INCREASED isolation and loneliness led to more than 10,000 calls to the Samaritans last December, according to new figures.
The charity said it experienced an increase in calls over Christmas 2020, amid the coronavirus pandemic.
It said 30 per cent of calls related to concerns about loneliness and isolation over the festive season, compared with 25 per cent in December 2019.
The charity released the figures in a bid to remind people that while it may be a time for festive cheer, it can "also be a particularly hard time for people with isolation, loneliness, money problems, relationships and family problems being some of the biggest concerns".
Alan Heron from the Samaritans in Northern Ireland said volunteers will be working over the festive period.
"Last year Samaritan volunteers in Northern Ireland answered over 10,000 calls over the Christmas period alone," he said.
"We want to remind everyone that volunteers across all eight branches will be available 24/7 over the festive holidays."
Explaining what it means to volunteer on Christmas Day, Samaritan volunteer Margaret Campbell said: "It’s no hardship to give up a few hours to listen to callers for whom Christmas brings no joy, no relief from loneliness or anxiety, grief or brokenness, no respite from the struggle just to keep going.
"When I’m listening to someone telling me their deepest feelings, talking about things they can’t share with anyone, time doesn’t matter.
"It’s a privilege to spend however long it takes for a caller to feel that they are cared for, that they have been - and will be - supported, and that they are not alone.
"As the conversation draws to a close, when the caller says 'I feel much better now. Thank you for listening', there’s no better Christmas present."
To contact or donate to the charity, please visit www.samaritans.org.
