Putting the pieces together, 24:7

Media briefing

What is 24:7

Samaritans’ national awareness day 24:7 takes place every year on 24 July. The aim of 24:7 is to raise awareness of the charity’s 201 branches around the UK, and the 24 hour service for people in need of support.

Sponsored by Admiral for the second consecutive year, this year’s theme, Putting the pieces together, 24:7, aims to show how every Samaritans branch is equally vital in helping the charity provide its 24/7 service.

For more information about 24:7 visit www.samaritans247.org

The inspiration

One hundred and nineteen of Samaritans’ branches have put together images, collages, paintings, abstracts and photographs of what the service means to their branch and the local community. The various pieces of artwork range from photographs of volunteers, to written letters from people thanking the branch for their support and collages combining all the different things they do in the local community.

All the pieces of artwork are equally important, helping to create a national image resembling Samaritans’ service.

Using all the submissions, Samaritans has commissioned two art graduates to create a national piece of artwork.

National artwork

Download print quality images of the 24:7 artwork here: http://www.samaritans247.org/national_artwork/high_resolution_images.aspx

The national commission is a flexible structure primarily made out of origami. Spelling out the words ‘Call US’ and ‘Join US’, it uses the branch images printed in black and white to represent night and day, symbolic of Samaritans’ 24 hour service.

The weaving technique illustrates the 'up and downs' of life and the complexity of emotions people may feel, when they need to call Samaritans. It also represents the great human chain - a connection of volunteers from across the UK and Ireland, who provide Samaritans’ crucial service. 

The "Call Us, Join Us" motif is an invitation to the audience to be aware of Samaritans in the 21st Century. It acts as a support net for those in need (Call Us) and as a call to volunteer (Join Us). The two key words interact with one another, using different shades and colours to show the benefits of the charity’s service and volunteers within it.

This piece celebrates the voluntary work carried out 24/7 by more than 18,500 Samaritans volunteers. It is hoped that this piece will be an inspiration to the audience to either call or join the charity.

*** An exclusive unveiling of the national artwork and the branch submissions will take place on Friday 22 July at the Royal College of Art, London ***

The artists

Grit Hartung

Grit is an East London-based freelance Communications Designer. Her work aims to emotionally engage, inform and uplift people and her main interest is in observation. Grit’s work process is driven by design research, collaboration, prototyping and critical enquiry.

Grit was born in Eisenach, Germany and grew up the in the Thuringian Forest. She worked and traveled around the USA for a year, before starting her diploma studies at the School of Technology and Science in Berlin.  Ms Hartung graduated from the Royal College of Art in 2006.

Marilou Rabourdin

Living in East London, Marilou is originally from France. Specialising in graphics, she uses London as the inspiration for much of her work, intrigued by the dynamic and creative platform it offers. 

In 2008, Marlilou graduated from Central Saint Martins. She likes to find creative solutions to problems and to work in partnership with a wide range of people in different age groups, cultures and professional backgrounds.

Passionate about making graphics explore different ways to express and share new ideas, information and emotions, Marilou constantly tries to challenge herself and others in a professional and playful way.

About Samaritans

Every year Samaritans answers five million calls from people across the UK and Ireland who might not have anywhere else to turn. Every five seconds somebody calls Samaritans, and every 60 seconds one of these calls is from someone experiencing suicidal feelings.

The charity was founded by Dr Chad Varah in 1953 and through its network of 18,500 volunteers, Samaritans delivers a 24/7 confidential support service for people feeling down, unhappy, anxious and struggling to cope.

Samaritans can be contacted by phone, email, SMS, letter and face to face at one of its 201 branches. Samaritans offers its service in prisons, schools, festivals and at local railway stations. The national charity has more recently teamed up with Facebook and Google, to help support vulnerable people online.

The charity receives less than 2% funding from the Government, and relies on the public’s generous support to be able to continue to offer a 24/7 service.

It costs £10 million to run the service for a year and each call costs £3.27. In a recent survey 73.5% of suicidal people felt that contact with Samaritans helped them take a decision not to end their own life.

For more information about Samaritans visit www.samaritans.org