In memory of James — and in service of every young person who needs someone to turn to
A charity born from a family's determination that no other family should face the same loss.
James Wentworth-Stanley was 21 years old — a bright, popular university student with everything ahead of him — when he took his own life in December 2006, just days after a routine medical procedure. His death came without warning signs that anyone around him had recognised. In their grief, his mother Clare and his family resolved to confront the silence that surrounds suicide, especially among young men.
The James Wentworth-Stanley Memorial Fund was founded in his memory. For over a decade, it worked to raise awareness of suicide — the biggest killer of young men in the UK — to reduce the stigma around mental illness, and to make sure young people in distress know where to turn.
The charity's objectives, as its founders set them out.
Creating greater awareness of the causes and prevalence of suicide among young people, encouraging open conversation in schools and families, and working to remove the stigma of mental illness.
Helping parents, teachers, and everyone close to young people recognise the symptoms and dangers of depression and anxiety — with the same seriousness schools give to drugs and safety education.
Making sure young people know where to turn when depressed or anxious, keeping helplines accessible, and providing resources for counselling and psychotherapy.
Promoting research into the causes and prevention of suicide among young people, including support for pioneering work on the biology of depression.
The fund was carried by extraordinary supporters.
Over the years, hundreds of supporters took on challenges in James's memory: London and Amsterdam marathons, thousand-mile cycle rides across Europe, the World's Toughest Mudder, charity horse races, boxing nights, the legendary Row For James campaigns, and appearances at events from the St. Moritz Polo World Cup to community fun runs. Every mile raised funds — and every conversation chipped away at the stigma.
The fund's greatest achievement opened its doors in 2018.
The Memorial Fund's work culminated in James' Place — the UK's first non-clinical crisis centre for men experiencing suicidal crisis. The first centre opened in Liverpool in June 2018, offering men rapid, free, face-to-face therapeutic support in a calm, welcoming space. Further centres followed in London and Newcastle, and James' Place continues to expand — turning one family's loss into a lifeline for thousands of men.
Today, the work begun by the James Wentworth-Stanley Memorial Fund lives on through James' Place. If you want to support this cause or learn more, please visit the official charity at jamesplace.org.uk.