I became a Samaritans' listening volunteer in January. My Dad always said that being able to talk about his depression with family and friends made it easier to bear in the bad times. Sadly, however, many people call the Samaritans because they feel they have nowhere else to turn with their problems. Samaritans are on hand every day and night to help those struggling to cope. All calls are confidential and we listen without judgement.

- The Samaritans receive a call every six seconds, handling more than five million calls each year.

- For every 10 calls answered, one person doesn't get through. And that missed call really can be a matter of life or death.

- All calls are taken by volunteers and the charity receives almost no government funding.

I've set myself a challenge to walk 100 miles to raise much-needed funds to support the Samaritans work. I'm kicking off with the Grand Union Challenge on 28/9 June by walking 100 km (62 miles) from Little Venice to Bletchley. And I want to complete this in less than 24 hours which means no sleep and minimal rest stops.

Next up will be the Chilterns (walking!) Marathon in September which will be hillier and involve a very personal challenge of accurate map-reading... And I'll be walking to the start to complete my 100 miles target.

Many more miles will be walked in training and there will be blisters and pain along the way but every penny I raise will make a real difference to people in their hour of need. As a caller said to me recently, 'I wouldn't still be here if it wasn't for the Samaritans.'   

I would really appreciate any donation you can give to help the charity continue its great work. 

Love,

Louise X

PS The blah blah bit .... Donating through JustGiving is totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the charity.