Summeritons plan to close more than 100 branches in the UK and Ireland, the BBC has learned.
In a presentation for employees, the chief executive of the suicide prevention charity said that his branches would be “at least half”.
A volunteer said that dozens of branches have expressed concern, some have given rise to the migration of volunteers: “They have been eliminating some who have been working for 70 years.”
Samaritons said that more than 200 branches are “not durable and prevent us from providing the best service”.
Established in 1953, Samreen focused on preventing suicides by connecting trained volunteers with people who are struggling.
Charity estimates that it responds to a call to help every 10 seconds.
The proposals were disclosed in a video message sent by the leadership of Charity to the volunteers last week.
Chief Executive Julie Bentley said, while how many branches of charity were required, there was no “a certain scene”: “It is likely that our branch network would be reduced by at least half the next seven to 10 years.
“With low branches, we will see to go to less but large areas,” he said.
If the board of charity agrees for plans at a meeting in September, the change will begin in April in UK and Ireland in 2027. The list of branches that may be closed has not been decided.
Samarit, considered the fourth emergency service by its employees and volunteers, plays an important role in the prevention of suicide, which offers people’s telephone support to people in crisis.
Volunteers who respond to the call are based in offices across the country, many of which will now be closed.
The BBC is explained about more than 50 branches, more than a quarter of the total, raising concerns on an internal platform since the announcement of proposals.
The plan of “virtual volunteering” where people respond to calls from home, fearing that volunteers may leave donations due to pressure to deal with calls about suicide alone.
Others decided to help only because of feeling isolated at home.
Women volunteers have also said that they will be uncomfortable with remote working, which is attained to charity due to the number of derogatory and sexual calls.
In her message to the employees, Ms. Bentley said that some offices failed to maintain enough volunteers and “do not support the effective distribution of our services to the callers”.
He also expressed concern that the income of a lot of socialis is spent on “bricks and mortars used to improve our services”.
But it is a loss of intimacy and supports offices that concern many volunteers.
They fear that charity proposals will create large, uninterrupted call-sensors in large cities and cities, which will reduce the chances of people in rural areas and will be able to reduce the meaning of volunteers being their own volunteers.
In its latest accounts, for 2023–24, about two-thirds (£ 15.3M) of the charity’s income of £ 24.6m (£ 15.3m) was spent on the cost of employees and was less than 4% on land and buildings.
“We are not against change,” a volunteer told the BBC, “but he has not given any evidence that these changes will improve charity. It seems like commercialization of Samari.”
If the proposed proposals will also withdraw the charity from some existing activities, including negotiations in schools and providing emotional support line to veterans.
In a BBC News statement, Samaris insisted that their services are available every minute every day, so people should always be able to contact them.
Ms. Bentley said, “Samaritans offers a life -saving service, day and night, 365 days in a year, but the changing needs of our callers and volunteers means that our services mean to think differently about how to work.”
“We are engaged in proposed reforms with our volunteers, which means that we are able to respond to more calls, are more volunteers on duty and will be for more people in our most dark moments.
He said, “The volunteers of Samaritans are very devoted to our callers and they remain in the heart of our service, but it is clear that there is no variation in the size of 10 to 300 volunteers from having more than 200 branches, which we provide the best possible service to those who we need,” they said.
