The Listening Place

10/09/2025

This , please consider sharing our post so that as many people as possible know they don't have to face suicidal thoughts alone.

09/09/2025

The Listening Place is open for appointments at all three of our London sites this week. If you have an appointment but you can't make it to us or you're worried about the journey, please call the office on 0203 906 7676.

03/09/2025

Just a few of the lovely comments we received in August from people leaving our service 🧡

26/08/2025

Please join us on Tuesday 23 September for an eclectic evening of classical music, drag, theatre, pop and beatboxing — all to raise funds for The Listening Place 🎶🎷🎻🎭 ✨

Date: Tuesday 23 September, 7pm
Venue: Holy Sepulchre Church, Holborn Viaduct, London, EC1A 2DQ

Closest stations: City Thameslink (2-minute walk), St Paul’s (6-minute walk), Farringdon (8-minute walk), Blackfriars (10-minute walk)

Timings: Doors and bar open from 6pm, concert starts at 7pm.
There will be a 15-minute interval, with the concert ending at approximately 9pm and the bar remaining open until 9.30pm.

Tickets are £16 + 75p booking fee (early bird rate) and available at https://www.tickettailor.com/events/thelisteningplace/1784411

20/08/2025

A huge thank you to everyone who has given to our capital appeal to fund the build of three appointment rooms at our new site in East London 🛠️💪

Your generosity has meant that we've raised over a quarter of our target in just two weeks ✨

But as you can see, there's still a lot of work to do! If you haven't already, please consider donating or sharing the campaign with your networks https://www.justgiving.com/campaign/cobbstreet

18/08/2025

We're delighted to welcome 24 newly trained Listening Volunteers to the team 🧡

08/08/2025

Join us in creating space to talk.

We’re excited to kick off our 'Space to Talk' campaign, aiming to raise £40,000 for three new appointment rooms at our upcoming East London site. One problem....its currently still a gym.

🛠️ What Your Support Will Achieve:

- Help transform a former gym into TLP's latest site.
- Cover the cost of three private, soundproofed rooms where we can deliver 10,000 appointments a year.
- Ensure comfort in each room with gentle lighting, proper heating, comfy chairs and small touches to make it non-clinical.

These rooms will provide a safe and welcoming environment for those who feel suicidal, allowing them to share their thoughts with our compassionate volunteers.

Every donation, no matter how small, brings us closer to opening our doors and providing the vital support that so many need.

👉 Be a part of our journey! Visit our JustGiving page to donate and get updates on our progress: justgiving.com/campaign/cobbstreet

💬 Spread the Word: Share this post and help us reach those who might need our support. Together, we can build a community where everyone has the space to be heard.

We’re raising £40,000 to create three safe, welcoming listening rooms at our new site. Each room will host over 3000 appointments p/year, providing a space where people who feel suicidal can safely share their thoughts with a volunteer.

01/08/2025

Some of the feedback we've received from our visitors over the past few weeks. Hearing that we are making a difference always means the world to us 🧡

21/07/2025

Congratulations and a very warm welcome to two new groups of TLP volunteers, who have recently graduated from their training programmes ✨

15/07/2025

We're very happy to have been shortlisted for two Third Sector Awards: Medium Charity of the Year and Volunteer Team of the Year 🎉

We are so proud of our team of volunteers — 850 of the most compassionate, thoughtful and resilient people you'll ever meet. If you're interested in joining their number, please check out our volunteering pages https://listeningplace.org.uk/volunteer/

07/07/2025

Acclaimed film-maker Rhys Chapman came to The Listening Place in suicidal crisis. He has now generously shared the story of his experiences with us...

“I’ve struggled with depression for most of my adult life, but this time was different. It was heavier, like I was falling and couldn’t find anything to grab onto. I spiralled quickly, trapped in a cycle of guilt and shame.

The longer I stayed in that headspace, the more past traumas surfaced. Old wounds I thought had healed came back with force, flooding my mind. Every mistake, every embarrassing moment, and every regret felt like it was suffocating me all at once. Dark thoughts and visualisations began creeping into my mind uninvited. It felt like the only way to free myself from the pain would be if I no longer existed. The longer I remained in that place, the more overwhelming these thoughts and feelings of worthlessness became, and I genuinely believed the world would be better off without me. It seems delusional saying it now when I’m able to rationalise, but at the time I saw no other way out of the pain I was feeling.

Years before, a GP had told me that if I ever felt suicidal, I should go straight to A&E. That advice was the only thing I could hold onto at the time. When I took myself to hospital, I felt stupid and embarrassed, like I was wasting their time. But I also knew I was safe from myself. What followed was far from straightforward, but eventually I spoke to a mental health professional who made sure I got the help I needed....”

To read the whole story, please click here https://listeningplace.org.uk/rhyss-story-listening-itself-can-be-sacred/

Thank you Rhys, for such a moving and eloquent account of your journey with TLP 🧡

01/07/2025

Ben Ingber today becomes our permanent CEO, taking over from founder Sarah Anderson. Ben has been with The Listening Place since April 2023, when he joined us as Chief Operations Officer. His passion for TLP and the work we do has been clear since he started, and we are thrilled to have him lead TLP into this next chapter. Sarah will continue to play a key role in TLP’s growth as Founder and Trustee.

Ben’s interest in su***de prevention began when he worked at Citizens Advice during the 2008 financial crisis, with many clients presenting with suicidal impulses linked to debt and financial hardship. He eventually trained with Samaritans, offering phone support to people who were feeling suicidal and becoming involved in training new volunteers. When the opportunity came up to join TLP, Ben says that he was immediately drawn to our ethos and to the courage and resilience with which everyone approached the subject of su***de.

Ben says: “There’s a powerful simplicity to TLP’s proposition: free, completely confidential, face-to-face support for those who feel life is no longer worth living, delivered by carefully selected and trained volunteers. Our conviction in the immense value of this single service is one of our greatest strengths as an organisation. We know that TLP saves lives, and it is my intention to continue and build on the extraordinary work of our founder Sarah Anderson as we move into a bold new chapter, with four sites across London and the capacity to support over 10,000 people a year.”