19/01/09 - Supporting the Teesside Samaritans on Blue Monday

Conservative parliamentary candidate for Middlesbrough South & East Cleveland, Paul Bristow, visited the office of the Teesside Samaritans on Friday evening to show his support in what is likely to be one of their busiest times of the year; the weekend leading up to Blue Monday.

Monday 19^th January 2009has been calculated by experts to be the unhappiest day of the year. Debt accumulated at Christmas, nasty weather, and failed New Year's resolutions combine to make this time of the year the gloomiest in the calendar.

Paul met with Judy Hewison, the Director Teesside Samaritans, and volunteers at the centre in Middlesbrough which is going through an extensive refurbishment..

Speaking after his visit, Paul said:

Members of my family have experienced depression and I appreciate how it can impact on individuals and families. This time of year can be particularly difficult, with people in debt after Christmas, and finding it hard to settle back into a work routine during dark days. The Samaritans provide a crucial service and volunteers do an exceptional job. I wanted to show my support for the charity at this busy time of year.

With more calls than usual expected during the winter months, the Samaritans are always looking for good listeners to train as volunteers.

Despite the high call volume, the Samaritans urge people feeling down not to bottle everything up and to get in touch by calling 08457 909090.

The visit came on the week that the Teesside Conservatives launched a campaign on Britains debt crisis showing that every new born child in Teesside would be born owing 17,000. This does not take into account the record personal debt that has been accumulated.

Paul added:

Sadly, groups like the Citizens Advice Bureau and the Samaritans are likely to be even busier as this recession deepens. This means fundraising and attracting new volunteers has become even more important. I would encourage anyone who is good at listening, with time on their hands to get in touch with the Teesside Samaritans.

People can find out more about the Teesside Samaritans by calling 01642 2177 77 or visiting the website http://www.samaritans.org/