Liverpool charity marks fifth anniversary

Press release

1,250 suicidal men treated in Merseyside since centre opened on 19th June 2018

Male suicide charity James’ Place has treated 1,250 suicidal men since it opened in Liverpool five years ago.

The charity, which operates from a centre on Catharine Street, offers free, life-saving treatment to men in a suicidal crisis driven by life events such as a relationship breakdown, financial problems or bereavement. Men typically receive six to eight face to face sessions with a trained professional therapist in a safe, friendly, non-clinical environment.

Thanks to the success of the Liverpool centre, the charity opened a second centre in 2022 in London, and now plans to open three new centres in Bristol, Birmingham and Newcastle with the Newcastle centre due to open in Autumn 2023.

Jane Boland, Clinical Lead at James’ Place said: “Suicide is the single leading cause of death of men under 50. When we started five years ago we wanted to tackle this by making a real difference to the lives of suicidal men in Merseyside. We help suicidal men quickly, when they need us, and our treatment is proven to work. I’d like to say thank you to all the amazing men who have reached out to us for help, the local community and NHS services in Liverpool for all their support, and to our fantastic team of therapists and centre staff for their life-saving work.”

Will went to James’ Place in 2020 for support. He says: “I didn’t really have any expectations when I went to James’ Place for my first appointment. I was so low at that point that I couldn’t really see a way out of it and for a long time I didn’t make any progress. Over time, with the support of my therapist, I finally began to open up and start talking about things I’d never told anyone. My therapist helped me to understand myself and identify what I was feeling, she encouraged me to dig deep and challenge the way I looked at things. I honestly feel like a completely different person now, I still have down days as we all do, but I have learnt coping strategies to use when I have a wobble and I don’t let my thoughts get the better of me. I’m so grateful that I am no longer in crisis. James’ Place changed my life.”

Men who are in suicidal crisis in Liverpool can seek support from James’ Place by contacting them directly Monday-Friday from 9:30am-5:30pm. Visit www.jamesplace.org.uk for more information. If you or someone you know is suicidal you can access 24 hour support via the Samaritans on 116 123, text SHOUT to 85258, or seek help from your local A&E department.