Celebrating James’ Place as a Founding Partner of the National Suicide Prevention Network

Benesys Team
Oct 13
3 min read

Last Friday, on World Mental Health Day, The Royal Foundation of The Prince and Princess of Wales launched the National Suicide Prevention Network (NSPN), spanning all four home nations and aiming to transform suicide prevention across the UK.

At Benesys, we are proud to partner with one of the Network’s leading charities – James’ Place. James’ Place provides free, life-saving therapy for men in suicidal crisis in London, the North East, and the North West of England. Their mission is clear: to stop men dying by suicide, because they believe that every death by suicide is preventable.

Tragically, 5,583 people died by suicide in England and Wales in 2021, three-quarters of whom were men. Suicide remains the leading cause of death among men under 50. At James’ Place, the goal is to ensure help is available to every man in crisis, supporting them to find hope for the future.

Expanding Reach Through Community-Based Satellite Services

Funds donated by The Royal Foundation as part of the NSPN will enable James’ Place to pilot a new satellite model for 12 months in the North East and North West, offering free, life-saving therapy in community-based settings.

This model allows James’ Place to deliver high-quality therapy in areas where suicide rates are high but referrals to existing centres are low. The project will test whether smaller satellite services, linked closely to the larger centres in Liverpool and Newcastle, can provide effective crisis support to men in need.

“James’ Place offers free, life-saving therapy to men in suicidal crisis at centres in Liverpool, London and Newcastle. With the support of The Royal Foundation, we will pilot extending James’ Place’s reach by delivering our intervention from two community-based satellite services in the North-East and North-West of England, helping us to understand and remove some of the barriers men face in accessing support at the point of crisis. As part of the Network, we will be able to share valuable insight and learning from this project with partners nationwide.” – Ellen O’Donoghue, CEO, James’ Place

Together, we can reach people wherever they are, whenever they need help.

Building a Stronger, UK-Wide Network

James’ Place is joined by four other founding charities – Jac Lewis Foundation (Wales), Mikeysline (Scotland), PIPS Suicide Prevention Ireland (Northern Ireland), and Chasing the Stigma – as well as many Innovation Partners. Building on progress to date, the Network will focus on:

Understanding the root causes of suicide
Ensuring accessible support
Strengthening collaboration across the sector to achieve maximum impact

Backed by over £1 million in funding from The Royal Foundation over an initial three-year period, the NSPN aims to deliver lasting change in suicide prevention, ensuring that pathways are evidence-based, effective, and accessible to all.

The Network is chaired by Professor Ann John, Consultant in Public Health Medicine for Public Health Wales and a leading expert in suicide and self-harm prevention.

Collaboration for Maximum Impact

Preventing suicide is complex, influenced by social, economic, and personal factors. No single organisation can address it alone. By working together, the Network hopes to reduce the 7,055 deaths caused by suicide in the UK each year and strengthen support systems across the country.

“The incredible partners who form this network reach those at risk of, or affected by, suicide with their inspirational work. Their efforts reaffirm the urgent mission of the National Suicide Prevention Network: to build a bold, unified national response to the heartbreaking — and preventable — tragedy of suicide.” – His Royal Highness, The Prince of Wales

The NSPN also works with the Hub of Hope, the UK’s largest mental health support directory, and more than a dozen Innovation Partners addressing high-risk and underrepresented groups. Together, the Network will build awareness, innovation, and resources across the sector.

The Network will continue to grow, welcoming partners from business, the arts, entertainment, and sport to support initiatives that help people in their communities.