Graffiti mural celebrates 60 years of Samaritans in Wolverhampton.

Express & Star

Watch Graffiti mural celebrates 60 years of Samaritans in Wolverhampton. - Express & Star on Dailymotion

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00:00Hi, I'm Councillor Lindsay Leach. I'm here at the Samaritans, which was one of my

00:04charities during my mayoral year. It's fantastic to be invited back to open up

00:09this fantastic artwork here which says, Out of Darkness, Come of Light, which is our

00:15Wolverhampton City's motto and I think it's really fitting with the Samaritans.

00:20So it gives me great pleasure.

00:23Boys, four, three, two, one, Phil!

00:29Let's open the air!

00:39Looks amazing and we've got the artist at LA Boss, what's your name sir?

00:44I'm Mick Fier.

00:45And you're a Wolverhampton lad?

00:47I am of course, yeah, local lad, born and bred.

00:50So nice to get a commissioned local isn't it? You'll be seeing this regularly on your travels.

00:54Oh absolutely yeah, I mean friends and family have come past as well and had positive

00:58things to say. It's been wonderful for me.

01:01It looks great, it looks fantastic. And Jenna, you're the director here?

01:05That's right, yes. I've been director since May and I've been doing various roles within

01:10the organisation for I think it's coming up to nine years now.

01:13Right.

01:14And I'm a Wolverhampton girl so I wouldn't go to any other branch.

01:17Wolverhampton is my heart and yeah, born and bred.

01:20And it's kind of marking 60 years, so is that 60 years in the city?

01:25Yes, so we've been in the city for 60 years and currently doing a history project to kind

01:30of get people's thoughts and feelings so if anybody's got any thoughts and feelings we'd

01:33love to hear them.

01:34Yeah, like if they've been supported over the years or anything like...

01:37Yeah.

01:38Hi up, Linda Leach's boat, what's going on here?

01:40Wow.

01:41Is this my fee?

01:42No, it's certainly not.

01:45This is for our Samaritans.

01:47Oh wow.

01:48Look at that, eh?

01:49Look at that, 12,450.

01:52Wow.

01:53And don't forget the 5p.

01:55Yeah, don't forget the 5p.

01:57So where's this come from then?

01:59So this is from the mayoral year.

02:01Yeah, yeah.

02:02So I've managed to raise over 30, so yeah, it's really good.

02:06Fantastic.

02:07So why do Samaritans then, Linda?

02:09Samaritans?

02:10I think they're really important, to be fair, especially this time of year.

02:14Well, never mind this time of year.

02:16Yeah.

02:17Now how, you know, life's changed, everything's so difficult for people, the cost of living,

02:22with everything that's going on in the world.

02:25People who are really struggling.

02:27And it's nice to know that when you're feeling at your darkest hour, and you've got nowhere

02:32to turn, that there's somebody at the end of the phone, 24-7, that might be able to help

02:38you, which is really important, isn't it?

02:40Fantastic.

02:41And Jenna, that'll really go a long way to helping, you know, keep the service going

02:45here, weren't it?

02:46It really will, and it's, thank you.

02:48It's an awful amount of money.

02:49That's a pleasure.

02:50I wish it was more.

02:51Yeah.

02:52It will make sure that we've got volunteers that can continue answering the phone line

02:57and help us, too.

02:59How many volunteers, can you put a number on how many you have here, kind of, over the

03:04year?

03:05Yeah.

03:06So here at Wolverhampton, we've got about 70 volunteers.

03:09Yeah.

03:10But we're recruiting for more, so if it takes your fancy, give us a call, head to the website

03:14and register your interest.

03:15We've got training happening throughout the year.

03:17Fantastic.

03:18And any ideas, how many kind of calls here at Wolverhampton you've had, like, in a 12-month

03:23period, roughly?

03:24Yeah.

03:25When you're on shift here at Samaritans and your phone line is open, you don't get a

03:29break between the calls.

03:30Yeah.

03:31Wow.

03:32So it's really hard to put a number on.

03:33Yeah.

03:34They just roll in all the time.

03:37And his current financial situations in the countries, you know, feeding bills, do you

03:44see that really having an effect on people, kind of, being here at Samaritans?

03:48Lots of living and changes in society in general.

03:51We get the whole human experience coming through on the Samaritan's phone line.

03:56Yeah.

03:57And so our volunteers are really trained to listen and be there and be non-judgmental and

04:02really supportive.

04:03So it's the whole human experience that comes through.

04:07Awesome.

