The Waltham Forest branch of Samaritans has been chosen as 17 & Central’s charity of the year. Over the next year, the shopping centre will be holding events and using its platforms to raise awareness and vital funds for the charity.

After a brilliant year supporting The Together Project and raising over £5,000 for the charity, 17 & Central’s General Manager, Gavin Cockayne explains why the Centre chose Samaritans as its charity partner for 2025: “The Waltham Forest branch of Samaritans approached us for support when we started looking for our charity of the year. Its work – supporting individuals in distress, listening to people having a difficult time and helping them to cope – really resonated with us, especially in the aftermath of Covid.

“By partnering with Samaritans, we not only hope to raise awareness of the invaluable support it offers and encourage our community to get involved through volunteering or donations, but also to make it easier for individuals to reach out. Samaritans is not just for people with suicidal thoughts, it also offers listening and support to people and communities in times of need.”

Based on Lea Bridge Road in Leyton, the busy branch runs an active schedule of outreach in the borough and has a regular presence at Whipps Cross hospital, local train stations, schools, colleges and workplaces, as well as attending events such as Waltham Forest Pride.

This year the branch will also be bringing back face-to-face support. This service unfortunately had to close at the start of Covid, but Samaritans is ready to make it available again. Over the coming months the charity will be renovating its face-to-face sitting room and undergoing additional training so that volunteers can offer this service exactly as it is needed.

This new partnership has been welcomed by Harriet Parker, Outreach Director of Waltham Forest Samaritans, who commented: “It really means a lot to be chosen as 17 & Central’s charity of the year. As a charity, we have to raise our own funds to keep the branch open. We rely on our volunteers to run fundraising events and on donations from others. This is an exciting opportunity for us to show the local area who we are and what we do.”

Fundraising is a key aim of the new partnership and the shopping centre’s support will make a huge difference to the charity

“This year and on an ongoing basis, our goal is to continue to meet branch running costs and keep the services running seamlessly, said Harriet. “We continue to exist because people need and believe in us and become part of Samaritans by volunteering or donating to us. We are a charity and we depend on public and business donations.

“Any funds raised will help with our running costs to keep the branch open. This ranges from paying our bills to making sure we have biscuits in for our volunteers on shift. They’ll also help us to refurbish our face-to-face room and carry out the necessary preparations to offer this service at the branch.”

The branch, which is run almost entirely by volunteers, has already conducted a successful outreach activity at 17 & Central and plans to do more. A coffee and chat event hosted by Samaritans to provide a welcoming space for anyone who needs to chat, is coming soon and the Centre’s Easter Bunny Bonanza activity, which will run from 10-13 April, will provide a fabulous fundraising opportunity.

Samaritans offers vital, often life-saving services for individuals in distress: “We’re here every day and night of the year for anyone struggling to cope,” explained Harriet. “We make sure people have somewhere to turn and support when they need it most and we work with communities to let people know we’re here for them.

“There’s no typical person who calls our helpline. There’s no typical problem that people talk to us about. People talk to us about job stresses, being out of work, money troubles, family struggles, relationship issues, trying to measure up, feeling alone, feeling worthless, feeling sad or angry all the time, getting into trouble, being abused, feeling suicidal, needing to drink to get through the day. It doesn’t matter what kind of problem you have or how big or small it may seem compared to the problems other people have. What matters to us is how your life is making you feel.”

She added: “We’re really excited about this partnership with 17&Central. We’re very grateful to have been chosen – every penny raised will help our branch to stay open and ensure our volunteers can take calls from those who really need us.”