Last night at Government House, Dame Cindy hosted a festive reception for Samaritans Wellington. Samaritans provides confidential, non-judgmental, non-religious support to those in our communities experiencing loneliness, depression, and other mental health issues. The charity operates a 24/7 crisis helpline and phones are operated by volunteers from the community. Nationally, Samaritans took over 20,000 calls in the financial year ending 31 March 2023, with over 10,000 calls in Wellington.
You can find more images from the event in the Samaritans Wellington Christmas reception image gallery and read Her Excellency's speech via Dame Cindy's speech for the Samaritans Wellington Christmas reception.