Dame Sarah Anderson, the tenacious entrepreneur and founder of the vital suicide prevention charity The Listening Place, has died from cancer at the age of 69. Her passing comes just two days after a deeply personal final honour: King Charles travelled to her hospice bedside to confer her damehood, an occasion she characteristically used to advocate for her charity's cause.
A Lifeline Born from Experience
Anderson's drive to create a new kind of support was forged during 37 years as a Samaritans volunteer in central London. However, in 2015, she and a group of fellow volunteers, including her husband Terrence Collis, parted ways with the organisation over its then policy of not offering ongoing meetings with an identified counsellor. Believing sustained, in-person contact was crucial, she founded The Listening Place in 2016.
The charity's mission was clear: to provide free, confidential, face-to-face support for anyone experiencing suicidal thoughts. This vision has grown exponentially. Today, The Listening Place offers more than 4,000 appointments each month from four London bases and has, to date, received over 40,000 referrals, the vast majority coming via the NHS.
The "JFDI" Philosophy in Action
Anderson's family described her life maxim as "JFDI" – a robust acronym where the final three letters stand for "just do it." This attitude powered every aspect of her remarkable career beyond the charity sector.
She was a successful entrepreneur, founding and running the catering staff agency Mayday (now Hamilton Mayday) from 1986 until its sale in 2006. Her advocacy for small businesses led to her leading a government review of regulation in 2009. She was a formidable champion for equality, serving on the boards of the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) and Acas, and sat on the Conservative party's internal inquiry into Islamophobia.
For 16 years, until 2024, she and her husband also provided a stable home, fostering children with complex needs from their Westminster residence.
A Final Royal Request
Appointed a CBE in 2000, Anderson was named a Dame in the 2026 New Year Honours list. Due to her declining health, the award was brought forward and the King conducted a private investiture at the Royal Trinity Hospice in Clapham on 5 December 2025. True to form, Anderson seized the moment to ask for his support for The Listening Place, and at the ceremony's conclusion, requested a kiss.
Sarah Anderson, born on 19 June 1956, died on 7 December 2025. She is survived by her husband Terrence, their children Benjamin and Sophie, her sister and brother, and by the many fostered young people with whom she maintained lasting bonds. Her legacy is a simple, powerful one: a place where those in the deepest despair are heard.
