Financial worries are accounting for one in six calls to the Samaritans.

Recent figures from the charity indicate that the figure has risen from one in ten.

“We are talking to people who have been affected by the bedroom tax who are absolutely beside themselves worrying about benefit cuts and particularly people with disabilities who are being re-assessed,” says Austin, a volunteer at Bradford’s Samaritans branch.

In comparison to the charity’s national figures, which show an increase from 2,384,710 in 2011 to 2,412,937 in 2012, Bradford’s call figures have stabilised at 1,500 per month.

Calls touch on various issues such as relationship breakdowns, but often the caller’s predicament has been caused by redundancy or unemployment.

“People feel quite helpless about debt,” says Austin.

He says the charity noticed an increase in calls around the time reviews began into sickness benefits. For those who are off work due to mental health issues or depression, the situation can exacerbate their existing problems.

“If you have already got stress or you have a mental health problem you already have a problem understanding things cognitively anyway,” says Austin.

“We’re getting calls from people who’ve been told their job is under threat and that is absolutely a financial worry. In terms of the recession, we’re seeing it biting emotionally with people.”

National figures have revealed that e-mails, texts, letters and face-to-face contact in branches of the Samaritans were also up from 2011 to 2012.

The news comes at a time when the charity marks its 60th anniversary. The Prince of Wales, patron of the Samaritans, recently commended the charity’s bold vision for the future during a reception he hosted at Clarence House for volunteers.

Volunteers are integral to the operation. In addition to answering calls, they work with schools, hospitals, homeless shelters and prisons.

The charity has a series of partnerships with Facebook, Google and Network Rail to reduce suicides and provides training to outside organisations on working with vulnerable people.

Being a volunteer, Austin appreciates the important role he and his team at Bradford fulfill. But in the 15 years since he joined, he has seen the number of volunteers within Bradford branch dwindle from 140 to 63.

The current range in ages within the branch are 18 to 88. All volunteers are trained and the most important aspect of the role is to listen.

“We are totally confidential. Whatever anybody says to us will not go outside the organisation,” says Austin. “The big thing is we don’t give advice and we don’t solve problems, nobody can. If you came to us and said your relationship was breaking up we wouldn’t be telling you to ‘pull yourself together, it will sort itself out’. We are there to listen.

“With our callers, we don’t advise them or tell them what we think. We are there to give them space to explore their feelings.”

Austin says fragmented communities may have contributed to the increasing demand the charity is experiencing nationally. He says whereas 40 or 50 years ago people looked out for their neighbours, the demands of modern society mean many of us are often too busy to notice.

“But it (community support) is more important now than it has ever been,” he adds.

Bradford’s Samaritans branch is taking proactive steps to raise its profile through its Feet on the Streets initiative. Launched eight months ago, the scheme involves volunteers from the branch liaising with the city’s Street Angels to support those in need.

Austin talks of the volunteers who spend often bitterly cold evenings out on Bradford’s city centre streets, illustrating the dedication of those delivering this invaluable service.

Without them and their fellow volunteers, the Samaritans wouldn’t have a future. “The volunteers are vital,” says Austin. “The organisation would cease to exist without them. We know all charities are facing the same kind of volunteer slump, but we’re 100 per cent reliant on volunteers. One of the reasons I joined the Samaritans was that it is very unusual as a charity because with many charities you’re fundraising for, the professionals to do the job.

“When I joined the Samaritans you are doing the job. We don’t raise funds for professionals to do it – we come in and do it.”

For more information or to enquire about being a volunteer, call (01274) 547547 or visit samaritans.org.