As part of our ongoing Copart Cares 💙CSR commitment, we have made a Christmas donation to Samaritans, a registered charity that provides support to anyone who is in emotional distress or is struggling to cope.
At Copart, we’re committed to fostering a supportive workplace culture and to doing everything we can to enhance the wellbeing of our teammates. This includes the promotion of support services and continuous investment into mental health awareness training for our managers.
2021 has been an uncertain and often isolating year for many, so the services of Samaritans have been more important than ever for people who feel they have nobody else to turn to.
At Christmas time, some people struggle more than usual with their mental health or financial pressures, and Samaritans expect to answer over 250,000 calls for help in December alone.
With circa 1,200 employees based across 19 UK locations, we are very aware that some of our teammates may need more support at this time of year. Our Operation Centre teams in particular face the additional pressures of dealing with often distressing situations when handling accident damaged vehicles which have been associated with serious injury or fatalities. Speaking with the relatives of deceased owners who wish to view the vehicle or collect personal belongings is not an easy task and can take its toll emotionally.
Although we provide our own teammate support services at Copart, we know that sometimes people can feel more comfortable talking about their feelings with someone they don’t know, so we are keen to promote and support the vital role of Samaritans in local communities.
Samaritans, which was established in 1954, provides emotional support to people in the UK and Ireland who are struggling to cope or are at the risk of suicide. Their volunteers handle millions of calls every year from people who need someone to listen without judgement or pressure.
Copart’s donation to the Samaritans Christmas Appeal was made directly to the Kettering branch, where one of our teammates works as a volunteer. This will help to fund the recruitment and training of new volunteers, to ensure that there is always someone there to listen, day or night, as demand continues to rise.
Jane Pocock, Managing Director of Copart UK & Ireland, said:
“After a year of uncertainty and disruption, for some people the additional stresses of Christmas can be very challenging both mentally and financially. We’re very proud of the professionalism and integrity all our teammates have shown this year and we are conscious of the emotional impact that the pandemic has had, alongside the difficult aspects of dealing with accident damaged vehicles. We’re so grateful for charities like Samaritans, whose support may be needed by both our teammates and customers. We hope that our donation to the Kettering branch will enable them to answer even more calls and provide vital lifelines to people who are struggling this Christmas.”  Â
Find out more about the great work being done by Samaritans at Samaritans.org.