Monday 17 Jan 2022
Network Rail and EMR support Samaritans’ Brew Monday in Derby
- Region & Route:
- Eastern
- | Eastern: East Midlands
- Network Rail, EMR and Samaritans have teamed up at Derby station for Brew Monday (17 January)
- Volunteers offered teabags and spoke to station users about the importance of reaching out
Network Rail has teamed up with Samaritans volunteers and East Midlands Railway (EMR) workers at Derby station to encourage passengers to talk over a cuppa this Brew Monday (17 January).
Volunteers offered teabags and spoke to Derby station users, including key workers and rail staff, about the importance of reaching out. The Brew Monday support comes as part of the rail industry’s suicide prevention programme and partnership with Network Rail.
Lauren Cokayne, Community Safety Manager for Network Rail’s East Midlands route, said: “It’s been a real pleasure to spend the day lifting the mood of passengers travelling through Derby station, with free goodies and a friendly chat. Supporting Samaritans’ partnership with the rail industry is something I’m proud to do – especially after the tough few years we’ve had, it’s more important than ever that we take the time to connect with others.”
Whilst the third Monday in January is sometimes referred to as ‘the most difficult day of the year’, the charity is highlighting that there’s no such thing as ‘Blue Monday’ as Samaritans volunteers hear similar concerns all year round from those that contact the charity. The main concerns include mental health and illness (46%), family (34%) and loneliness (28%) *.
Samaritans has worked in partnership with the rail industry and British Transport Police (BTP) to reduce suicides on the railway for over 10 years, having trained over 24,000 rail and BTP staff to look out for passengers and make conversation if they feel someone might be vulnerable.
Samaritans CEO Julie Bentley said: “We’re so grateful to the rail industry for their support of Brew Monday again this year. Throughout the various lockdowns and restrictions, the pandemic has shown us that staying connected with others has been a vital part of getting people through difficult times. We know the impact talking and listening can have, and a cup of tea and a chat won’t solve everything, but it can be a start. You don’t have to have all the answers or solutions, you just need to listen and start a conversation which could just be the support that someone needs.”
Rachel Biggs, Area Manager for Derby, EMR said: “The last few years have been incredibly hard for everyone, now more than ever, it’s essential that we continue to take care of ourselves and each other.
“It has been so great to see so many passengers stopping for a quick chat today, those small interactions can make a huge difference to someone’s day.
“For every life lost on the railway, six are saved by those around them, and hopefully, by working together with The Samaritans and Network Rail, we can work towards reducing the amount of suicides that take place on the railway in the future.”
Find out more at samaritans.org/brewmonday or join the conversation on social media using #BrewMonday and why not make a donation while you’re there, you could help save a life.
ENDS
Notes to Editors
*From December 2020 – November 2021, 46% of contacts that reached out to Samaritans for emotional support mentioned mental health and illness, 34% mentioned family and 28% mentioned loneliness as a concern.
About Samaritans
- Anyone can contact Samaritans FREE any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. This number won’t show up on your phone bill. Or you can email jo@samaritans.org or visit samaritans.org.
- Every day, Samaritans volunteers respond to around 10,000 calls for help.
- Samaritans is a charity and it’s the public’s kind donations and more than 20,000 volunteers that mean we are always there for anyone struggling to cope. Find out how you can support us or volunteer with us.
- You can follow Samaritans on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.
- Samaritans has worked in partnership with Network Rail and the wider rail industry since 2010 to reduce suicides on the railway and support those affected by them. Samaritans has trained over 24,000 rail and BTP staff in suicide prevention and runs awareness campaigns to encourage the public and their staff to start a conversation and recognise the power of human connection to help save lives.
- When reporting on suicide, please bear in mind Samaritans’ Media Guidelines. For further advice, contact the Media Advisory team on 07483 028725/07850 312224 or email: mediaadvice@samaritans.org
- All station events are within current Government guidelines and subject to last-minute changes
Contact information
Passengers / community members
Network Rail national helpline
03457 11 41 41
Latest travel advice
Please visit National Rail Enquiries
Journalists
Louise Leighton
Media Relations Manager
Network Rail
07858 375508
louise.leighton2@networkrail.co.uk
About Network Rail
We own, operate and develop Britain's railway infrastructure; that's 20,000 miles of track, 30,000 bridges, tunnels and viaducts and the thousands of signals, level crossings and stations. We run 20 of the UK's largest stations while all the others, over 2,500, are run by the country's train operating companies.
Usually, there are almost five million journeys made in the UK and over 600 freight trains run on the network. People depend on Britain's railway for their daily commute, to visit friends and loved ones and to get them home safe every day. Our role is to deliver a safe and reliable railway, so we carefully manage and deliver thousands of projects every year that form part of the multi-billion pound Railway Upgrade Plan, to grow and expand the nation's railway network to respond to the tremendous growth and demand the railway has experienced - a doubling of passenger journeys over the past 20 years.
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