Samaritans offer 'Brew Monday' chats at stations

Samaritan volunteers have been at railway stations to encourage people to talk about feelings.

Members of the south Devon branch were in Newton Abbot, and more volunteers were at Cornwall's Truro station, to talk to passers-by and remind them to "reach out" to people they cared about for a cup of tea and a catch-up.

The charity said there was no such thing as Blue Monday - considered to be the third Monday in January and said to be the most depressing day of the year. It said "feeling low isn't just something that happens on Mondays or a random day in January".

It renamed the day Brew Monday to "remind everyone how good human connection feels. How easy it is. And what a difference it can make".

Robert Langdon, from the charity, said at this time of year people did not know how "low and depressed" others might be.

"It's good to catch-up with people who are on their own and talk to them about things that are going on in their life."

He said the volunteers were available on the phone on 116 123 for anyone who needed to talk, adding not to be reluctant to ring them if they were "struggling".

"We're here to give a listening ear to someone going through a difficult period of their life," Langdon added.

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