Samaritans, the confidential emotional support service, has announced that healthcare provider Simplyhealth, which has head offices in Leeds, will be the lead sponsor for its new fundraising day, Feel Good Friday next Friday 3rd February.

The campaign aims to recruit people to take part in 'feel-good' themed fundraisers and challenges at their place of work, in return for a donation to Samaritans. With a week to go until the day, employees in Yorkshire are being encouraged to organise activities such as coming to work in slippers, playing 'feel good' songs, or hosting a lunchtime Zumba and aerobics class, all in the name of charity.

Simplyhealth has been helping people to access affordable healthcare for almost 140 years, through a variety of health cash plans, dental plans, private medical insurance and daily living aids. The healthcare company has donated £100, 000 which will enable Samaritans to run Feel Good Friday the first Friday of February in 2012 and 2013.

Samaritans' Chief Executive Catherine Johnstone, commented: "It is great that we are able to team-up with a like minded organisation that is focused on helping people. We hope to partner with Simplyhealth for many years and to see Feel Good Friday become an established national fundraising day."

Over the Christmas period, Samaritans answered more than 193,000 calls from people struggling to cope, and funds raised through Feel Good Friday will help the charity answer more calls from people with nowhere else to turn.

Feel Good Friday is taking place on Friday 3 February 2012 and companies can register to take part and download a fundraising pack by visiting www.feelgoodfriday.org