As well as working full time at BES Utilities helping train new employees, Alex also finds the time to support the Samaritans and has recently completed a Samarathon to raise money for the charity.
Alex Dodd, who has worked at BES since September 2018 as a Group Learning and Development Trainer, raised £410 (which includes gift aid) for the local Blackpool Samaritans after completing the Samarathon, a sponsored challenge to walk, jog or run 26.2 miles within the month of July.
“I scheduled in these runs throughout the month so I knew I could achieve the target,” said Alex. “I’ve done competition runs in the past, such as Tough Mudder and a 15-mile trail run at Keswick Mountain Festival, but never fundraised. I thought it was about time, especially as this was such a worthy cause, so I signed up to Samarathon and started sharing my fundraising page on social media.”
Alex has always had an interest in volunteering, and after resonating with their values, she decided to get involved with the Samaritans in September 2017 when she became a listening volunteer.
“In the world as it is today, I truly believe everyone should have access to some form of support when life gets tough and you feel you can’t cope,” said Alex. “There are very long waiting lists within the NHS for any form of mental health support, which means that people need somewhere else to turn to, and a lot of the time, they will call Samaritans. Whenever I’m on shift, the phone does not stop ringing. The calls vary from people with a variety of mental health issues, chatting calls, or suicide calls. At Samaritans we do not give advice, we are there to listen and try and support people in making their own decisions. Many times, just for the caller to be able to talk about their feelings can make the difference.”
Alex’s most memorable experience was when she did a shift on Christmas Day for a few hours in the morning before she saw her family.
“People who called were surprised but also thankful that they could talk to someone on Christmas Day, as they wouldn’t have any contact from the outside world,” said Alex. “It was an honour to take these calls, knowing I had been there for someone in their time of need.”
Alex shared her fundraising page across social media and gained the support of her colleagues at BES. Overall, she has raised £410 for this fantastic charity through work, friends and family and her everyday hero fundraising site. It’s not too late to donate, just click here to contribute.
