The Princess of Wales will be visiting Southampton next week to open a new residential community.

Hope Street is a pioneering family-friendly residential community which will pilot a new approach to supporting women in the justice system.

Designed and developed by charity One Small Thing, it is the first of its kind in the UK and will open on Tuesday, June 27.

During her visit, Kate will tour the new facility to learn about the support residents will receive, as well as meet the staff, supporters and partners who have driven the pilot programme over the past six years.

She will also hear how Hope Street will work to prevent the trauma of mothers being separated from their children in the justice system, before meeting women who have lived experience of the system.

The royal visit comes four months after Princess Anne visited her namesake hospital in the city. 

The Princess Royal visited the Princess Anne Hospital in February to mark 42 years since it opened. 

She met families and newborns, then toured Broadlands Birth Centre and Burley Ward, meeting midwives, healthcare support workers, and hospital staff. 

The Princess Royal also planted a tree in the hospital grounds to mark the occasion before attending a ceremony honouring Southampton's Lord Mayor status at the Civic Centre.

Hope Street offers a community alternative for women who would otherwise be imprisoned unnecessarily due to a lack of safe accommodation or concerns around their wellbeing.

The charity has deployed an evidence-based approach which is being independently monitored by The University of Southampton, The Prison Reform Trust and EP:IC.

The pilot aims to demonstrate how a compassionate and supportive approach towards women in the justice system can have a transformative impact and improve outcomes for society, providing a blueprint which can be scaled across the country.

It has been purpose built and specifically designed by and for women to create a welcoming home environment, designed with light filled communal as well as private spaces, a 24-hour hub and onsite creche and play areas for children.