In December, Tasmania’s oldest telephone befriending service will celebrate its 50th anniversary.

Lifelink Samaritans offers a non-judgmental crisis line to people who are in need of emotional support or are at risk of suicide.

People pick up the phone and at the other end will be a friendly voice and an understanding ear. 

Helene Whitehead has been volunteering with Lifelink Samaritans since 1975. 

A past president and the current vice president, Ms Whitehead said every call was different. 

“You never know what you are going to encounter on the phone,” she said. 

“You just don’t know. I had a call recently where I needed to slow down. 

“I needed to apologise because I was talking too fast.

“But once you get over that hump, people just want to talk and you get their stories. 

“And it is so good to be able to hear them say at the end of the call – ‘thank you for being there, I was at the end of my tether and now I can do what I need to do’. 

“That happens fairly regularly and we get some people who call us up quite often.”

With a background in support work, Ms Whitehead said she first decided to become a Lifelink volunteer as a way to help people. 

Now more than 40 years later, she said the job was as gratifying as ever. 

“It has always been people, that has always been my interest,” she said. 

“My kids were little and I wanted to do something for myself, so I chose Lifelink Samaritans. 

“I did the training course and gradually became more involved with the committee and group leading with new trainees. 

“I have been telephone befriending all that time.

“I used to do an overnight shift, but that got too difficult.

“Now I do three, three-hour shifts a month.

“I spend a fair bit of time there and at times it is almost like another job.”

Entirely run by volunteers with no affiliation to any religious groups, Lifelink was established in December 1968 by a group of like minded people who recognised the need for a support service in Launceston. 

It was the first telephone crisis helpline established in Tasmania and the fourth in Australia.

Samaritans was added to the title later on, to avoid confusion with Lifeline and to recognise the group’s association with Befrienders International and Samaritans Worldwide.

Now half a century later, a group of dedicated volunteers are continuing the lifesaving service to people in crisis all over Australia and New Zealand. 

Since its inception, about 3500 people have undertaken Lifelink Samaritan training courses in Launceston, with about a third going on to become telephone befrienders. 

The organisation relies heavily on community support of its fundraising activities to maintain the helpline, along with some government assistance. 

Combined, approximately 250 volunteers from Launceston, New Zealand and Western Australia take over 3000 phone calls each month.

And like many of the volunteers who have picked up the phone in the past 50 years, Ms Whitehead said it was not an easy job. 

“I suppose I have been doing it that long I tend to be OK with it, but I remember the first time I had a call from someone telling me they wanted to take their own life,” she said. 

“I was petrified. But what I did was I dealt with that, and that person was happy to tell me where they were. 

“I phoned the local police station and they [went] and got that person. 

“The weird thing is that when you walk through town and everything else is normal, and you’re different. Because you have just done something that was so totally outside of your normal. 

“I have just spoken to someone who was ready to take their life. The listening is so important and we have to learn to recognise our own feelings, so that we can put our stuff aside and just be there for them.”

Lifelink Samaritans is not a counselling service, however Ms White said giving people an opportunity to talk about their feelings, without judgement, made a big difference. 

“The work we do for people, even before they reach that crisis point is so important,” she said. 

“And we are all trained to say – ‘look, you sound as if you’re in a pretty dark place, how are you feeling?’. 

“Have you actually talked about taking the step of taking your own life. Some people don’t want to talk about that and other people say – ‘I have thought about it’. 

“We like to think that with us there as that place where people can phone and talk, we are making a difference.”

To celebrate Lifelink Samaritans 50th anniversary, a cocktail party will be held on October 20. 

Lifelink Samaritans president Kim Brundle-Lawrence said the event was a way to recognise the selfless dedication of all volunteers over the past 50 years.

“Reaching our 50th anniversary is an amazing milestone in our long history and testament to the selfless dedication of our hard working volunteers,” she said. 

“In celebrating this anniversary I would like to make a call out to all our past volunteers to contact us if they wish to participate in our celebrations.”

Lifelink Samaritans will also host an introduction training course, for those interested in becoming involved as telephone befrienders.

The seven session course will commence on Tuesday, September 25 and consist of presentations, group activities, role play and simulated phone calls.

Ms Brundle-Lawrence said the course was offered in an informal setting, where people from could learn about the work of Samaritans and how active listening can also be used in everyday communication.

At the end of the course, trainees may be invited by Samaritans to become a telephone befriender. 

Anyone interested in participating in the course is encouraged to email listening@lifelinksamaritans.org.au. 

Past volunteers interested in being involved in the 50th anniversary celebrations are also encouraged to make contact.