Making Connections Matter: Three UK and Samaritans partnership extended until April 2026

Three UK is proud to announce the extension of its partnership with Samaritans, now set to run until April 2026. Since its launch in April 2021, the partnership has harnessed the power of connectivity and emotional support to create a meaningful impact on mental health across the UK. This extension underscores Three’s ongoing commitment to mental health and wellbeing, bringing the collaboration to a full five years.

Driven by the mission “Making Connections Matter,” the partnership has seen Three leverage its expertise in communications to support Samaritans’ vital work. Together, they’ve developed innovative campaigns such as Better Phone Friend and #TalkMoreThanFootball, both aimed at fostering open conversations about mental health. Notably, 91% of football fans who saw the latest #TalkMoreThanFootball campaign said they were more likely to talk about mental health with family and friends.

Earlier this month, Three UK and Samaritans were honoured at The ESG & Sustainability Awards 2024, winning Gold for Best ESG Campaign or Case Study to Improve Health and Well-Being for the #TalkMoreThanFootball campaign, along with ESG Related Charity Partnership of the Year for their impactful long-term collaboration. This week, #TalkMoreThanFootball was also awarded Best Corporate Comms Campaign at the CorpComms Awards 2024, recognising the campaign’s significant impact in encouraging open conversations around mental health.

Beyond awareness, Three has been instrumental in supporting Samaritans Training School, which has helped train 300 new listening volunteers answering around 50,000 calls from people struggling to cope.

Three employees have actively participated in fundraising events, including the annual Samarathon and Dawn Walk challenges, events that encourage both awareness and a spirit of solidarity. Thanks to these efforts, the partnership has raised over £800,000 to date, enough to fund over 80,000 life-saving calls for help.

Elaine Carey, Chief Commercial Officer at Three UK, said: “We’re proud to extend our partnership with Samaritans to 2026. Together, we’re dedicated to making a real difference  by connecting people to support and fostering open conversations about mental health. By combining Three’s communications expertise with Samaritans’ commitment to being there for anyone who needs someone to listen, we’re building a lasting legacy. We look forward to continuing this vital work, bringing increased awareness, and support to people right across the UK.”

Sonya Trivedy, Executive Director of External Engagement at Samaritans, said: “We are delighted to continue our partnership with Three UK, which has already made such a positive impact over the past three years. Their support has helped us train more volunteers to meet the high demand of our service, increase awareness of our support to those who need it and raise critical funds so Samaritans can be here now and in the future. We look forward to seeing what we can achieve next.”

The continuation of this partnership allows Three and Samaritans to strengthen their shared mission of creating a lasting legacy for mental health support across the UK. For more on how Three is making a difference, visit three.co.uk/partnerships/Samaritans