Support agency plans city facility

A support agency which helps people with suicidal and self-harm tendencies is planning to open a new centre in Cork in the next six to 12 months.

Joan Freeman, founder and chief executive of Pieta House, made the announcement at the Imperial Hotel yesterday.

She said her organisation, which provided free help for nearly 2,000 people last year, had received several requests and offers of help from people living in Cork to set up a facility there.

The organisation has four centres in Dublin and one in Limerick. It also plans to open one in Galway.

“It’s completely free of charge and people can contact us without getting a referral. We provide a minimum support of two meetings a week, but for people at high risk we can arrange seven meetings a week,” Ms Freeman said.

She said the primary aim of Pieta House is to help people through the critical phase when suicide becomes a plan, not just an idea.

It is the only organisation in the country providing a professional, free service for people in the acute stages of suicidal distress.

Ms Freeman was in Cork to launch the Cork Darkness into Light 5km walk which will act as a fundraiser for the organisation and promote suicide awareness.

The walk will take place all over the country at 4am on May 12.