Council backs motion in support of Samaritans and civic reception

MID and East Antrim Borough Council has agreed to commend and recognise the extraordinary efforts of Samaritans during the period of Covid 19 and beyond.

It has also agreed to recognise the mental health challenges facing society and to host a civic reception for Samaritans to mark and raise awareness of the longest night on December 21.

At last week's council meeting elected members backed a notice of motion in support of the Samaritans proposed by UPP Councillor Andrew Wilson.

Cllr Wilson pointed out that the Ballymena branch of the Samaritans has around 60 volunteers and was established in 1974.

He added: “This volunteer support is to be commended and I think it is appropriate that this council joins as one to recognise their work in the area over the decades, especially during the recent pandemic.

“This important work will carry on as the cost of living crises continues to impact on energy, household bills and overall physical and mental health.

“Gas, home heating oil, electricity prices they are all sky rocketing and inflation appears to be out of control.

“There is that level and degree of uncertainty that remains over the timing of financial intervention in Northern Ireland which will be delivered to homes in the rest of the UK next month.”

Cllr Wilson continued: “In the first year of the pandemic 2020 they answered over 121,000 calls which was roughly 33,000 hours.

“The top reasons for calling were Covid, isolation and loneliness, family concerns, mental health or illness and relationship problems.

“Samaritans are not just there for those who have suicidal thoughts they are also there for everyone no matter the issue and I have no doubt the local volunteers have saved lives through their specialised support and their important work will continue.

“As demand for the service has grown so has the volunteers who have come from all walks of life and who offer their hours endlessly and freely.

“During the pandemic the volunteers were not immune to the issues brought on by Covid 19 with some volunteers having to step back from their duties due to their own health and having to pause the face to face service.

“Having said that all volunteers have gone above and beyond to ensure that Samaritans can continue to provide the invaluable helpline service.”

He added: “Having worked with the charity to word this motion the original ask was to join with other councils and light up our civic buildings on the darkest day on 21st December to highlight their positive and supportive work and that would have been to light our buildings up in green.

“As this is contrary to our policy the motion now asks that we help to raise awareness of Samaritans, the support their volunteers provide and to mark the occasion by hosting a civic reception in the Mayor's parlour with the local volunteers.

“Hopefully this will also provide an opportunity to seek out more volunteers from right across the Borough to include Carrickfergus and Larne and to develop Samaritans hubs.

“Hopefully this will go some way to showing our gratitude for the superb and continued efforts of Samaritans locally.”

Seconding the motion Independent Cllr Bobby Hadden commented: “There is absolutely no doubt we are in the midst of a mental health pandemic which has been exacerbated by Covid and will very likely worsen as the cost of living crises hits home and we enter into the winter period.

“I certainly see it and feel it in the community which I serve.

“I was thinking about what we can do as elected members to help. Well we can be Samaritans of constituents who need our support now more than ever.

“We are in a somewhat privileged position in that we can help with issues which are impacting upon their lives on a daily basis.

“I am sure we are all doing this anyway but a kind word, a simple how are you can go a long way to help.

“Of course mental health doesn't discriminate and it is important that we extend these sentiments into our chamber in our dealing with our staff especially, who went through the mill in the last few months.

“We may disagree on many things but we never know what people are going through in their lives.”

Cllr Hadden continued: “Finally be a Samaritan whatever way you can and as they say if you can be anything in this world be kind.”

DUP Ald Paul Reid said he was in full support of the motion.

He added: “There is no doubt that over the next few weeks, months and years there is going to be great demands on the Samaritans.

“We all know the electric, we all know that the heating and the potential increases, excuse the pun, that are in the pipeline to come.

“This is a real crises and we could never thank people like the Samaritans enough.”

UUP Cllr Keith Turner said: “We are coming into a winter where a looming cost of living crises could come and we are going to have to call upon our agencies, including the Samaritans, and others to help with our community groups to provide places of warmth and friendship.

“This council stepped up to the mark in a remarkable way during the Ukrainian refugee crises and has done and continues to do a fantastic job.

“I see it as our job as councillors to go into the community and pull together our community groups, our churches, our community centres, our local groups to provide, during this winter especially, places of warmth, friendship, a cup of tea, anything that can help to alleviate what is going to be a very difficult time.”

He continued: “Let us not wait until we are in the middle of that time until we do something.

“Could I call upon please the Director of Communities to maybe look at scoping some kind of package, working with the different agencies including MEEAP and the warmth packages that we had.

“And also to look at our community centres to see if they can be opened at times to bring people forward, to take them out of their homes and to give them a place where they can come and keep warm and get some reassurance.

“I hope we as a council can pull together and get ourselves and our communities through what will be a very harrowing winter.”

The notice of motion was unanimously agreed.