BBC News Online: UK: England

Radiohead star opens charity centre

Drummer Phil Selway is a Samaritans volunteer

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.

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."