CadeFamily.net

So, if you read our HOLIDAY LETTER you know what our plans were for the New Years Eve.   The evening went really well. Great "Beta Test" for the extension having people sleeping in the new rooms and having loads of folk 'round to eat together in the dining room. It was nice having all the kids and Marta & Sylwec and John & Rinata an over to celebrate the new year in our mild mannered way.

We've just started our parenting course (Lucy and I and Tim and Ania are doing it with a couple the Anderson's met at their "Pre-Natal" course). I missed the first session because I was at a Samaritans meeting. After months of training, I'm finally in full swing.    I went to my first "Nursery Team" meeting last night and came away very impressed by how easy and rewarding my calls have been so far--especially compared to some of the difficult ones I heard others took!  The proffesionalism, support and care for the volunteers is very impressive. I sense nothing but respect for the organization from everywhere I turn.

Stephen Fry
tells it like it is

How'd I get into volunteering as a "listener" for Samaritans? I suppose it's an indirect result of Lucy's Mum's suicide really. Not that I felt guilty or horribly that "If only I had ......", but it did make me think about depression, grieving and suicide and how I guess I could have a go at listening to people going through these kinds of crises.

Now that I've gotten started, I'm actually looking forward to supporting and encouraging the other volunteers as much as the actual listening to callers itself.
You Yanks might not know about the Samaritans. There are some branches there, but I don't think the organization is nearly the household name there like it is here. Seems like everyone here thinks being a volunteer is supposed to be secret and that we all have "fake" names that we give out when taking calls. Actually, it is all really up to the individual. So before you blast me for blowing my cover, the only confidentiality I am bound to is that of callers.  Of course I'm not mentioning my volunteering as a way of soliciting "atta-boys" or "kudos" or pats on the back.   Maybe mentioning this subject here will open people's eyes that Samaritans aren't super-people, but just regular guys and galls--like me.   Perhaps someone will call when they don't know where to turn, or need to talk to someone but can't tell anyone they know.   It's not about me, really.

• Two young people die from suicide every day
• Suicide accounts for a quarter of all deaths of young men and is the second most common cause of death for the under 25s after road accidents
• One young person attempts suicide every thirty minutes
• 19 000 cases of attempted suicide among adolescents every year
• Attempted suicide by young men under 25 yrs has almost tripled in 10 yrs
• Twelve young men under 25 yrs die from suicide every week
• Two thirds of suicidal young men say they have no one to talk to about feelings of depression or despair
• The Samaritans helpline 0345 90 90 90 is open 24 hrs a day, 365 days a year
• The Samaritans provide emotional support via email on jo@samaritans.org
• Of 15,300 email contacts to The Samaritans in 1999,
  50% identified by age were under 25 yrs