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Our History
How Are You Cambridgeshire and Peterborough began as an NHS England Mental Health Transformation project in Peterborough. It started with a co-production event in 2019 where we asked people “what does mental health support mean to you?”. Participants in the workshop – drawn from the voluntary sector, NHS, social care and from people with lived experience of mental health challenges – told us that as well as NHS services, they valued going along to local, grassroots community activities and groups.
We asked how we should share all the information we had gathered at the co-production event. We were given three key steers:
- create a website rooted in local communities, shaped by local people;
- use “mental health” labels and language sparingly – instead use plain English and avoid jargon;
- offer more than a traditional directory – provide photos, videos, introductions, and practical insights about what to expect, to make that first step easier for people who may be feeling anxious or unsure.
The H.A.Y. Peterborough website was launched in 2020 and the other five district websites were rolled out in 2021 – 2022. Since then, the H.A.Y. Team has been busy discovering the community groups, activities and services that support wellbeing across Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, and adding them to the district websites. The team share this knowledge with healthcare colleagues, local authorities, and VCSE organisations, as well as the public, to help connect people with support that feels right for them.
Get involved
H.A.Y. features ongoing activities, groups or services in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough that make a positive difference to wellbeing locally. If you run an activity or group and you would like to feature on How Are You Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, find out more here.
