More calls were made to Lifeline in 2014 than in any year since the charity was established in 1963.
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The 930,000 calls the crisis support and suicide prevention service received last year represented an increase of 25 per cent in two years.
Lifeline CEO Jane Hayden said the figures were a reflection of the nearly 600 suicide safety checks the organisation performs daily.
“In one way, it’s encouraging that more help seekers know that we’re just a phone call away if people are feeling alone, hopeless or just struggling to cope," she said.
“On the other hand, it also reflects the persistently high numbers of people having thoughts about suicide.
“Compared with the average of seven deaths by suicide each day, it is clear that Lifeline continues to provide an absolutely crucial suicide prevention role.”
Lifeline's central Victorian branch answered 22,945 calls during 2014, an increase of 16 per cent over the 19,743 calls answered in 2013, which was itself a 13 per cent increase on the previous year.
Lifeline Central Victoria & Mallee chief executive officer Leo Schultz said more calls were answered in the region than in any other non-capital city based Lifeline centre.
He said the local centre answered calls from all over the country and attributed the rising numbers to an increase in volunteer numbers.
"This is a credit to our hard working team of volunteers and something that Central Victoria can be proud of," he said.
"All of this is achieved on a shoestring budget with our cost-per-call being about 25 per cent of the national average."
Mr Shultz said volunteers gained valuable life skills which served them well in their lives outside their volunteer role.
"We have a lot of students coming to us who are doing social work or psychology or teaching studies and they gain valuable skills that contribute a practical element to their studies, but apart from that we have people of all ages and from all walks of life," he said.
"What we're after is people who have empathy, are willing to learn and who can communicate in a non-judgmental way."
Ms Hayden said Lifeline relied on generous community support, corporate donations and government funding to keep up with demand.
“Lifeline is a volunteer-based charity and every dollar donated helps prevent a suicide,” she said.
Donations can be made to Lifeline Central Victoria and Mallee at www.givenow.com.au/cause3174 or by contacting Leo Schultz on 5443 1330 during business hours.
The next volunteer information night is scheduled for March 31 at the La Trobe Visual Arts Centre in View Street at 6pm.
For help call Lifeline on 13 11 14.