In 2024, 560 suicides were registered in the West Midlands. 415 of these (74%) were men. As the leading cause of death for men under 35, men’s suicide prevention is of the utmost importance, as William, Prince of Wales, marks the start of Mental Health Awareness (May 11 to 17, 2026) with the launch of James’ Place Birmingham.
Opened by His Royal Highness today (Monday, May 11), James’ Place Birmingham offers free, life-saving and quick-to-access therapy to suicidal men in the West Midlands. The charity already helped over 5,100 men in Liverpool, London and Newcastle, and the charity’s fourth centre is now located in the Edgbaston area.
“We are so grateful to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales for opening our new James’ Place centre,” said Ellen O’Donoghue, Chief Executive of James’ Place. “The Prince has opened all four of our centres, which is testament to how deeply he cares about suicide prevention.
“The Prince was able to meet our new therapy team at the centre today, and some of the supporters and partners who have helped bring James’ Place to Birmingham, as well as men we have helped at our other centres. We know that the work we do saves lives, and we’re here to help men in the West Midlands out of their crisis and find hope for the future.”
What is James’ Place?
James’ Place was started by the parents of the titular James, who lost his life to suicide in 2006, aged just 21. Professional therapists offer a warm, welcoming and non-clinical space where men in suicidal crisis—largely driven by life events, such as a relationship breakdown, financial problems, or bereavement—can come.
The Birmingham centre has been open to referrals from Birmingham and Solihull Mental Health NHS Foundation Trust since April, but is now open to referrals from any suicidal men in the region. A team of trained therapists will be able to see around 450-500 men in suicidal crisis per year.
How do I get help?
Men can either self-refer or be referred by a professional, a friend or a family member. There’s no waiting list, and it will typically take two working days to be seen for an initial assessment. Following the assessment, there will be six to eight face-to-face sessions of talking therapy with a trained professional therapist.
“We know that there are suicidal men all over the West Midlands who need help but can’t always find it,” said Ciaran Brady, Head of Centre at James’ Place Birmingham. “We would urge any men in the West Midlands who have intense, repetitive and distressing suicidal thoughts, and plans to act on these thoughts, to reach out to us as soon as possible.”
James’ Place Birmingham is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm by appointment only. To access support from James’ Place, make a referral or find out more visit the website here.
