PRESS RELEASE
30 Years of Support for Samaritans
Since its formation on 11 March 1979, the Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans has directly raised over £150,000 for the Cheltenham & District Branch of Samaritans.
On 11 March 1979 a small group of people, with an average age of 19, got together to form a “Young Friends” fundraising group for the Cheltenham branch of Samaritans. At the time their main rule for fundraising was that members must be committed and it must be fun and that has held true through to the present day.
The Young Friends then tended to concentrate on events that would increase awareness of Samaritans for a younger group of people and to raise much needed funds at the same time. Since then they have provided great entertainment for people in and around Cheltenham in many different ways, whilst achieving their fundraising goals. They have run discos and pop quizzes, summer barbecues in Pittville Park, the wonderful “Its a Knockout” events in the Prince of Wales Stadium in the late 80s, and more recently “Dragons on the Lake” and the popular Cheltenham Beer Festival.
Nick Lawrence, Chairman of the Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans, said:
“It has been a privilege to be part of this group and it has been an honour to help raise funds for the Cheltenham & District Samaritans. The Cheltenham Samaritans are a remarkable group of people, who freely give their time and skills to provide a much needed service for those people in Cheltenham and the surrounding area who are distressed, desperate and even suicidal. I could not possibly be a listening volunteer but through the Friends I am able to contribute to this superb charity – a charity that is needed even more today than when it was founded over 45 years ago.”
Cynthia Pearce, Director of Cheltenham Samaritans, expressed her appreciation of the Friends:
“I cannot thank the Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans enough. Without their fund raising efforts and the publicity they have given to the work of Samaritans we would not have been able to serve our callers nearly as effectively. It is remarkable to note just what they have achieved over the last thirty years and I think a particular mention should be made of Gary Newman and Leigh Norwood who were part of the original group of ‘young friends’ back in 1979 and are still active within the group to this day. To all who have contributed to the Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans over the last thirty years I wish to say a big thank you.”
Cheltenham Samaritans is a registered charity that aims to reduce the number of deaths by suicide by providing a listening service for people who are distressed, desperate and struggling to cope with life.
For more information about Cheltenham Samaritans please refer to www.cheltenhamsamaritans.org or contact Graham Tandy, Publicity Officer, Cheltenham Samaritans, Victoria House, Back Albert Place, Cheltenham, GL52 2HN (Phone: 07777 683 448 or email: publicity@cheltenhamsamaritans.org)
Further information regarding Friends of Cheltenham Samaritans and a photograph can be obtained by contacting Nick Lawrence (email: nick@cambraypropertymanagement.co.uk or phone: 07912 885105).