From 1 February 2026 Solent Mind’s Portsmouth Peer Support Service, currently run from the Wellbeing Centre in Arundel Street, is changing.
From 1 February 2026, Solent Mind’s Portsmouth Peer Support Service, currently run from the Wellbeing Centre in Arundel Street, is changing.
Solent Mind has been commissioned by the NHS to focus on providing peer support to service users within the primary care remit. We will be out in community spaces, including St Mary’s, working alongside NHS colleagues to offer extended hours support for people who may be working or have commitments during the day.
To ensure a joined-up approach, people looking to get support will need to follow a new referral pathway to access dedicated one-to-one support. We will continue to work side-by-side with adults in our community using peer support to help them in their recovery journey and enable people to maintain positive mental wellbeing and thrive. Our peer support is person-centred where our staff with lived experience work alongside those who need our help.
Ian Stiff, Chief Operating Officer for services at Solent Mind, said: “We have delivered a very strong portfolio of mental health peer services over many years in Portsmouth and it’s great news that we will continue to offer peer support across our Portsmouth communities as we work alongside Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust. It’s been wonderful to hear from service users who have benefitted from our various support groups at our Portsmouth Wellbeing Centre. Our peer practitioners have used their lived experience of mental health to create a safe and supportive space to connect, and I’m delighted that the team will be able to continue to deliver some of these vital services with a focus on supporting people’s mental health recovery.
"We are looking forward to working closely with our partners in Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare and reaching out further into our communities as part of the new service. We want to ensure a smooth transition for all our service users and will be communicating to those directly affected by the changes.”
Abi Clarkson, Head of Access - Adult Mental Health at Hampshire and Isle of Wight Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust, said: "We are delighted to continue our partnership with Solent Mind in delivering essential peer support services across Portsmouth. We value the feedback of our service users and through our engagement with them we know the need for more peer services is important. This collaboration ensures that individuals experiencing mental health challenges within primary care settings can access one-to-one support from people with lived experience, helping to aid their recovery.”
To access our services in the future, please speak to your NHS mental health service, or contact the Portsmouth Mental Health Hub (0300 123 6621 Monday - Friday 8am-6pm) and they can arrange a new referral.
Visit our Portsmouth service webpage for more information: Portsmouth Peer Support and Wellbeing Team | Peer support and wellbeing service in Portsmouth by Solent Mind
What is changing?
The key change is the move from self-referral to NHS referral for our peer support services: to access our services in the future you will need to speak to your current NHS mental health service, or the Portsmouth Mental Health Hub (0300 123 6621 Monday - Friday 8am-6pm) and they can arrange a new referral.
Our funding also requires us shifting our focus from peer support groups to one-to-one support for a specific 6–8-week period to support recovery. This means that we will be suspending and reviewing our groups for the current time.
Which locations does the new service cover?
We will be present at key community spaces across Portsmouth such as St. Marys during extended periods to ensure we’re there out of hours, and when needed most, to cover community needs.
Who can access the new support?
Any adult (18 years +) living in the Portsmouth and surrounding areas, but you will need a referral from your current NHS mental health service or Mental Health Hub: Home - Mental Health Hub.
What wellbeing groups will you be offering at the Portsmouth Wellbeing Centre?
Our funding requires us to focus on providing one-to-one support and work more closely aligned to the NHS, therefore we will have to reduce our wellbeing groups and peer support drop ins at our Wellbeing Centre in Arundel Street. While we get our new service up and running, we will be suspending and reviewing our groups. We anticipate providing recovery focused groups in the future such as emotional coping and decider skills, alongside supporting you to develop a Wellbeing Action Plan. We also aim to provide other appropriate wellness resources to support service users while waiting for their one-to-one sessions. Please check our Portsmouth service webpage for the latest information: Portsmouth Peer Support and Wellbeing Team | Peer support and wellbeing service in Portsmouth by Solent Mind
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