Samaritans founder Chad Varah honoured with Barton birthplace plaque

The Rev Chad Varah was born in Barton-upon-Humber in 1911

A commemorative plaque to honour the founder of the Samaritans has been unveiled in the town where he was born.

The plaque at the station in Barton-upon-Humber, North Lincolnshire, marks 70 years since the Rev Chad Varah took the charity's first phone call.

Dr Varah started the organisation with one telephone line and took its first call on 2 November 1953.

Daniela Proudlove, of the Scunthorpe branch, said he was a "terrific man, well ahead of his time".

She said: "We are not here to judge.

"People are there not to offer advice but just to listen. It doesn't matter what you want to talk about, whatever is worrying you."

The plaque was unveiled at Barton-upon-Humber railway station

Dr Varah was an assistant curate in Lincoln in 1935 when he was inspired to establish the charity.

He attended the funeral of a 14-year-old girl and asked the undertaker why the girl was being buried in unconsecrated ground.

He was told she had killed herself because she had mistaken menstruation for a serious disease.

Dr Varah, who died in November 2007, said the girl's death had "changed my life".

Dr Varah took the charity's first call on 2 November 1953

He later founded the charity, which he insisted should not be a religious organisation, and it grew rapidly.

It now has more than 20,000 volunteers and a Samaritan responds to a call for help around every 10 seconds.

Bob Howe from Leeds said volunteering was "very special"

Bob Howe, 68, from Leeds, has been volunteering for the charity for 20 years.

"From my first calls, I quickly realised the value of Samaritans and how important and supportive our work is to people in need, be they suicidal or just needing to talk through whatever is happening to them at that time," he said.

"Being a listening volunteer puts you right at the side of the person you are there to help, as if you were in the same room, and that makes it a very special place to be."

He added: "Volunteering can change someone's life - yours."