THERE is a need for a support centre for suicidal people in Worcester, a charity says.

Suicide Crisis, based in Cheltenham, is currently acting as a national charity because the demand for help at Christmas is so high – and CEO Joy Hibbins says a similar centre is needed in Worcester.

“This year we are finding that the demand for our services is coming from across the country,” she said. “We can only provide ongoing face to face support to people in Gloucestershire but we will always do our best to help people in other parts of the country on the day they call us. However, this means that our service is massively over-stretched currently. There is a clear need for similar Suicide Crisis Centres in other parts of the UK. In recent months there have been times when we’ve been contacted by individuals in crisis from as far away as Scotland, Ireland and Wales.

“Christmas can be particularly painful for many people. At a time when we see that other families are gathering together, it can feel acutely painful if you have recently lost a loved one, either through bereavement or through relationship breakup or family breakup.

"There can be a sharp discrepancy between what we are expected to feel and experience at this time of year and the reality of what we are actually feeling and experiencing. The sense of loss, grief and isolation can feel even more intense. And families may be experiencing different kinds of loss. We know that where parents have recently lost custody of their children, they may be particularly vulnerable at this time of year.”

The Suicide Crisis Centre will be open all over Christmas and the New Year. They operate 365 days a year.

In order to share information more widely about the way they work at the Suicide Crisis Centre, a book has been published this month “Suicide Prevention Techniques: How A Suicide Crisis Service Saves Lives.”

The book explains about the methods, approach and ethos which has ensured that all clients under their care survive.

The charity has been providing services for five-and-a-half years and have never had a suicide of a client under their care and this has led to national interest in their work.

The Crisis Centre is frequently described as an example of “best practice” including in a letter from the government last year.

Every copy of the book sold will raise money for the charity. The author’s royalties are being paid by the publisher direct to the charity.

“Although the book is aimed at mental health professionals, counsellors and charity workers, we are also being contacted by families who have read it and said they have found it helpful, too” said Joy, who wrote the book.

To contact the Suicide Crisis Centre: http://www.suicidecrisis.co.uk/ or contact 07975 974455 (they can call you back to save you the cost of the phone call)

Find out more about the book at suicidecrisis.co.uk/suicide-prevention-techniques or call 07889 420200.