Samaritans Brew Monday at Ipswich Station

Members from the East Suffolk Lines Community Rail Partnership joined the local chapter of Samaritans this past Monday at Ipswich Station to give away tea and raise money to help those in need.

Samaritans ‘Brew Monday’ took place 20 January across the nation with the local events at Ipswich and Stowmarket stations.

According to research 64% of the British public have experienced loneliness in the past year; 8 out of 10 people 25-34 years old say they’ve felt lonely. Persistent loneliness and isolation can pose a significant risk to health and well-being.

The same research shows that 87% of people say that getting together over a cup of tea would help them feel less lonely, which is what Brew Monday is all about.

More than 300 bags of tea were given away on the day at Ipswich and Stowmarket to encourage people to share a cuppa. At the same time £160 was donated by rail passengers which will help Samaritans continue to operate their free telephone advice service.

Loneliness was cited as the second most common reason why men call Samaritans, and the fourth most common by women.