Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

Team Sheffield Samaritans is running Sheffield 10K in order to raise some much needed funds for Sheffield Samaritans. We have a range of experiences with running but we're united in wanting to raise money through this challenge to make a real difference to the lives of the people who call us!

For those who don’t know, I’ve been a Samaritans listening volunteer at the Sheffield branch for a couple of years now. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a while having been a user of the service myself in the past when experiencing some particularly difficult times. Since joining as a volunteer in 2022, I’ve seen and heard first hand the impact a listening ear can have on those people who find themselves in a crisis situation and feel they’ve got no one else to turn to. In the year that I started volunteering, 6500 people ended their own life. The Samaritans provides a vital service that can be a real lifeline to those that need it. We offer a non-judgemental space for people to talk, work through their problems, and make their own decisions on their own terms.

Incredibly the majority of the service is run by volunteers. For example, there are only two paid roles in our branch in Sheffield: one for cleaning and one for admin support. Everyone else are volunteers.

Having spent a large proportion of my career working in the charity sector, I’ve seen close up the funding challenges charities experience and our local branch is no different. Please dig deep to help us keep providing the service we do for those that most desperately need it. It will help us keep the lights on, keeps the phone lines running as well as train more volunteers so we can help more people. You can find the link to my Just Giving page here.

This is the first ‘race’ I’ve run in a long while. After dealing with a nasty bout of pneumonia a few years ago I never imagined I’d be in the position where I’d be competing in a race so this feels even more special to me. I’ll be running with a group of my fellow Samaritans, all of us running to raise vital funds for the charity. If you’re Sheffield based or local enough, please do come down and show your support by cheering us on. It all helps! And please donate, even a couple of pounds can make a difference! Thanks for taking the time to read through this. A x