Greater Anglia show support for Samaritans campaign
The train operator is reminding people that 'Small Talk Saves Lives'
Train operator Greater Anglia is reminding the public that small talk can save lives.
The idea behind the Samaritans campaign 'Small Talk Saves Lives' is to empower the public to trust their instincts and start a conversation if they think someone needs help in railway stations and other public settings.
It comes after new research from the Samaritans revealed that 49% of people have avoided engaging with someone they don’t know due to the fear of having to make small talk – with over 1 in 5 worried they would say the wrong thing.
The campaign reassures the public a little small talk like ‘do you know where I can grab a cuppa?’ can be all it takes to interrupt someone’s suicidal thoughts and remind them support is available.
Samaritans CEO Julie Bentley said:
"Every day, there are people across Great Britain who are in distress and need support. Our Small Talk Saves Lives campaign empowers people to trust their instincts and have the confidence to act in a way that could save a life.”
Greater Anglia staff will be doing Samaritan volunteers at stations across the network to tell people about the campaign and remind them that saying something is better than saying nothing at all.
Georgia Payne, Greater Anglia Safeguarding and Trespass Prevention Lead, said:
“We are proud to be working in partnership with Samaritans again on this important campaign to help raise awareness of the power of small talk.
You can find out more on the campaign on the Samaritans website.