Strong sense of community is at heart of this initiative

Asap or ta nd historic home of the Royal Navy, Portsmouth is acultural melting pot where a diverse population lives cheek by jowl on our denselypopulated island. It’s always been a neighbourly place where people have a reputation for looking out for each other.

But as we go about our busy lives and become wrapped up in our own jobs and families, we can still sometimes fail to recognise that there are people amongst us in need of help. So we welcome the creation of a new network called Portsmouth City of Sanctuary, in which more than 80 organisations are teaming up to tackle vulnerability and isolation across the city.

It’s non-political and nonreligious and is based on shared principles of inclusiveness, openness and participation. It will join up projects and services, meaning people are better able to access the right support.

This co-ordinated approach also prevents replication, meaning resources are maximised.

From veterans struggling to cope with civvy street to refugees, asylum-seekers, the homeless and those who feel cut off from the mainstream, the City of Sanctuary will be there to meet their specific needs.

The Portsmouth group will join an existing network of Cities of Sanctuary across the UK and Ireland, including Southampton and Chichester, and work within five main areas; health, education, advocacy, sports and arts and theatre.

What shines through in this excellent initiative is the strong sense of community that lies at its heart.

The determination that people, whoever they are, wherever they come from and whatever their problems, will not be allowed to fall through the cracks in society.

That’s a noble aim and one we should all support.