James' Place to trial new satellite service in Darlington 

At James’ Place we are doing everything we can to stop men dying by suicide. Thanks to funding from The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales as part of the National Suicide Prevention Network, and a contract with the NHS North East and North Cumbria Integrated Care Board (ICB), we are piloting a satellite service for 12 months in Darlington.

The pilot project will allow us to test whether a smaller satellite service in the community, strongly linked into our existing larger centre in Newcastle, can be an effective way to deliver the unique, free and life-saving therapy we offer to men in suicidal crisis.

From this week, our therapists will be delivering our service from Citizen’s Advice Darlington, Redcar and Cleveland, The CORE, Church Row, Darlington, two days a week. The aim is to reach men who may face barriers in attending their nearest James’ Place centre in Newcastle.

The Darlington service will initially be open to referrals from the Tees, Esk and Wear Valley NHS Trust Crisis teams and Psychiatric Liaison teams. If you are a man in suicidal crisis in Darlington or surrounding area, or know a man in crisis, please contact your local crisis team by calling 111 and selecting option two or go to your local A&E.

Men in suicidal crisis wishing to refer themselves to James’ Place Newcastle can continue to do so here.

We also plan to open a second satellite service in St Helens, linked to James’ Place Liverpool, early next year. More to follow – and you can read a blog from our Chief Executive Ellen O’Donoghue here.