Samaritans need more help at a busy time; Appeal to would-be volunteers.

Byline: ALAN HARRIS 

COVENTRY Samaritans say they are desperately short of volunteers to help them cope with their busiest time of the year.

The charity is appealing for help and is staging two information sessions this month at its branch in Moor Street, Earlsdon, as it looks for potential recruits.

The Samaritans always experience a big increase in calls from people in crisis after Christmas and New Year.

Pat Scott is director of the Coventry branch, which is being re-launched to mark the charity's 50th birthday. She said: "We are desperately short of helpers and now is a good time for people to think about volunteering."

She said the start of the year had already been busy and the branch was under-staffed after volunteers had left because of work and family commitments.

"Our volunteers work 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, so we need people for all that time," she said. "Obviously this type of work can be painful. Listening to other people's problems is difficult for people who may have suffered a bereavement or other problem themselves, so volunteers will be carefully selected for their own good."

Information sessions for potential volunteers are being held at 57 Moor Street on Monday, at 7.30pm, and on January 17, at 6.30pm.

The Samaritans are looking for people who must be aged at least 17, good listeners and "non-judgmental".

The self-funded charity is being re-branded with a new logo this year to mark its half century.

The Coventry Samari-tans group, which also covers Nuneaton, Bed-worth, Leamington, Rugby and Kenilworth, can be contacted on 024 7667 3460.