Paul’s Place is a specialist bereavement counselling service, provided by Liverpool based charity Beacon Counselling Trust (Charity No: 1140011). It is named in memory of two young men from Liverpool: Paul Jensen and Paul “Geoff” Williams, who both sadly died by suicide; albeit 23 years apart. Paul Jensen is the brother of Kathy Devlin and Paul Williams is the son of Agnes and Joe Williams; who are the co-founders of the service.
SEPTEMBER 2019
We received some amazing news this month. Our Paul’s Place Suicide Bereavement Support Service received a grant almost £338,000 from the National Lottery Community Fund!
The support offered at Paul’s Place is unique, in that it is not replicated anywhere else throughout the UK. Our 3 co-founders all share a lived experience of loss to suicide and as such, recognise and understand how important and necessary it is to be able to receive specialist one to one counselling and peer group support, when you have been bereaved in such tragic and devastating circumstances.
This 3-year grant will have a huge impact on the vital and lifesaving work we do and will enable us to roll out of the service across the whole Merseyside area – something we could never have hoped to achieve, without such a massive cash injection as this.
We are absolutely delighted and so very proud that our Paul’s Place volunteers are being recognised with this collective MBE. This prestigious award is a huge tribute to their invaluable work. Many of our volunteers have themselves been bereaved by suicide and their dedicated commitment in wanting to give something back is truly admirable. Their continued help and support is pivotal in enabling us to carry out the vital and life-saving work that we do.
This vitally essential service - one of its kind in Merseyside; was launched in October 2017. Our initial target (for our first year) was to provide 40 people bereaved by suicide, up to 20 free sessions each of one to one counselling.
This month we began hosting our drop-in sessions, which are available to Paul’s Place service users past and present. These take place on Tuesday mornings, between 11 a.m. and 1 p.m. We will also hold a more structured evening meeting on the last Wednesday of the month between 7 and 9 p.m. Peer support has such a massive impact on those bereaved by suicide. Sharing thoughts and information on what helps us deal with life after such a devastating loss, is so important.
As of 31 March 2020, we have had 228 people accessing our service. This is hardly surprising, since we are the only organisation to offer this unique service across the whole Merseyside area.
We are delighted to announce that our Paul’s Place suicide bereavement support service has received the Queen's Award for Voluntary Service - which is the highest award - equivalent to an MBE - which a voluntary group can receive in the UK. We are one of only 13 recipients across Merseyside to receive such a prestigious award. Massive congratulations to all involved!
When someone dies by suicide, the shock is profound and widely felt – by families of course, but also by friends, colleagues and professionals. Suicide bereavement is not like a ‘normal bereavement’ - it is very complex, with so many unanswered questions; the whys, the what if’s, the guilt, and very often there is stigma and shame. Bereavement can affect people in different ways, according to the nature of the loss. Our team of therapists are highly skilled and specially trained in suicide bereavement counselling. They will work with you to understand the nature of your loss, so that an effective and personalised approach to counselling can be identified.
We like to make our service as easily accessible as possible for those who are seeking our support. We operate an open door policy with regard to referrals, accepting both self referrals and/or via a range of different organisations. Anyone aged 16 and over, who has been bereaved by suicide can access this service.
We pride ourselves on the fact that we have no waiting list. Initial assessments usually take up to seven days and wherever possible, counselling sessions are offered within seven days of assessment.
Contrary to popular belief, it is never too soon nor too late to access counselling. Some of our clients needed support almost immediately, while others have found their way to us after being bereaved for more than 40 years.
As we receive no Government or NHS funding, we are reliant on donations, fundraising and any grants that we are able to secure along the way. Something that we have become increasingly aware of is how so many people want to “give something back” for the help and support they have received during their counselling with us. Further information regarding this can be found on our fundraising page.
We hold a face-to-face peer support group meeting every Tuesday, 11 a.m. – 1 p.m. and providing you have accessed, or are accessing counselling with us, you are more than welcome to attend. This is an opportunity to talk to other people who have been bereaved in the same way. We are all travelling the same journey and we understand what you are going through. You will always be made to feel welcome and there is never a shortage of tea, coffee, hugs and tissues. This is a safe environment, where you can share your thoughts and feelings with others who have a lived experience, of losing a loved one, too.
We also hold a peer support group meeting on the last Wednesday of the month, between 7 and 9 p.m. This takes place online via zoom. Providing you have accessed or are accessing counselling with us, you are more than welcome to attend.
We hope that with the one-to-one therapy you receive here, alongside our aftercare programme, that you will gain the strength and understanding to deal with this tragic and devastating situation.
If you require help and support after bereavement by suicide but are not a resident of Merseyside, please visit the website of one of our partners - Suicide&Co - who operate a similar service to ours.
Here is a link to their website and online referral form:
Counselling Service Applicant Form | Self-Referral — Suicide&Co (suicideandco.org)
They also operate a helpline service for those bereaved by suicide, which is run by bereavement counsellors. It is open 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday-Friday and the Telephone Number is 0800 054 8400
Our charity receives no Government or NHS funding and therefore, we are dependent upon donations, fundraising efforts and charitable grants. If you would like to hear more about our Paul’s Place fundraising events, please complete the sign-up form below and Agnes, our Paul’s Place Co-Ordinator, will be in touch with updates and information regarding any future events.
If you wish to find out more about Paul’s Place and the people behind it, please follow the link below:
Documentary made for Beacon Counselling Trust about Pauls Place, a specialist FREE Postvention Bereavement counselling service, for those Bereaved by Suicide...
If you wish to find out more about how fundraising for Paul’s Place, please see our JustGiving page; which can be found by following the button below:
PAUL'S PLACE – BCT
We provide free one to one counselling to those bereaved by suicide.
