A SAMARITANS branch has undergone improvements thanks to generous donations from the Jack Brunton Trust and Barkers Home Store.

The donations have enabled the the Northallerton group to buy new office chairs for volunteers and new sofas to make it a more comfortable environment for people who need to talk to a Samaritan face to face.

Elsa Taylor, deputy director of fundraising, explained: “Our seating, for our callers, and ourselves, unchanged for many years, was shabby and uncomfortable.

“Our calls can often be harrowing, requiring utmost concentration, so Sarah, our retiring director, hoped to improve the situation.

“By the generosity of the Jack Brunton Charitable Trust, and the kindness of Ian Barker, of Barkers Home Store, topped up by a collection at a Sarah Millican gig, we were able to realise that goal.”

Ms Taylor said the group owed the benefactors “huge thanks” for their generosity and stressed that the group still needs to raise money to cover its annual running costs which are between £12,000 to £14,000.

The Northern Echo:

She said: “We have no regular income and are totally reliant on fundraising and the kindness of others. We do have another project to continue with our branch update, but since we do not yet have this year’s running costs secured, we cannot proceed with that dream just now.”

The Northallerton Samaritans opened in 1964 at the request of a sitting coroner who had concerns about the high suicide rate within the farming community.

Alf Wight - best known as James Herriot- and his partner Donald Sinclair were amongst the branch’s founding fathers.

The group covers more than 1,200 square miles of North Yorkshire, with a 200,000-plus population.

The Northallerton Samaritans took in the region of 14,000 calls last year, by telephone email and text.