“I was on my way to work, I saw someone in a dangerous place who I felt worried about, so I decided to approach them and begin talking. I found out they were feeling suicidal, and they felt completely alone in what they were going through emotionally and mentally. “I was talking with them for around an hour and extra support arrived. Later down the line I received a phone call from them where they let me know they ended up getting the help they needed and thanked me. But the experience really opened my eyes to the fact that there are people out there that need that type of support and don’t get it. “It set me on the path to training as a listening volunteer with Samaritans - something I’ve now been doing for five years. We take such a large variety of calls, one that really sticks with me was with a woman who was in a really low place in her life. By the end of the call, we were both crying with laughter - she said to me it was the first time she’d laughed in 6 months. That was a real gift to me. There are gems like that from calls on every shift. Those calls where you know you’ve got them through the night until the next day are so important to me.” Thank you so much to Keith for everything he does for us, and for sharing his story to show that by starting a conversation, you could help save someone’s life. We’d love to know if any of you have had similar experiences - times when you’ve approached someone who was struggling, or when someone has supported you when you were feeling suicidal. We’d be so grateful if you could share your story with us through this short form: https://bit.ly/3feBc3o To help keep the comments section safe for everyone, we’d kindly ask that you share your story via the form rather than in the comments section. Thank you so much for understanding and for helping us look after each other. (fb)