Winning Sleaford student will put singing star Tom Walker's signed guitar to good use for charity

Joe Butler, picked up the signed electro acoustic guitar from Tom Walker, who has made his name through hits such as Sun Goes Down and Leave the Light On, after winning it through the charity’s Big Listen campaign.

The engineering student from Sleaford, said it was his mum that made the donation to Samaritans for The Big Listen, which encourages people to be better listeners.

The indie-folk musician surprised commuters in London’s Waterloo train station by playing ‘Leave the Light On’ in support of the campaign back in July. To add to this, the star then signed and donated the guitar he was playing to help raise vital funds to keep Samaritans service free for anyone who needs support, 24 hours a day, all year round.

Joe, who has been playing the guitar since the age of 12, was elated. He said: “It was a huge surprise when my mum told me. It’s an amazing thing to have because not only is it a beautiful guitar, it’s also got a lot of history which I absolutely love. I feel very lucky and very thankful to Tom Walker and Samaritans, for the opportunity through The Big Listen.

“Since winning the guitar, I’ve started to listen to more of Tom’s music and have become a big fan. His lyrics are really powerful.”

Joe’s mum Jane, made the donation to Samaritans in support of the campaign, as it is a charity that is close to her heart. Joe says: “My mum has supported Samaritans over several years. We’ve had a few family members who have dealt with depression, so it’s a charity that she believes in and wants to support.”

Joe has lots of plans for the guitar and explains that students at Sunderland University are in for a treat: “I’ve met a few musical friends recently, so I’m going to do some open-mic nights and live gigs in support of Samaritans. I’ll have collection pots wherever we play so I can give something back to the charity.”

Anyone can contact Samaritans any time for free from any phone on 116 123.