04:08Well, well done to all involved.

04:09Fantastic minerals, sir, to celebrate such a great organisation in the city.

04:14Well done, guys.

04:17So we're here with the lovely Marlene, a volunteer here at Samaritans Wolverhampton.

04:21And Marlene, how long have you been volunteering?

04:2453 years.

04:25I joined in 72.

04:27I can't get my head around that.

04:29That's crazy.

04:30So, when you first joined back in the day, what made you, you know, met that leap and

04:39joined back then?

04:40Well, there wasn't a lot of charities then.

04:42There was Dr. Bernarders.

04:43I mean, there was no mind or child line or anything like that.

04:48And there were Samaritans.

04:49Yeah.

04:50And I thought it was quite a worthwhile organisation.

04:52Yeah.

04:53And we were all very secretive then.

04:55We didn't tell anybody we were a Samaritan.

04:58Yeah.

04:59So, you know, 53 years, you obviously get something out of it yourself.

05:05You know what I mean?

05:06I do.

05:07Well, yeah.

05:08So, what is it?

05:09Is it knowing that you're kind of supporting someone, you're being a helping figure in the

05:14community?

05:15Is that the joy you get out of the role?

05:17Well, I think Samaritans are very conscious of the fact that tomorrow it's us, isn't it?

05:21Yeah.

05:22We're so close to mental issues and suicidal issues that you don't know how you're going

05:28to feel tomorrow, do you?

05:30Yeah.

05:31So, if you put your brownie points in, then when it comes your turn, someone will do it

05:36for you.

05:37Yeah.

05:38That's a nice way of thinking, really.

05:39So, is that kind of something that was instilled of you from your parents, that kind of, you

05:45know, when you can do things for others and look after them?

05:48That's the thing.

05:49Yeah, my mother used to do everybody's dinner along the road.

05:51Oh, did she?

05:52Oh, okay.

05:53She had a big old house.

05:54Yeah.

05:55And when I came from school, I used to be delivering dinners and felt that, I suppose it came from

06:00her, really.

06:01And there must be times where you finish a volunteer shift and, you know, you've listened

06:07to some stories there, and how do you detox from that and go back and, you know?

06:13Well, we have leaders on duty.

06:15So, leaders put the Samaritan volunteers on duty to start their shift.

06:22And also, they debrief at the end of it, and we always say, you know, you're not taking

06:27it home with you, are you?

06:28Yeah.

06:29We're feeling comfortable about what you've heard.

06:32Yeah.

06:33And we have a lot of training.

06:34Yeah.

06:35We don't, you don't, you only become a probationer after about 12 weeks training.

06:40Okay.

06:41It's quite a long training, and we try and make sure that people who join us haven't

06:46got problems before they come.

06:48Yeah.

06:49Yeah.

06:50So, 53-year service.

06:52When are you hanging up the phone, Marlene?

06:55Oh, I don't know yet.

06:56Yeah.

06:57In some words, probably, yeah, Samaritan, I need Samaritans as much as they need me.

07:02Yeah.

07:03But I guess, I mean, what you've dealt with over those 53 years, that experience in the role

07:08that you do is priceless, really.

07:10Yes, because sometimes you think, because we never know what happens to the people who

07:15put the phone down.

07:16Yeah.

07:17We're not privy to that.

07:18You just have to hope that you've been successful.

07:21And every time I come on duty, it's a brand new duty for me, a brand new one.

07:27Have you ever dared to try and think, I wonder how many phone calls I've took over 53 years?

07:334,000.

07:34It's got to be, hasn't it?

07:35Thousands.

07:36I mean, we take an average of eight to ten phone calls a shift, and we do a shift a week.

07:42Yeah.

07:43So, you know, that's roughly about 40 a month.

07:47And what do you think of the mural? It's lovely, isn't it?

07:49It's lovely.

07:50It is, yeah.

07:51It's very nice and very colourful.

07:52Yeah, yeah.

07:53And very acknowledging the fact that we're here.

07:55Yeah.

07:56Because it was a very dull wall before.

07:57Yeah.

07:58And we are here for the people of Wolverhampton.

08:00Very important that we, you know, make people realise that there is someone out there.

08:06And you can reach out if you want to.

08:08Well, Marlene, you've been here, and you've been out there for 53 years helping with the

08:12community.

08:13So, on behalf of the Express and staff, we just thank you for all those years' service.

08:16Well, it's been my pleasure.

08:18Thank you, honey.

08:19Thank you, honey.

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