A Bristol mother-of-two has found a renewed sense of purpose by volunteering for the Samaritans, the UK’s suicide prevention charity, after a call to the helpline saved her own life during a mental health crisis.
Leann Caine, 37, regularly leaves her sleeping family in the early hours of the morning to volunteer on the Samaritans’ overnight shift, taking calls from people across the country who are struggling with suicidal thoughts. Caine’s own experience of reaching out to the charity during a personal crisis five years ago has inspired her to dedicate her time to supporting others in their darkest moments.
“That call really did save my life,” Caine said. “I didn’t realise I had reached a point where I just wanted all the feelings I was having to end – I just wanted to run away from the situation. But the Samaritan I spoke to didn’t try to fix me or give me solutions, they just listened, and that was so freeing.”
After that call, Caine sought professional help through the NHS and eventually trained to become a Samaritans volunteer herself in 2022. She now regularly works overnight shifts, often crossing paths with students making their way home as she arrives at the city centre branch.
Caine said the decision to volunteer, especially for the night shifts, was driven by her belief that “everything feels worse at night” when people struggling with their mental health can feel most isolated.
“When you’re up in that overnight period and your brain is just being so unkind to you, you’re like, ‘I just want to sleep’, and yet sleep feels like the furthest thing away from you,” she explained.
In 2024, there were over 6,000 deaths by suicide across England and Wales, the latest available data shows. During 2025, volunteers at the Samaritans’ Bristol branch alone fielded more than 27,000 requests for help.
Caine, who works full-time in risk management, said the skills she has learned as a Samaritans volunteer have also helped her in her personal relationships, including with her younger sister, with whom she previously struggled.
“I’m so grateful that I found Samaritans, and I’m so grateful that I’m a volunteer with them, because I get to help people, I get to help strangers, and I get to help people I care about,” she said.
For anyone struggling with their mental health, the Samaritans can be contacted for free, 24 hours a day, on 116 123. Email support is also available at jo@samaritans.org, and further information can be found at samaritans.org.
