Samaritans
Also known as: The Samaritans
Samaritans is the coordinating body for the 201 Samaritans branches located across the UK and Ireland. Samaritans provides a safe place for people to talk, round the clock, every single day of the year. People can get in touch by phone, letter or by visiting a branch. Volunteers also do outreach work, for example, at festivals, prisons, hospitals and schools.
Activities & Mission
Samaritans is the coordinating body for the 201 Samaritans branches located across the UK and Ireland. Samaritans provides a safe place for people to talk, round the clock, every single day of the year. People can get in touch by phone, letter or by visiting a branch. Volunteers also do outreach work, for example, at festivals, prisons, hospitals and schools.
Grants
Samaritans makes grants as part of its work.
- Gives grants to
- organisations
- Total spending (2026)
- £27,353,000
- Only charities with income over £500,000 file a separate grants figure.
- Who it helps
- other charities or voluntary bodies, other defined groups and the general public
- What it supports
- education and training and the advancement of health or the saving of lives
As recorded with the Charity Commission. To ask about applying, use the contact details and check the trustees and latest accounts below.
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Where this charity is registered to operate, as self-declared to the Charity Commission. These are regulatory classifications, not a list of active programmes, and don't necessarily indicate fundraising activity in each location.
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Region
Financial Information
Financial Efficiency
Higher than 48% of UK Health charities with income over £10M (sample: 159). How is this calculated?
Higher than 35% of UK Health charities with income over £10M. How is this calculated?
Lower overhead than 31% of UK Health charities with income over £10M. (Lower overhead is generally read as more efficient.) How is this calculated?
Latest Financial Breakdown
Income Sources
Expenditure Categories
Financial Trend
Annual Returns
As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2026.
| Financial Year | Income | Expenditure | Charitable Spending | Net Assets | Reserves | Staff |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | £24,567,000 | £27,353,000 | £19,793,000 | £20,796,000 | £10,031,000 | 322 / 23000 |
| 2025 | £27,517,000 | £28,048,000 | £21,355,000 | £23,473,000 | £12,107,000 | 328 / 23000 |
| 2024 | £24,617,393 | £25,897,672 | £20,052,005 | £23,914,652 | £12,100,000 | 331 / 23000 |
| 2023 | £23,922,279 | £27,944,395 | £21,843,426 | £25,048,000 | £11,000,000 | 328 / 23000 |
| 2022 | £27,445,047 | £27,755,875 | £21,681,426 | £29,131,580 | £11,713,183 | 301 / 22000 |
Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers
Frequently asked questions about Samaritans
What does Samaritans do?
Samaritans is the coordinating body for the 201 Samaritans branches located across the UK and Ireland. Samaritans provides a safe place for people to talk, round the clock, every single day of the year. People can get in touch by phone, letter or by visiting a branch. Volunteers also do outreach work, for example, at festivals, prisons, hospitals and schools.
How much income did Samaritans report in 2026?
Samaritans reported total income of £24.57m and reported expenditure of £27.35m for the financial year ending 2026, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.
How efficient is Samaritans?
Samaritans has a program ratio of 80.6%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 48% of UK Health charities with income over £10M (sample of 159 charities). See our methodology for how this is calculated.
When was Samaritans registered as a charity?
Samaritans was registered with the Charity Commission for England and Wales on 28 August 1963 as charity number 219432. It has been registered for 63 years.
Who runs Samaritans?
Samaritans is governed by a board of 14 trustees. Trustees are legally responsible for the charity's governance and are listed in full on its profile.
Where does Samaritans operate?
Samaritans operates across 7 areas, including Guernsey, Ireland, Isle Of Man and 4 others. The full list is shown on its profile.
Is Samaritans a registered charity?
Yes — Samaritans is a registered charity in England and Wales, charity number 219432.
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Registry Information
Other notable Health charities
Major UK charities in the same primary sector, drawn from the curated priority cohort.
Trustees
Also governs 2 other charities
Also governs 1 other charity
Also governs 1 other charity
Also governs 1 other charity
Sectors & Classifications
Also Known As
- The Samaritans
Data & trust
- Register data refreshed
- 9 November 2026
- Methodology
- How metrics are calculated