Athlone's Nathan inspires 'Shush For Samaritans' campaign

By Rebekah O'Reilly

Athlone resident Nathan Green has inspired a new Samaritans campaign, 'Shush For Samaritans'.

Taking place nationwide on Thursday, July 24, the campaign will see participants take a 24-hour vow of silence in support of the mental health support charity.

The campaign was inspired by Nathan, who chose silence as his fundraiser for the Samaritans 24-Hour Challenge last year, raising a total of €550 for the worthy cause.

"I took part in the original 24-Hour Challenge last year while I was off work recovering from burnout due to factors in my personal life," Nathan said.

"It was a really tough time, and I decided to do a sponsored silence as my fundraiser. I was the only one who picked silence."

The 22-year-old Roscommon native, who works as a Sales Executive at The Sheraton in Athlone, said it "really meant a lot" to know Samaritans were inspired by his fundraiser.

"This campaign is quite personal to me. Samaritans got in touch to say they turned it into its own national campaign 'Shush for Samaritans' inspired by what I did."

The Athlone man said he felt compelled to take part in the original 24-Hour Challenge due to his own struggles with mental health, adding that Samaritans have always been a great support for him.

"Samaritans were there for me at several low points, especially when I was younger and didn’t feel like I had anyone else to turn to. Just being able to pick up the phone and have someone listen without judgment made a huge difference. Sometimes I just needed to cry and let it out, and by the end of the call, I’d feel lighter, even laughing again.

"I’m supporting them because I know how vital their work is, and they helped me through rough patches when I was still finding my footing in life. Now, I’m in a much stronger and more confident place, and I want to use that growth to help shine a light on the support that’s out there, for anyone who might be struggling in silence."

While the nationwide fundraiser will take place on Thursday, July 24, Nathan will be carrying out his fundraiser on Saturday, July 26, to avoid clashes with his busy work schedule.

"As a Sales Executive, my whole job is talking, so I had to choose a day off to stay quiet," Nathan said.

"What started as a personal act of gratitude has now become a full campaign, and I’m honoured to be part of it again.

“The challenge may be quiet, but the message is loud and clear: support is always there, and no one should have to face tough times alone."

Samaritans is there for anyone struggling to cope day or night, 365 days a year, taking action to prevent people reaching crisis point, help people cope, and learn the skills to be there for others. The charity campaign to make suicide prevention a priority.

The Samaritans free phoneline is 116 123, and is open day and night, every day of the year.

You can also reach out for support via email, and some Samaritans branches offer face-to-face support too. For more information, visit samaritans.ie

To support Nathan's fundraiser, go to: https://fundraise.samaritans.ie/fundraisers/nathangreen/24hr-challenge