Christmas can be a stressful time of year.

Lack of money, family pressures, isolation or bereavement and problems at work can make life unbearable.

Sometimes talking to somebody is all it takes to ease the pressure but not everyone feels able to cope with a conversation.

Technology may provide an answer when all else has failed.

It is probably no surprise that, during the Christmas period, calls to the Samaritans increase by at least 18 per cent.

Brighton, Hove and District Samaritans' branch answers almost 46,500 calls a year, about 900 calls a week from people in despair.

In November 2001, the branch received 3,479 calls but the following month the calls rose to 4,052. There is no reason to think things will be any different this Christmas.

But it could be different for some people because the branch has announced they can now also receive emails (as well as phone calls, visits and letters).

Barclays Bank has donated £500,000 to Samaritans nationally to promote the email service and Brighton received £700 towards the costs of setting up as an email branch.

Because the South-East is so richly endowed with information technology-based businesses that work at extremely high levels of stress, and because Sussex has an extremely high percentage of people with personal access to the internet, it was a logical move forward. So how will it help?

Andy, a Samaritans volunteer who has been heavily involved with setting up the project, said: "Some people find it very hard to actually talk to a person about their feelings of distress or sadness.

"Some people find it much easier to explore their feelings and their private distress by writing down their emotions in an email.

"Although we have always been able to answer letters, it is important Samaritans can now accept email, which has become one of the most commonly-used forms of communication and one that many people prefer.

"Each email we receive is answered within 24 hours by a specially trained volunteer who will help the person in distress to explore their feelings as well as giving them the time and the space to find a way through."

The branch is convinced this is a service that will be used by people of all ages but it will be especially important when it comes to offering support to young people.

Andy said the email option for contacting Samaritans could also be extremely valuable to people with hearing or speech difficulties, problems that could make it difficult for them to use the telephone.

You can contact the Samaritans at any time, day or night, seven days a week by email on jo@samaritans.org, telephone on 01273 772277, national helpline 08457 909090 or at:

102 Clarendon Road, Hove (five minutes' walk from Hove station) between 10am and 10pm any day of the week.

For more information, contact Brighton, Hove and District Samaritans' web site:

w w w . s a m a r i t a n s . o r g / brighton or the national web site: www.samaritans.org Samaritans keep their costs to a minimum. It costs £78 a day to keep the branch open. If you or your organisation would like to support it, send a cheque for £78 (payable to "Brighton, Hove and District Samaritans") to: The Fund Raising Officer, Samaritans, 102 Clarendon Road, Hove, East Sussex BN3 3WQ.