A father has revealed he 'wouldn't be here' today without the life-saving support of a suicide prevention charity that has just opened a new branch in Birmingham. Connor Doyle, 33, is a former client of James' Place, a facility offering free, life-saving treatment to suicidal men. He was present at the launch of the new Birmingham facility, which is championed by Prince William.
Connor, now a dad to a six-month-old baby girl, explained how he attempted to take his own life two and a half years ago. He referred himself to James' Place's site in Liverpool in December 2023, and within two days he was seen by the team. Speaking at the launch, he said: 'I'd come in [to the centre]. I had my sessions with my therapist and she was absolutely amazing. [It] made me realise things that I didn't even know were affecting me from years and years ago. Things like unresolved grief, and I'm talking like five, six, seven years before that. I didn't think they would have an affect on me, but because I hadn't dealt with them, I just pushed them all down.'
He continued: 'I just let it fester and fester, and then it's obviously came to a point where I thought there was nothing else I could do [but] try and take my own life.' Connor shared how without the 'amazing' support offered by James' Place, he 'wouldn't be here' today. 'If it wasn't for James' Place, I wouldn't be here. It's as simple as that,' he said. He added that his daughter also 'wouldn't be here' if it wasn't for the life-saving services provided by the charity.
'Words don't really do it justice how much I owe them [James' Place] and how much this place means to me,' he said. The 33-year-old urged anyone struggling to 'get that help' and 'reach out to talk about it.' 'Just get that help, reach out and talk to someone. Even if it's your own friend, but ideally, get that specialist help. James' Place is a place [you can go to] if you are struggling. Just get in touch - you'll never regret it. I wish I'd have done sooner. That's the only regret I have is that I didn't do it sooner.'
Reflecting on the opening day of James' Place in Birmingham, Connor described how 'emotional' it had been. 'It's been a bit emotional to be honest, bringing my sixth month old baby here. Going full circle, being able to bring my little daughter with me - it's a special day for me and my family and I'm just happy I'm here to tell the story and to support the cause.'
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 via the website.
