Worthing town crier joins Samaritans at Angmering Railway Station for Small Talk Saves Lives event

The latest Small Talk Saves Lives campaign has seen a new film released on YouTube to send the message that everyone has the potential to be a lifesaver by simply striking up a conversation.

Worthing Samaritans is backing the national campaign by hosting a rail outreach event at Angmering Railway Station on Thursday, February 23, from 7.30am to 9.45am. Volunteers will be talking to travellers and handing out myth-busting leaflets designed to empower them to trust their instincts and strike up a conversation if they see someone in distress.

Fiona Cameron, branch director, said: “It’s understandable that you might feel nervous about approaching someone you don’t know but at Samaritans, we know that suicide is preventable and suicidal thoughts are often temporary. So, just by having the confidence to trust your instincts and use those small talk skills we all have, could be all it takes to interrupt those thoughts and possibly save a life.

"We hope that message is reassuring to people if they are worried, as there’s no evidence that you will make the situation worse and you don’t need training for this. It’s about being there for that person, listening and showing you care which can make all the difference. It has been a challenging time for everyone recently, so let’s look out for one another.”

The aim of the campaign is to boost public confidence and Worthing town crier Bob Smytherman will be there on Thursday to help draw attention to the new film, available on YouTube and across digital and social media.

Small Talk Saves Lives was launched in 2017 after research showed the positive part the public could play in suicide prevention. This latest campaign follows new research conducted by Samarians nationwide, which shows only 50 per cent of UK adults would feel confident to approach someone they felt concerned about and start talking.

When it comes to chatting to someone they don't know, 33 per cent would prefer to do so on the phone, 18 per cent by email and only 9 per cent face-to-face. People worry their approach would not be welcome or that it might make things worse, and 25 per cent said ‘not knowing what to say’ was a concern.