The McCarthy Stone Foundation has given the Swindon & District Samaritans a welcome boost with a £500 grant to help support its efforts to provide emotional support to individuals struggling to cope.
The Swindon & District Samaritans is run entirely by local volunteers and offers a free, safe place for people to talk about whatever is troubling them by listening without judgement or telling anyone what to do. Whether people call, email or visit the branch on Curtis Street (not currently available), there are over 120 volunteers who are able to listen and help to talk through any worries and concerns, day in day out.
The £500 grant from the McCarthy Stone Foundation will help the branch generate more awareness materials and equipment in a bid to progress their fundraising after a hard time during the pandemic.
Maggie Gill, Listening, Outreach and Publicity Volunteer at Samaritans Swindon & District Branch, said: “To touch another person’s life by just listening, without interruption, is a rare gift, and one of the many reasons why our volunteers are extraordinary. We are extremely grateful for the grant, which came at a time when our ability to fundraise was severely limited. The kind grant from the McCarthy Stone Foundation has gone towards a combination of awareness materials which we will use at outreach events like Swindon & Wiltshire Pride and fundraising materials such as t-shirts and running vests in a bid to generate additional funds for our branch.”
The McCarthy Stone Foundation is the independent, registered charity of the UK’s leading developer and manager of retirement communities, McCarthy Stone, which has a new development in Swindon, Gilbert Place on Lowry Way. It aims to build long-term partnerships with charities and organisations who support the wellbeing of older people, the educational needs of young people and the urban regeneration of communities by providing much-needed financial grants, volunteers, and other resources.
Graeme Marsh, Foundation Manager at the McCarthy Stone Foundation, said: “The Swindon & District Samaritans is an important pillar of the local community. Its support for those in need of emotional help is absolutely vital, including for older people who have experienced isolation during the pandemic. We’re delighted to aid the brilliant efforts of the volunteers at the organisation and help fund their continued work.”
Those interested in finding out more about the McCarthy Stone Foundation can visit https://mccarthystonefoundation.org
