Radiohead’s Phil Selway is due to open a new centre for the Samaritans. Mr Selway, a volunteer with the charity, was unveiling the building in Oxford on Friday. The state-of-the-art centre in Magdalen Road features interview and meeting rooms. “It’s a very impressive place,” Mr Selway told BBC Oxford Online.
“For an organisation that’s based on volunteers it’s incredibly professionally run. I think this comes across in the centre.” Mr Selway became a Samaritan when he was a student in Liverpool in the 1980s. The prospect of helping people through difficult times appealed to him. “It’s about giving people the space to explore their own feelings and not be jumping in with your own experiences and own snippets of advice,” Mr Selway said. He initially worked as a volunteer on the charity’s phone lines, but more recently he has been helping to raise its profile. “Because of the profile of the band I’ve been able to highlight the good work of the Samaritans,” he added.
With Radiohead one of the world’s most successful rock acts, drummer Mr Selway has to fit shifts around the band’s schedule. “For me, Radiohead and the Samaritans are polar opposites,” said Mr Selway. “They don’t feed into each other but they do provide a good contrast.” [from BBC]
Radiohead news on this day..
- Radiohead and Amplive agree on release remix project – 2008
- Thom Yorke to guest DJ on NPR’s All Songs Considered – 2008
- Christina Aguilera, Nirvana and Radiohead – 2007
- Deerhoof on Radiohead’s influence on their new LP – 2007
- Tickets for bogus Las Vegas show – 2006
- More on The Weird Sisters from ‘Goblet of Fire’ – 2005
- Radiohead win 2 NME Awards – 2004
