ABOUT US

Who We Are

It Takes A City is different. Working in partnership, we seek to end the cycle of poverty and homelessness in Cambridge, for good.
We directly deliver key services in the city:
Crossways emergency winter accommodation project
The Haven, our women-only overnight safe space.
Survive and Thrive transitional support for both rough sleepers and those on a journey away from the street
Our projects provide shelter, safety, comfort, and advice, alongside other crucial support.
Working in a trauma-informed way, we build successful pathways from street to home.
We believe that everyone should be treated with respect and dignity, and no one should face their problems alone.
We couldn’t do any of this important work without the support of the community, our donors, volunteers and local organisations, all of whom share our vision to end rough sleeping due to homelessness in the city.
For updates on our work, please read the latest edition of our newsletter and subscribe to receive future editions.

Our Mission Statement

‘To end rough sleeping in Cambridge due to homelessness, making sure everyone has somewhere to call home, with the support they need’

OUR TRUSTEES

Since retiring from a consulting career in 2007, Chris and has launched several charities aimed at bringing all parts of the community around people who need help. The needs of rough sleepers identified through the Cambridge Street Pastors initiative led to the Cambridge Churches Homeless Project and then to ITAC, inspired by the work of the Greater Manchester Homelessness Action Network.
Chris is Chair of ITAC, and of the ITAC Community Land Trust, focused on providing homes for rough sleepers. Chris was awarded the British Empire Medal for services to the homeless in Cambridge during COVID-19 in October 2020. When not busy with ITAC and several other initiatives, Chris enjoys playing golf, listening to music and five grandchildren.

Simon has worked in Supported Housing for 25 years. His career began working directly with people experiencing homelessness in Cambridge and later he held senior national positions with The Riverside Group, and currently with the national charity P3.
In recent years Simon has moved from senior operational roles to more strategic asset investment, service improvement and transformation projects. He is also a member of the Investment Committee for the Resonance Supported Homes Fund, an impact investment property fund providing long-term accommodation for people with Learning Disabilities and Autism.

Alison, a South Cambridge resident for over 30 years, has been a dedicated volunteer, mentor, and advocate for vulnerable groups, particularly the vulnerably housed and homeless community, for the past 12 years. She has carried out this work for a variety of local organisations and charities.

Emma has worked with local homeless charity Cambridge Cyrenians for over 20 years and is now their Head Of Services. Cyrenians offers accommodation, mental health support, therapeutic horticulture, bee keeping and floating support and has been operating for over 50 years. Emma has a keen interest in all aspects of provision offered to rough sleepers and is really excited about being involved with ITAC. Emma is a mum to two children and enjoys CAKE (for any occasion), Lego, Star Wars and camping.

Rob Lake is a counsellor and a volunteer with Cambridge City Foodbank, Cambridge Refugee Resettlement Campaign and the adult literacy charity Read Easy. He is a volunteer at Crossways in the winter months and provides befriending support to a former Crossways resident. Rob previously held sustainability roles in the investment industry and was a policy analyst and lobbyist for environmental and international development charities.

Paul lives in East Cambridgeshire and works in financial analytics for a company that provides payroll and pension services to schools across England. With over three decades of experience in the financial sector, Paul has developed a keen understanding of the intricacies involved in managing and analysing business finance.
Beyond his professional career, Paul is deeply committed to charitable work. He has collaborated with numerous charities, leveraging his financial expertise to support their missions and improve their operational efficiency. His contributions have ranged from financial planning and analysis to fundraising and strategic development.

Barry Read was a teacher in the London and Southeast Area for 30 years with the last 17 years as a Headteacher before moving to Cambridge 2 years ago. He was an enthusiastic volunteer at Crossways and was then invited to become a Trustee of It Takes a City which he was honoured to accept. Barry has continued to take an active part in the Charity and volunteers at Street Storage and helps run an educational programme with visits to several Primary Schools in Cambridge. Barry actively walks the streets of Cambridge on a weekly basis supporting the homeless with conversation or cups of coffee. 

Dr Asha Praseedom has lived and worked in Cambridge since 1998 and is a Consultant Psychiatrist and Clinical Director in Mental health. She has been involved with the homeless sector in Cambridge since the late nineties and has served as a Trustee at ITAC since 2023.
Previously she served as Board Trustee at Jimmy’s Cambridge and the Cambridge Group Therapy Centre. In her spare time, Asha sings with her local community choir and has recently started to learn Indian classical dance. She lives just outside Cambridge with her husband. They have a son and a daughter, both of whom have now flown the nest.