New Samaritans director praises dedicated volunteers

Volunteers are the 'heart of the charity' - that's according to the newly appointed director of the Samaritans.

Gill Porter has taken over the position and says she wants to use her time raising awareness for the volunteers. 

Samaritans has over 20,000 volunteers in over 201 branches in the UK - they work 24 hours a day, seven days a week, offering a listening ear to those who need it. 

Gill says the volunteers are amazing - but calls are still going unanswered as people rely on them more and more: