News

Irish suicide charity expands to London1

Governance | Niki May Young | 21 Aug 2012

Irish suicide counselling and prevention charity Console is expanding its services to London after being approached by the Metropolitan Police to help with suicides on the Tube.

Paul Kelly, the charity's founding CEO said the charity was approached by the Metropolitan Police after he gave a talk in London two years ago:

"The Metropolitan Police were concerned about the high levels of suicide on the underground, that was the big issue at the time. With our service coming into London I hope that we will be able to make some contribution there," Kelly told civilsociety.co.uk.

The Department of Health and a number of prominent businessmen also contacted him, he said, requesting he expand the charity's services UK-wide, an ambition that Kelly says the charity will take "one step at a time".

Console hopes to bring its counselling services to London in September, recruiting around 20 employees - mainly counsellors and psychotherapists. The charity is in the process of leasing a property in Westminster to run its services centrally.

Its services in London will replicate those it offers in the Republic of Ireland, Kelly advised, which include one-to-one counselling and therapy for those considering suicide, working with at-risk children and adolescents and support groups for bereaved families and friends. It will also provide training services for professionals dealing with suicide, such as the Metropolitan Police, medical professionals and social workers, Kelly advised.

In Ireland the charity is funded by a combination of Department of Health and the Health Service Executive grants and active fundraising. Kelly hopes the Department of Health in the UK will be able to offer similar support, and plans to apply for funding once the charity is established in London. It will also implement a fundraising strategy to sustain services in the UK but will use its reserves to get the charity up and running.

Console is in its tenth year of service. Kelly founded the charity "out of the grief and loss" of his sister Sharon Kelly, who took her own life.