Standard Life, part of Phoenix Group, is backing the Samaritans charity with a series of activities ahead of Christmas to ensure people know where to turn to if they are struggling to cope during the festive period.

It’s the second year in a row the firm has supported the charity, which receives an average of more than 14,500 telephone calls from across the UK and ROI on Christmas Day.

To raise awareness of the support provided by Samaritans, Standard Life has funded a TV ad which launched on social channels in November.

The company has donated TV airtime to Samaritans in the lead up to Christmas Day. 

The film encourages people to support Samaritans at Christmas and reminds the audience that they are there, if help is needed.

Standard Life has been a corporate partner of the charity for three years and uses training support from Samaritans to train its employees on how to support customers in vulnerable circumstances and to listen with empathy.

It said the training has been "hugely valuable" and it is seeking to extend the active listening principles to colleague looking for help managing difficult or distressing conversations.

Richard Amos, head of corporate partnerships at Samaritans, said: “We are embarking on an essential and ambitious programme of activity focused on recruiting and training more listening volunteers to meet existing demands and expand our service.

“Donations are critical in ensuring we can continue providing support for anyone struggling to cope. Our partnership with Standard Life has been hugely significant in raising both these vital funds and the awareness of the importance of listening across their customer support teams.”

Sangita Chawla, chief marketing officer at Standard Life, said: “We know that the Christmas period can be a challenging time for many, and it’s incredibly important that people know where to turn. People also need the certainty of knowing that there will be someone at the other end of the phone to help, which is why I’m proud that we are supporting the operations and calls on Christmas Day.”

About Samaritans

• Anyone can contact Samaritans FREE any time from any phone on 116 123, even a mobile without credit. This number won’t show up on your phone bill. Or you can visit www.samaritans.org 
• Every 10 seconds, Samaritans responds to a call for help.
• Samaritans is a charity and it’s the public’s kind donations and 23,000 volunteers that mean it is always there for anyone struggling to cope. Find out how you can support or volunteer.
• You can follow Samaritans on social media on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.