Trustees and regional representatives at the Samaritans have all been given a smartphone to improve communication and speed up decision-making.

The corporate fundraising team at the charity approached Research in Motion explaining the impact a donation could have. The company has now donated 26 Blackberry Torch 9800 handsets, which are unlocked so that users can use their current SIM card, and provided training.

With the new smartphones the Samaritans hopes that regional representatives, who can receive up to 30 emails a day on top of their day jobs, will be able to better manage their time and commitments.

Chair of the trustees, Stephen Hoddell said: “They will make a massive difference to Samaritans and how we operate, allowing information to cascade throughout the charity at a faster pace. In turn, this will speed up decision-making processes and save us valuable time.”