EXETER Samaritans are encouraging people in the area to beat Blue Monday by getting together for a cuppa on Monday, January 21 for Brew Monday.

Dubbed “the most difficult day of the year”, the charity is turning the third Monday in January on its head and is hoping to banish the January blues by encouraging friends, family and work mates to have a chat over a brew.

Samaritans volunteers from Exeter, Mid and East Devon branch will be at Exeter St David’s, Exeter Central and Exmouth railway stations from 6.30am to 9.30am and 3pm to 6pm, chatting to commuters and handing out free tea bags for an essential cuppa.

Located on Richmond Road, the Exeter branch of Samaritans currently has 120 volunteers helping to answer some of the five million calls for help that Samaritans responds to every year from people going through a difficult time.

The branch is also open to callers for a face-to face talk between 10.30am and 9.30pm seven-days-a-week.

John Huxtable, branch manager at Exeter Samaritans said: “We know from the work we do that being able to talk through a problem and have someone listen to you can have an enormously positive impact on your emotional well-being. With isolation and loneliness becoming more prevalent in society, getting together for a brew with friends or colleagues can provide a lift on what is meant to be one of the most difficult days of the year.”

Ian Stevens, Network Rail’s Suicide Prevention programme manager said: “Brew Monday is a great opportunity for the rail industry to show its support for Samaritans and the great work they do in helping people up and down the country.

“Millions of people use the rail network every day and if through this campaign we can encourage them to talk about their problems over a cup of tea, we will have made a significant contribution to their lives and to the lives of those around them.”

Find out more about Brew Monday at: www.samaritans.org/brewmonday .

You can join the conversation on social media using #BrewMonday and why not make a donation while you’re there, you could help save a life.