Give the gift of listening this Christmas

The event will showcase the services the centre provides and be a source of information for anyone who is thinking of becoming a volunteer with the charity.

Doors will open between 10am and noon on Saturday December 10. A second Information Day will be held in the new year on Tuesday, January 17 from 7pm until 9pm.

The charity has been a permanent member of the Banbury community for the last 42 years and is run entirely on a volunteer basis.

Providing an unbiased and none judgemental avenue for people to turn to the Samaritans offer a basic human need, someone to talk to and who will listen.

The charity is promoting this message this Christmas via the introduction of ‘listening vouchers’ that can be personalised and printed from their website as part of the #RealChristmas campaign.

The vouchers entitles the person receiving it to some one-to- one listening time with the giver.

Tips on how to become a better listener and what to do when someone doesn’t want to talk are also available in the website.

Samaritans is also encouraging donations of £4.26, as another way to give the gift of listening as that’s the cost to the charity of taking a life-saving call.

Alison Page has been a Samaritans volunteer for three years and will be on the phones this Christmas, said: “Samaritans isn’t saying don’t have a good Christmas but try to suspend the demands of the season and spend time with the people you really care about and try to listen to somebody who needs it.

“And if you’re feeling unhappy, down or overwhelmed, remember you can always speak to someone by calling Samaritans on 116 123. If talking on the phone is tricky, you can email, text or write to

Samaritans too.

“We are always there. Even at Christmas.”