Airdrie & Coatbridge Advertiser
My single regret is that I did not start as a volunteer any earlier
New Samaritan Julie enjoys the challenge after losing her job
During the 28 years she grafted at the Philips factory in Hamilton, Julie Mcdougall was a worker who considered herself and her Girl Friday role to be valued – mostly.
When, in November 2019, she walked for the last time out of the closure-hit plant – which had in its heyday employed 2000 people – her employer of almost three decades offered those final 70 redundant workers skills development opportunities designed to enhance their chances of securing alternative employment.
“You could pick any course you wanted,” explained gran-of-four Julie, who’d performed various roles at the Wellhall Road plant, from quality control to inspection.
“I did a mental health first aid course. It was something I was interested in. It didn’t lead to a qualification, as such. Just a certificate.”
But the learning experience piqued Julie’s interest. She decided to explore avenues that would allow her to delve further into mental health and wellbeing – a new path that would give her a sense of making a tangible contribution to society.
Julie toyed with the idea of volunteering with a local food bank, or becoming a member of the Children’s Panel.
She was aware of the Samaritans as a household name and had, like most people, a vague notion of their presence in the background for those in their hour of need.
But when she undertook to read more about Samaritans, the organisation’s values instantly resonated with her.
“I showed the Samaritans literature to my husband, Ian. And he said: ‘That is exactly what you would love to do,’” explained Julie.
“I was struck by their empathy – just the way they deal with people. Everybody has tragedy in their life, and I’m no different. I thought that if I was ever going through anything, those were people I would call. It’s something I totally believe in, and something I would totally trust. They wouldn’t give advice. It was more about listening. It was their values that attracted me.”
She applied to become a listening volunteer through the Hamilton-based Lanarkshire branch.
But, in the middle of the pandemic, the wheels of the application process turned slowly.
In March, Julie embarked on a six-week training module delivered through Zoom and the following month, as Covid restrictions eased, she was finally able to visit the branch in Hamilton’s Selkirk Place where she was warmly welcomed.
“When I’ve gone into training situations before, I’ve questioned whether it was really for me, as some of them can be quite intense,” admitted Julie, 57, who next month completes her probationary period and will no longer have to work alongside a mentor when taking calls.
“I really enjoyed the training. As well as being serious, it was fun and uplifting.
“It’s a good way of training, and it made you want to go back. They make it interesting. And when you are enjoying something, you take it in more.”
On her first shift, Julie listened in as her mentor took a call. She picked up tips about phrases to use when listening to people who are troubled, lonely, or struggling with their mental health.
Julie tries to devote as many hours to volunteering as the charity permits. And she varies her shift patterns to give her the opportunity to meet as many new people as possible.
Giving comes naturally to Julie. Not a woman to brag, she seeks no praise or gratitude.
In the words of Samaritans
They listen and listen and listen, without interrupting. They do not preach and havenothing to sell
founder Chad Varah: “There are in this world people who seem to be ‘ordinary’ but turn out to be ‘extraordinary.’ They give their total attention. They listen and listen and listen, without interrupting. They do not preach. They have nothing to sell. We call them Samaritans.’’
“It is not an ego-boost for me,” said Julie, of Fairhill, Hamilton, who enthuses about the warm hearts of the fellow volunteers she’s met, including one who has donated their time to the charity for 50 years.
“I don’t go about saying to people I volunteer for Samaritans. I feel as if I am making a difference. It’s just offering people kindness. When someone ends a call by saying they feel a bit better, that makes it for me. When I go in there, I think it’s something I wish I’d done years ago.”
Julie also wishes that years ago, she’d known how comforting a listening ear can be to someone who is struggling to come to terms with all kinds of issues, including bereavement. Someone like her.
Just over 10 years ago, her younger brother, Jim Stewart, left home to walk his dog in Chatelherault Country Park during extreme winter weather conditions and failed to return.
It was weeks before the body of the 38-year-old was found. He’d lost his footing in deep snow and had been swept into the water in what had been a freak drowning accident.
“Now, looking back, if I had phoned [Samaritans], that would have helped me at that time – just having someone to talk to when family seemed too close,” reflects Julie.
“My brother would have been 50 this year. If only I’d known more about it back then. Nothing can take something like that away – but it helps.”
She believes that the personal tragedy that impacted her own life helps her relate in some way to some of the callers who rely on her to pick up the phone and listen.
But among the many things Julie learned during the Samaritans training programme, which she says is a well-oiled machine, is that under no circumstances should listening volunteers ever ‘selfdisclose.’
This has taught Julie and volunteers like her how to switch off and not take the burden of the content of those calls home with them at the end of a shift.
Shift partners are encouraged to talk to each other, and always brief a team leader about the calls they have taken. It’s then that they can unburden if they’ve found a call unsettling.
The ease with which she’s been able, through meticulous training, to detach her role with Samaritans from her home life initially came as a surprise to Julie, who is looking forward to the arrival of her fifth grandchild at the end of the year.
Her responsibilities as a listening volunteer have given her a way of making a difference, while remaining a rock for her family.
“Straight away, I knew the Samaritans was somewhere I would stay,” she said.
“At the age of 57, I know I have finally found something.”
■ Anyone has it in them to be a Samaritan. You don’t need to have been through a particular life experience or be from a certain walk of life.
Above all, you’ll have the incredible satisfaction of knowing you’re helping people who are in despair.
Anyone who wants to help others, is tolerant and openminded is welcome to apply by completing the online form: www. samaritans.org/support-us/ volunteer/become-samaritanslistening-volunteer/stop-andthink-moment/