As suicide rates hit 25 year high, suicide prevention charity asks men:- "Do you have a plan?"

SUICIDE prevention charity James' Place is urging men in Liverpool and the North West who have made a plan to end their life to seek help as soon as possible.

James' Place offers free, life saving treatment to men in suicidal crisis at their Liverpool Centre, in the Georgian Quarter, as well as at centres in London and Newcastle and has helped over 2,300 men across the country to date.

Men who receive therapy at James' Place are in suicidal crisis largely driven by life events, such as:- a relationship breakdown, financial problems, or bereavement. They have reached a point where they see suicide as the answer to their problems. They are experiencing intense and distressing suicidal thoughts and have often made a plan to end their life, or already made a suicide attempt.

Andy Noon, Head of Centre at James' Place Liverpool said:- "We want to let men in Liverpool and the North West know that if you've made a plan to end your life, have made a recent suicide attempt, or are experiencing intense and distressing suicidal thoughts, reach out to us and we can help you make a different plan. It may seem overwhelming to reach out and tell someone what is going on, but please rest assured that many people have felt how you feel now and have come through their crisis. What you are feeling at the moment won't always hold this much power over your life and you can overcome these feelings with the right help. If you are worried about someone else, don't be afraid to ask them if they have made a plan to end their life. You won't put the idea in their head. If they say yes, you can look for help for them on our website, call:- 111, contact the Samaritans on:- 116123, or take them to A&E or your nearest Walk In Centre."

Men in suicidal crisis can contact James' Place themselves or be referred to the centre by a professional including:- those working in health and community services, or by a friend or family member.

The centre has no waiting list and will typically see men for an initial assessment within 2 working days. Following assessment, men receive around:- 6 to 8 face to face sessions of talking therapy with a trained professional therapist in a safe, friendly, non clinical environment. James' Place works alongside the NHS and other local support services, taking on clinical responsibility for the men they treat.

44 year Matt, who received help from James' Place said:- "I was in a really dark place at the beginning of the year, I just felt I couldn't live through another year and I started to think about taking my own life. I knew I needed some help and when I Googled James' Place popped up so I filled in the form and they got back to me almost straight away and I was booked in for an appointment. The centre was really calm and nice. My therapist was lovely, it felt like she was really responding to exactly what I said. I felt heard. Over the weeks the thoughts started to subside and I felt stronger and more able to carry on. We started to work on things that could keep me well in the future, I've taken up mindfulness, I've started writing again, there's lots of little things I do now that keep me grounded and make a difference, they stop my thoughts running away again. Going to James' Place has been an amazing experience for me."

The centre is open:- Monday to Friday, from:- 9.30am to 5.30pm, by appointment only. To access support from James' Place, make a referral or find out more visit:- JamesPlace.Org.UK.

Majority of developers in the North West find sourcing funding the most difficult aspect of their business

PROPERTY developers in the North West have pointed to funding as their key concern according to new research from Shawbrook. 82% of developers said that finding funding was the most complicated aspect of their business, with 70% also saying there are limited funding options for developers.

Significant numbers of developers have been rejected from accessing funding, with 35% having been rejected by a mainstream lender on multiple occasions.

The conception of a business appears to be the hardest stage to secure funding, with 3 quarters (76%) of developers stating that it was particularly difficult to find funding when they were starting their business2. This is closely followed by 74% who felt that it was harder to secure funding for a smaller business.

However, the majority of developers agree that no matter the size, sourcing funding is the hardest part of running their business (72%), while 78% agree that funding expertise is difficult to source.

Fortunately, specialist funding is available for developers struggling to access funding for their projects, and the majority (80%) said that specialist lenders offer better support to developers.

Terry Woodley, Head of Development Finance at Shawbrook comments:- "Housebuilding is a key issue on the political agenda, but developers need support to understand the funding landscape and access the funding levels they need so that these much-needed projects can get off the ground. These developers that have struggled in the early stages of their business have gone on to build significant businesses, yet it's clear funding is still a real barrier for entry, and early stage growth. There is funding available, and working with a specialist lender can help with structuring developers' funding needs to surface that liquidity. If the gap is not addressed, promises to boost housing numbers will be very difficult to achieve."