St. Hild’s College   Durham            Telephone

                                                                                                             DURHAM 5411

21st 1970

The Rev. Basil Higginson,

The Samaritans,

Pinewood Road,

Iver Heath,

Bucks;

Dear Mr Higginson,

Your name has been given to me by Mrs Lynn Chadbund of the Newcastle Telephone Samaritans, and I am writing to you because I have been making some inquiries about the possibility and the need of a Samaritan service in Durham and I do not think it should proceed with any positive steps until I have been in touch with you.

Perhaps the best thing for me to do is to tell you what has been done to date.  A young colleague of mine, Shirley Jepson and I, (both on the staff of the above college) were interested in this work. We rang up the Newcastle branch and were put in touch with Mrs Chadbund, as a result of which we attended several initiatory lectures which were being given to the newly forming Sunderland group.  This was in October last year.

Following this we spoke to Dr Munro, a psychiatrist, who is in charge of the students’ Health Centre in Durham.  He is also the Secretary of the local branch of the B.M.A.

It is only a week since I heard from Dr. Munro, by telephone, that he had had nothing but good reports from his colleagues in Newcastle and that he was sure, therefore, the Durham B.M.A. would support the idea.  I do, in fact know some of the doctors and psychiatrists in this area.

Meantime we heard of a Mr and Mrs A. Banister how worked with the Newcastle Branch until they removed to Durham, and we have been in contact with them.  We are having a small meeting, our first, on Friday of this week and in addition to we four we hope to have Father Crogan, R.C., Mr Boyd, the college Chaplain, and Mr John Turner, Methodist Minister: seven of us in all. 

We have planned no further at present but we are hoping that the next step will emerge.  Possibly we shall have a bigger meeting at which there will be people invited from bodies likely to be interested... I should think we shall also ask Newcastle or Teesside to come in and help us if they will.

This completes the picture.  I wonder if you could give us the benefit of your comments.  We are anxious to go ahead but have no wish to take any hasty or mistaken action.

                                                            Yours sincerely,

                                                            Kaye Diggle

                                                            Vice Principal

St. Hild’s College   Durham            Telephone

                                                                                                             DURHAM 5411

21st 1970

The Rev. Basil Higginson,

The Samaritans,

Pinewood Road,

Iver Heath,

Bucks;

Dear Mr Higginson,

Your name has been given to me by Mrs Lynn Chadbund of the Newcastle Telephone Samaritans, and I am writing to you because I have been making some inquiries about the possibility and the need of a Samaritan service in Durham and I do not think it should proceed with any positive steps until I have been in touch with you.

Perhaps the best thing for me to do is to tell you what has been done to date.  A young colleague of mine, Shirley Jepson and I, (both on the staff of the above college) were interested in this work. We rang up the Newcastle branch and were put in touch with Mrs Chadbund, as a result of which we attended several initiatory lectures which were being given to the newly forming Sunderland group.  This was in October last year.

Following this we spoke to Dr Munro, a psychiatrist, who is in charge of the students’ Health Centre in Durham.  He is also the Secretary of the local branch of the B.M.A.

It is only a week since I heard from Dr. Munro, by telephone, that he had had nothing but good reports from his colleagues in Newcastle and that he was sure, therefore, the Durham B.M.A. would support the idea.  I do, in fact know some of the doctors and psychiatrists in this area.

Meantime we heard of a Mr and Mrs A. Banister how worked with the Newcastle Branch until they removed to Durham, and we have been in contact with them.  We are having a small meeting, our first, on Friday of this week and in addition to we four we hope to have Father Crogan, R.C., Mr Boyd, the college Chaplain, and Mr John Turner, Methodist Minister: seven of us in all. 

We have planned no further at present but we are hoping that the next step will emerge.  Possibly we shall have a bigger meeting at which there will be people invited from bodies likely to be interested... I should think we shall also ask Newcastle or Teesside to come in and help us if they will.

This completes the picture.  I wonder if you could give us the benefit of your comments.  We are anxious to go ahead but have no wish to take any hasty or mistaken action.

                                                            Yours sincerely,

                                                            Kaye Diggle

                                                            Vice Principal