly helps Sutton residents in desperate need of support.

“It is great to see members of the community coming together to perform this noble task in their spare time, and the visit has given me a genuine insight into the vital service they carry out.

“Charities like the Samaritans are fantastic and we must continue to support their work so that more and more local people get the emotional support they need in their darkest hour.”

Earlier in the week, Mr Burstow unveiled the Government’s new national framework to improve mental health and wellbeing.

The Samaritans is a nationwide charity that relies on volunteers to talk to distressed callers on the 24 hour helpline.

The volunteers deal with cases that range from those wanting emotional support to callers on the verge of committing suicide.