Looking for P3 Housing Association?
Go to P3 Housing
Looking for P3 Housing Association?
Go to P3 Housing
At P3 Charity, we’re proud to support more than 81,000 people across the UK each year through a network that spans 57 local communities. Our services span city centres and rural communities, including our Community Based Support Service in the Cotswolds, which is based in the heart of Cirencester and offers a lifeline to people experiencing or at risk of homelessness.
Our P3 Cotswolds Community Based Support Service helps people aged 16 and over who are experiencing homelessness or facing challenges living independently. It offers:
Referrals can be made directly to the service, with drop-in sessions held across our two offices in Cirencester and Moreton-in-Marsh, making support more accessible for people living in rural areas.
Set in one of the UK’s peak tourist regions, people in need of support in the Cotswolds face distinct social and practical challenges:
This is where the P3 Cotswolds Community Based Support Service is indispensable, bringing help to rural communities in the Cotswolds to support people who may struggle to reach one of our drop-in centres.
Rural homelessness is often harder to see because it often doesn’t involve rough sleeping in visible places. In rural areas, homelessness is more likely to be hidden, with people sofa surfing, living in unsuitable housing or staying in cars, caravans, sheds or outbuildings. In small communities, stigma and fear of judgement can also prevent people from seeking help and support services may be far and few between, meaning rural homelessness often goes unnoticed or unsupported until someone reaches crisis point.
In touristic areas such as the Cotswolds, the complexities of supporting people facing homelessness can be heightened as the real scale of the problem can often be masked by the pressure to maintain a welcoming image for visitors. High numbers of second homes, holiday lets and short-term rentals reduce the availability of affordable housing for local people, whilst lower wages and seasonal employment create job and housing insecurity. For many workers in rural tourist areas, accommodation is hard to maintain once the work ends, increasing the risk of homelessness.
At P3, we understand that hidden homelessness is widespread and underreported. Limited local services, long travel distances and a lack of visible support mean people experiencing homelessness in rural and tourist-rich areas are often missing from official statistics. That’s why we work closely with local authorities and other local agencies to identify the real scale of the problem, working collaboratively, providing practical housing and wellbeing support to help people build stability before they reach crisis point.
Our P3 Outreach teams work across the country to provide immediate support to people who are rough sleeping, helping them move off the streets and into safe, stable accommodation as quickly as possible. We offer practical help, build trusting relationships and work closely with local partners to ensure people can access the support they need.
In rural areas such as Gloucestershire, rough sleeping is often hidden and more isolated than in towns and cities. People may be staying in fields, woodlands, barns, vehicles or other remote locations, making them harder to find and increasing the risks they face. Isolation, limited access to services and poor transport links can leave people without support for long periods of time, impacting both their physical and mental health. As a result, rural rough sleeping can remain unseen and unreported, meaning people are more likely to fall through the gaps.
Our rural outreach teams work proactively to locate and support people in these isolated settings, often travelling long distances and responding to referrals from local communities, landowners and partner services. Building trust takes time, particularly when people have been living unseen or unsupported for a long time, so our teams take a flexible, person-centred approach. Using local knowledge and multi-agency collaboration, we help people to access emergency accommodation, healthcare and longer-term support, making sure no one is overlooked, no matter where they are or how remote their situation.
One person who benefited from the Cotswolds Community Based Support Service was Anthony, who had an ongoing problem with a civil court case and homelessness.
Worried about his housing situation, Anthony was referred to P3 by the housing department in Cirencester. As Anthony said, one thing that helped him “was the informality and welcoming environment [of the P3 team].” Talking him through each part of the process helped him understand his situation and supported him to look at suitable, long-term housing options that matched his individual needs.
Anthony is keen to say that the team at “P3 have been an absolute Godsend to me.” He believes the support he received from P3 was so effective because of the time the team spent getting to know him as an individual. His story shows that support plans delivered through a trauma-informed, person-centred lens are often the most effective, especially when working in the complex framework of rural homelessness and the specific challenges it brings.
At P3 Charity, we adopt psychologically informed environments to understand and respect the unique background and needs of the people we support. This helps us create tailored support plans and set clear, realistic goals for the future.
All P3 teams use a trauma-informed approach, recognising that people experience trauma differently and support requires an approach tailored to each individual’s unique needs, helping them to feel safe and empowered. Safeguarding is central to this work, not only to ensure each person feels protected, but also to ensure every voice is heard.
We develop support plans collaboratively with the person being supported, ensuring a proactive and evolving approach that can be adapted for each individual.
An adaptive working style is particularly crucial in rural areas, where isolation and limited services can make life more challenging. At our Cirencester hub, this means hands-on, practical support strengthened by strong links with the wider local community.
As Anthony says, “The isolation in rural areas can often be quite frightening and disconnected from larger cities. Having P3 there just as someone to listen to you in itself is brilliant, but the action and support is what is truly beyond words.”
Though small, our Cirencester-based service has a big impact in the local community:
In the rural beauty of the Cotswolds, challenges can often be hidden, but at P3, our mission is to shine a light where it’s needed, offering housing advice, emotional support and community connections that prevent isolation.
The P3 Cotswolds Community Based Support Service may be small in scale, but it has a big impact, offering hope, dignity and security for those who need support. If you are looking for support, we can help. Find your nearest service.
