Criminals might seem the least likely option for people to turn to in their hour of need but inmates could be among the army of anonymous lifesavers whose impartial listening skills have made the Samaritans renowned throughout the world.

More than 26,000 people contacted the Chiltern Samaritans last year to share their concerns. With such a level of demand for their services a big pool of volunteers is a vital resource.

The Chilterns Samaritan branch, which serves the whole of Buckinghamshire, is one of 18 branches throughout the south where membership levels are rising, due partly to an inclusive recruitment drive.

Christine Packer, the Chiltern Samaritan's deputy director, said that within the last year there had been an increase in volunteers from ethnic minorities, and the young, deaf and partially sighted and even inmates.

Callers' most common concerns are money problems, bereavement, exams, depression and mental illness.

Volunteers work in shifts to provide 24-hour support, 365 days of the year. There is always at least two volunteers on duty to receive calls and provide each other with moral support after a distressing call.

Ms Packer said: "The amount of contact by email has increased so much nearly ten per cent of contacts made, we often need a third volunteer to handle the volume of written enquiries. The role is suitable for people with hearing problems and we also have partially sighted volunteers on the phones and our building has wheelchair access too.

"We draw our volunteers from a wide range of people aged between 19 and 85. They don't need any experience of working in the public sector as we provide full training, which is among the best in the world.

"The only quality they need is an open mind and willingness to listen without judging. We have even trained some Samaritans in a Buckinghamshire young offenders institute to listen to their fellow inmates."

On Friday the mayors of Amersham, Chesham, Beaconsfield, Wycombe and Aylesbury attended an annual tour and presentation by the Chiltern Samaritans at its Amersham headquarters.

Ms Packer was pleased to report an increase in young members in their early 20s as well as an increase in the branch membership overall, despite the trend of dwindling voluntary sector membership across the country.

She said: "Most voluntary organisations have been suffering from a fall in members in the last five years. With the advent of the internet there are so many different organisations out there crying out for people's support."

The Samaritans receive a lot of initial interest from members of the public but that interest hasn't always translated into applications. Last year the branch changed its recruitment strategy and started inviting people on tours to see them at work and to meet other volunteers.

Ms Packer said it had been very successful because it was more "real" for people than reading the information from a sheet of paper. She warned that volunteering was not a decision to be made lightly but people were often moved when they saw how much difference their volunteers could make.

All the volunteers including management are unpaid. The charity survives on council donations, public donations and Government grants. It also fundraises by providing talks to schools in exchange for donations and attending large public events and festivals to raise awareness.

For more information about supporting the charity or becoming a volunteer contact 08457 909090 or visit www. samaritans.org

The Samaritans were established in 1954

Last year 26,785 people contacted the Chiltern's branch.

9,542 people hung up before speaking to anyone

15,642 callers were successfully answered

115 people were seen in person and 1,477 enquiries were dealt with by email

Approximately 46 per cent of callers were from men and 51 per cent from women

The Chiltern's branch has 122 volunteers and serves a catchment population of 400,000

The average volunteering lifespan of a trained volunteer is between five and ten years