The Prince of Wales is set to visit Birmingham next week to officially open a new centre for a charity that provides life-saving support to men in suicidal crisis. Prince William will mark Mental Health Awareness Week by opening James' Place Birmingham on Monday, May 11.
James' Place offers free, life-saving treatment to men experiencing suicidal thoughts across the country. The heir to the throne has previously opened similar centres in Liverpool, London, and Newcastle, which have been vital in supporting thousands of men in Britain.
During his visit to Birmingham, Prince William will tour the new centre and meet staff, local partners, and users of the service who have been supported by James' Place at its other locations. He will also meet with other National Suicide Prevention Network (NSPN) innovation partners, including Papyrus, MindOUT, and the National Suicide Prevention Alliance (NSPA), to discuss what is working across the network and share key learnings.
The opening of James' Place Birmingham is particularly crucial, as data from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) revealed that in 2024, there were 560 deaths by suicide registered in the West Midlands, of which 415 (74 per cent) were men. To date, James' Place has aided over 5,100 men in suicidal crisis. Men can self-refer or be referred by a healthcare professional, typically receiving six to eight face-to-face sessions with a trained therapist in a calm and peaceful environment.
James' Place was named after 21-year-old James, who died by suicide 20 years ago, just days after an operation, having been unable to access the support he needed for anxiety and suicidal thoughts. His parents, Clare and Nick, established the charity to prevent other families from losing loved ones.
According to the charity's website: "Clare and Nick were determined to prevent other families from losing loved ones and set up James' Place to provide support for men in suicidal crisis whose needs are not met by existing services. The first James' Place opened in June 2018 in Liverpool, the first of its kind in the UK. Our second James' Place centre opened in London in 2022. Our third centre in Newcastle opened in early 2024. We offer safe, friendly, non-clinical environments, where suicidal men are cared for and respected. We will open two new centres by 2027. With five centres open we will be able to treat up to 2,000 men per year."
