For over a decade, CPSL Mind has worked in partnership with CPFT’s First Response Service to provide and support the Sanctuary service, which offers compassionate, accessible and person-centred mental health crisis support for people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
The need for crisis support continues to grow across the region. Increasing demand, wider social pressures, financial hardship, loneliness, housing challenges and long waiting times for specialist support mean that accessible community-based crisis services are more important than ever. An estimated 1 in 4 of us experiences suicidal thoughts in our lifetime. Within Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, the highest rates are seen in Fenland, with Peterborough also exceeding national average (Local Authority Public Health Profiles).
CPFT’s First Response Service Manager Carolyne Coenan, who has been with the team for all of its first 10 years, said: “When we started, Cambridgeshire and Peterborough become only the second area in the country to offer this kind of service, and over the years we’ve had countless visits from other NHS organisations as they started their own version.
“We’re very proud of what we’ve been able achieve over the last 10 years through the support from our commissioners and our partners at CPSL Mind and all those who have worked for the team have described it as being like a family.
“Best of all has been feedback we get from people who have used the service, which is always very heartening, and the fact that people continue to reach out for help.”
CPSL Mind’s Sanctuary service remains a vital part of the regional mental health system, helping people access support when they need it most while promoting recovery.
Over the last 12 months, the Sanctuary service has continued to provide essential mental health crisis support across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough.
During this period, the service delivered:
- Support to over 2,300 individuals
- Support delivered across face-to-face, virtual and telephone pathways
These figures demonstrate both the increasing demand for community mental health crisis support and the important role Sanctuary plays in helping people navigate periods of distress safely and effectively.
Harron Ahmed, Crisis Pathway Lead at CPSL Mind, said, “The Sanctuary service demonstrates the value of strong partnership working between CPSL Mind and the NHS. By combining clinical pathways with compassionate, community-based support, the service provides an essential component of the local mental health crisis system.
Adding, “Our highly skilled workforce will continue to work in collaboration with the CPFT’s First Response Service to ensure people across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough receive compassionate and accessible mental health crisis support in a safe and welcoming environment.”
Our support has helped people to:
- Reduce feelings of isolation and hopelessness
- Develop coping strategies during periods of crisis
- Avoid escalation to more intensive services where appropriate
- Access ongoing support and recovery pathways
- Improve emotional wellbeing and resilience
- Tailor our safety planning documents directly from service user feedback
The true impact of Sanctuary is best demonstrated through the experiences of the people who use our service.
Someone who has received support for the Sanctuay said: “I genuinely don’t think I would be here today if it wasn’t for Sanctuary. At the point I contacted the service, I felt completely alone and overwhelmed. The support I received helped me get through one of the darkest periods of my life; hope it never closes.”
Another person who has been supported by the Sanctuary service said, “I’m so grateful for you and the Sanctuary – talking to you always makes me feel better, works like a charm!”
Anybody can experience crisis, for many different reasons and in many different ways. You may be overwhelmed by your emotions, feeling gripped by anxiety, hearing or seeing things that are frightening you or experiencing suicidal thoughts.
Whatever your experience, it is nothing to be ashamed of and talking to someone could be the first step to feeling better.
To find out more information about the Sanctuary service, visit: https://www.cpslmind.org.uk/how-we-help/the-sanctuary-for-mental-health/
May 26, 2026
