Signs are good for Samaritans charity

There’s no excuse for not knowing where the Exeter Mid & East Devon branch of Samaritans is based - it now has its own official ‘fingerpost’ signs in central Exeter.

One of the charity’s less well-known services to clients is face-to-face sessions at its premises on Richmond Road, near the famous Clock Tower in Exeter city centre.

“These sessions are for people who need someone to listen. People can call at the door from 10.30am until 9.30pm seven days a week, with no appointment needed” explains Helen Crossfield, director of the branch.

“Just like our 24/7 telephone service, and our SMS text and email services, we’re here to listen to those in any kind of despair or unhappiness. Now we hope it’s easier for people to find out where we are because of the two fingerposts” says Helen.

The signs are located at the back of Marks and Spencer in Queen Street and by the Clocktower and sit alongside Exeter city council’s existing fingerposts pointing to widely-used facilities like railway stations and museums and to different quarters of the city centre.

“We’re enormously grateful to the city council for including Samaritans on these posts. We’re certainly both moving in the same direction when it comes to recognising the need for people to visit our premises if they wish” Helen continues.

Samaritans provides support to people who are distressed or in despair which may lead to thoughts of suicide. People can talk to us at any time, in their own way and in confidence, about whatever is going on in their life.

The charity is funded entirely by voluntary donations and fund-raising.