Annual Summer Office Break
Tuesday, July 28th, 2026
SBS Summer Office Break 2026
Our office will be closed from 3–31 August 2026
The Swiss Benevolent Society office will be closed for its annual summer break from Monday, 3 August to Monday, 31 August 2026.
We will reopen on Tuesday, 1 September 2026, resuming our regular office hours:
Monday to Wednesday
9:00am–3:00pm UK time
Messages received during the closure will be reviewed after the office reopens. SBS will not be able to provide urgent assistance during this period, so we have listed several organisations and services that may be able to help while we are away.
Welfare and practical support
For help with housing, food, social care or other local welfare concerns, contact your local council:
Emotional wellbeing and mental health support
Swiss Church in London
Rev. Manuel Zimmermann Grey is available for confidential pastoral conversations and support.
Telephone: +44 (0) 7778 516 211
Email: minister@swisschurchlondon.org.uk
Visit the Swiss Church website
Samaritans
Samaritans provides free, confidential emotional support 24 hours a day.
Telephone: 116 123
Shout
Shout is a free, confidential, 24-hour text-support service for anyone in the UK who is struggling to cope.
Text SHOUT to 85258 to begin a conversation with a trained volunteer.
Mind
Mind provides information about mental health, available services and ways to find appropriate support. It is not an emergency service.
Find information and support from Mind
Your GP may also be able to provide advice and refer you to suitable local services.
If you or someone else is in immediate danger, call 999. For urgent medical advice when the situation is not life-threatening, call NHS 111.
Swiss nationality and consular matters
For questions concerning Swiss nationality, passports, identity documents or other consular matters, contact the Regional Consular Centre at the Embassy of Switzerland in London.
Telephone: +44 (0) 20 7616 6000
Visit the Embassy of Switzerland website
FDFA Helpline
The FDFA Helpline is available 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, for matters relating to consular services.
Telephone from Switzerland: +41 800 24-7-365
Telephone from abroad: +41 58 465 33 33
Visit the FDFA Helpline website
Financial difficulties
Citizens Advice provides free and confidential information about debt, benefits and other financial concerns.
Your local council may also be able to advise you about emergency support available in your area:
We will return on 1 September
We apologise for any inconvenience caused by the office closure and appreciate your patience and understanding.
We look forward to assisting you again from Tuesday, 1 September 2026.
In the meantime, you can continue to explore our latest news, wellbeing articles and helpful information:
Visit the SBS News and Blog section
We wish everyone in our community a safe and restful summer.
The Swiss Benevolent Society