The Listening Place

01/04/2026

A very warm welcome to our new volunteers, who will soon be providing regular, face-to-face support for people who feel like life is no longer worth living 💜

Thinking about joining us? You can find out more about volunteering with us and apply today here https://listeningplace.org.uk/volunteer/

31/03/2026

Today is International . Trans people can face a combination of factors that make them more vulnerable to su***de, including discrimination, violence, risk of family rejection and healthcare inequalities.

The Listening Place offers free, face-to-face support for anyone over 18 who feels like life is no longer worth living. Our volunteers won't judge you, offer advice or try to 'fix' a problem — instead, they provide the time and space for you to explore difficult feelings and put your distress into words.

All of our support is completely confidential and we always offer a first appointment within a week of a referral.

If this sounds like the kind of support you might need, please get in touch https://listeningplace.org.uk/i-need-help/

*Statistic drawn from the Trans Mental Health Study 2012

20/03/2026

Dr Tash Binnie was in her third year of medical school when she was diagnosed with depression and anxiety and began to feel as if life was no longer worth living. She referred herself to The Listening Place for support.

Tash said: "It’s been over five years since I used The Listening Place, but I still remember the incredible volunteer, Claire, who supported me. She listened to me so carefully and empathetically and she truly got an understanding of me as a person. As well as supporting me through the immediate suicidal crisis, she helped me start to work on a lot of things I was struggling with, like low self-esteem and self-worth. Talking to Claire also made me feel like all the other things that would eventually boost my mental health – like running and connecting with friends – were possible again. She was incredibly non-judgmental and utterly unfazed by even my darkest thoughts, which really helped me to challenge the way I was stigmatising myself. I will never forget Claire and how much she helped me — I really don’t think I would be the person I am today without her and I will forever be grateful."

We're delighted that Tash is running the for us this April, with the aim of raising £2,000 to help fund our life-saving work 🏃‍♀️

If you'd like to make a contribution to her brilliant efforts, you can sponsor her here https://2026tcslondonmarathon.enthuse.com/pf/natasha-binnie

13/03/2026

Mother's Day means different things to all of us.

For some people, the day will bring memories of difficult relationships, grief for someone who isn't here anymore or regret about the past. Those feelings can easily spiral into suicidal thoughts, particularly when the rest of the world seems to be celebrating.

If you're feeling as if life is no longer worth living and you'd like to speak to someone about it regularly in a safe, confidential space in London, please get in touch 💜

09/03/2026

Su***de isn't just a male issue. Last year, 58% of the people who came to us with suicidal thoughts were women. Over half of them were young women, aged 18-35.

In the UK, women are just as likely as men to experience suicidal thoughts and more likely to attempt su***de, yet the silence around women's suicidal feelings can be profound.

International Women's Day is a brilliant opportunity to celebrate female achievement, but also a moment to think about the women who are suffering in that silence. Even in a wealthy city like London, stressors like domestic violence, sexual assault and harassment, financial hardship, caregiving expectations and reproductive pressures disproportionately affect women.

Suicidal thoughts quickly become overwhelming when they can't be spoken about frankly or explored safely. That's why we're here, for anyone who needs us.

03/03/2026

Our late founder, Dame Sarah Anderson DBE, was recently awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award in the Hammersmith & Fulham Civic Honours, celebrating people and groups who have made the borough stronger, safer and kinder 🏆

Daniel Munns (Centre Manager at our Hammersmith site), Paris Forrester (Referral Partnerships Coordinator) and two of our brilliant volunteers, Cecilia 934 and Hils 1513, went along to collect the award on Sarah's behalf.

Cllr Alex Sanderson, Deputy Leader of H&F, spoke about "the quiet, consistent acts of service that keep our communities strong" and we thought that was a great way of describing what all our volunteers do — they turn up, shift after shift, and they give their time to ensure that people who feel suicidal have a calm, confidential space to explore their most distressing thoughts.

02/03/2026

25/02/2026

Lots more brilliant volunteers have joined us recently! Welcome to the team, and thank you for helping us to offer thousands of people with suicidal thoughts a confidential and compassionate space to explore their feelings 💜

21/01/2026

More Listening Volunteers and Helping Volunteers have joined our ranks! Please help us give them a very warm welcome 👏👏👏

We welcome volunteer applications from people of all backgrounds. We don’t require any specific qualifications, but we do look for compassion, resilience, a willingness to really listen and the ability to commit to seeing our visitors for regular appointments. If you think you might be interested in volunteering with us, you can find out more and apply today here: https://listeningplace.org.uk/volunteer/

15/01/2026

We were so moved by these comments from people who have left us this month. Sometimes, our visitors articulate what is special about The Listening Place much better than we could ourselves 💜

07/01/2026

2025 was another record-breaking year for The Listening Place. Demand for our service continued to grow, with over 10,000 referrals. We offered over 46,000 appointments so that everyone who needed us could quickly access regular, face-to-face support from a trusted volunteer. And over 1,600 people applied to volunteer with us, ensuring that we could keep up with demand.

Thank you to everyone who followed us, liked and shared our posts or donated last year. 2026 is our 10th anniversary year and we'll have lots of news to share and things to celebrate, so please stay tuned... ✨

24/12/2025

Last Friday's TLP Festive Celebration at Holy Sepulchre Church in Holborn ✨🎄🎶

Around 300 volunteers, supporters, friends and family joined us. The choir sang their hearts out. The mulled wine flowed. It's been a momentous year for The Listening Place, in different ways, and it was lovely to gather and share both joyful and contemplative moments as 2025 draws to a close.

Many thanks to London Photographic for the pictures.

Wishing you all a peaceful festive season💜