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.

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Activities & Mission

Areas of Operation

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.

Show all 7 areas of operation

Country

Guernsey Ireland Isle Of Man Jersey Northern Ireland Scotland

Region

England And Wales

Financial Information

Latest Income

£27,517,000

Latest Expenditure

£28,048,000

Financial Efficiency

Program Ratio 77.6%

% of income going directly to charitable activities

Higher than 44% of UK Health charities with income over £10M (sample: 188). How is this calculated?

Overall Efficiency 76.1%

% of expenditure going to programs (vs overhead)

Higher than 41% of UK Health charities with income over £10M. How is this calculated?

Administrative Ratio 25.6%

Overhead (fundraising + governance) as % of total expenditure

Lower overhead than 38% 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

Donations & Legacies £18,787,000

Charitable Activities £4,201,000

Other Trading £4,051,000

Investments £478,000

Other Income £0

Expenditure Categories

Charitable Expenditure £21,355,000

Raising Funds £6,693,000

Governance £499,000

Grants to Institutions £0

Other Expenditure £0

Financial Trend

Annual Returns

As filed with the Charity Commission for England and Wales. Most recent filing covers the financial year ending 2025.

Financial Year	Income	Expenditure	Charitable Spending	Net Assets	Reserves	Staff
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
2021	£28,222,275	£22,048,454	£17,697,534	£29,432,759	£16,543,063	225 / 20000

Staff column shows: Employees / Volunteers

Frequently asked questions about Samaritans

What does Samaritans do?

How much income did Samaritans report in 2025?

Samaritans reported total income of £27.52m and reported expenditure of £28.05m for the financial year ending 2025, based on the most recent annual return filed with the Charity Commission.

How efficient is Samaritans?

Samaritans has a program ratio of 77.6%, meaning that share of its income goes directly to charitable activities. This is higher than 44% of UK Health charities with income over £10M (sample of 188 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 15 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.