Hearing a friendly voice can make all the difference. Our dedicated volunteers are here to provide you with friendly phone calls whenever you need them. It’s a completely free service, and there’s no need for a doctor’s referral.

Check in and chat

Volunteers are available to provide a friendly chat and a listening ear. You can request calls for up to 18 weeks daily or weekly. There will be a different volunteer calling each time giving plenty of opportunity to have conversations with lots of different people from all over England.

Companionship calls

If you would benefit from (or would prefer) the continuity of speaking to the same person, you can request Companionship Calls. These Calls can be requested daily or weekly (up to 3 calls per week) for 6 weeks. Calls will be with the same volunteer.

To arrange telephone calls with our volunteers, call us on 0808 196 3646 or visit NHS and Care Volunteer Responders.

It can be hard to notice when somebody is having suicidal thoughts and what to say. You might worry about saying the wrong thing or being intrusive, but having the confidence to act could help save a life.

Zero Suicide Alliance provides basic suicide awareness training courses to help people gain the skills they need to speak to someone they’re worried about. By taking the training, you’ll be able to:

The training is free, confidential and available to anyone aged 16 or over who would like to learn vital suicide awareness and prevention skills.

Zero Suicide Alliance also offers suicide awareness training to support veterans, university students, people with autism, taxi drivers, prisons, and those working in the probation service.

Suicide prevention is everyone’s business.

Take Zero Suicide Alliance’s free online suicide awareness training course.

If you’re struggling with your feelings, or you’re worried about someone else, these organisations are on-hand to help at any time – with no judgement:

Call: Connection – Dorset’s 24/7 mental health helpline – get free advice from the NHS at any time, for anyone in Dorset. Call 0800 652 0190.

Text: Shout – Text ‘SHOUT’ to 85258 for mental health support wherever you are. It’s a free, confidential, 24/7 text messaging support service for anyone who is struggling to cope.

Talk to: Samaritans – Whatever you’re going through, Samaritans are on-hand to listen day and night, however big or small the problem. Call 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org

Drop in: Access mental health – If you’re 18 and over, you can drop into Dorset’s Community Front Rooms or Retreats for mental health support. Opening times can vary so visit www.dorsethealthcare.nhs.uk/access-mental-health for more information.