Prince William issued a touching message at the launch of a new James' Place facility in Birmingham, describing the charity as 'amazing' and 'life saving'. The Prince of Wales officially opened the centre on Harborne Road in Edgbaston on Monday, May 11, 2026.
Prince William's Remarks
Addressing the crowd, Prince William said: 'It's an amazing thing you've set up. I've heard from some of the people who've used it today and it's the same whenever I go to any place you've started. They all talk about the non-clinical setting, the friendly surroundings, the fantastic looking after and the friendships and support they get from that. I think that's the way this should be looked at.'
He added: 'We need to talk more about suicide, we need to talk more about preventing it and we need to talk more about getting to young men and young women earlier so that we don't have to have these centres in the very long run, in the distant future.'
James' Place Charity
James' Place offers free, life-saving therapy to men across the country. The Birmingham location is the fourth such centre opened in the last eight years. The charity was founded by Clare Milford Haven following the death of her son, James Wentworth-Stanley, who took his own life in December 2006 at the age of 21 after struggling with anxiety following a minor operation.
Clare Milford Haven said: 'I wish there had been a James' Place for him when he went looking for help. But the fact we've helped more than 5,000 men makes me extremely happy in James' memory.' She presented Prince William with a sweatshirt featuring the James' Place logo.
Support Available
Ciaran Brady, head of centre at James' Place Birmingham, urged anyone struggling to seek help: 'Pick up the phone, call our team on 0121 269 9400, contact birmingham@jamesplace.org.uk, or visit our website. You're not alone. We offer a rapid access approach to support men quickly and get to the root cause of the crisis.'
James' Place Birmingham is open Monday to Friday, 9.30am to 5.30pm by appointment only. Referrals can be made via their website.
