Overview

• Samaritans operates 201 branches in the UK and Ireland, staffed by 22,000 volunteers who answer a call for help every ten seconds.
• The charity’s accounts for 2023–24 show staff costs consumed £15.3m of its £24.6m income, marking the third straight year of declining revenue.
• Trustees are scheduled to vote in September on proposals to consolidate the branch network into fewer, larger regional hubs.
• If approved, closures will begin in April in the UK and a phased rollout will follow in Ireland in 2027.
• Some volunteers warn the overhaul could weaken local camaraderie and say they would feel uneasy handling distressing calls from home.