New charity offering mental health service and support for the homeless launches in Peterborough

A new charity which will offer a free mental health support service and help for the homeless has launched in Peterborough.

Peterborough Prime, which is based at Stuart House, in St John's Street, hopes to work in collaboration with existing charities in Peterborough to support the community.

The charitable organisation hosted its official launch event at 42 Shisha Bar, in Broadway, on the evening of November 2.

Peterborough Prime’s founder, Nabil Ilahi, hopes that the charity will “re-create Peterborough”.

“Peterborough Prime can go far – but together we can go further,” he said.

“The charity will support the community by providing a free mental health support service. We want to work with the police to break down, and continue to educate people about, mental health.”

Peterborough MP Paul Bristow, mayoress Shabina Qayyum and deputy police and crime commissioner for Cambridgeshire Constabulary John Peach spoke at the event.

In attendance were representatives of charitable organisations from around Peterborough who will be working closely with Peterborough Prime.

“We hope that with everyone working together we can support everyone that needs our service,” Nabil added.

"This charity will deliver more than expected – we want to re-create Peterborough.”

The charity’s confidential mental health support will offer free advice, as well as therapy and diagnosis services.

Part of the service will help victims of abuse by addressing the impact it has had on their mental health.

The charity will also campaign to end homelessness in Peterborough through ‘housing for all’ – not stopping until there is a ‘home for everyone’.

According to the latest available data published in September, the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities tallied the total number of people sleeping rough, or at risk of sleeping rough who are in emergency and short term accommodation, at 74 people in Peterborough, as of March 2022.