EACH year at this time The Samaritans aim to encourage those who may be passing through any form of emotional crisis or contemplating suicide to contact us via the national emergency telephone number listed in all phone books (08457 909090).

Callers can also contact The Samaritans via its e-mail address (jo@samaritans.org). There are more than 200 Samaritan centres where people can call to talk privately on a one-to-one basis.

Less well known is The Samaritans' national Correspondence Branch, which offers the same degree of confidential support through the written word. We have a national network of trained volunteers, dedicated to corresponding with anyone of any age. Our growing volume of mail indicates that both the very old and the very young are now increasingly choosing to contact The Samaritans in this way.

If any of your readers need to contact this branch of the Samaritan movement all they have to do is write to: Chris, PO Box 90 90, Stirling FK8 2SA. The service is confidential and completely free.

Richard Balkwill,

Samaritans Correspondence Branch,

Stirling.

Updated: 10:43 Tuesday, May 21, 2002