Homelessness
Together in Sussex supports a number of different projects for those who are experiencing homelessness. These include Winter Night Shelters and drop-in sessions to provide relief for immediate needs such as food, clothing and healthcare.
We are also able to signpost, advise and provide basic training for new initiatives trying to tackle the causes and outcomes of homelessness. Our aim is to share best practice across the region with a view to developing sustainable routes out of homelessness.
For more information please please contact info@togetherinsussex.org.uk
Sussex Homeless Support
Sussex Homeless Support are a registered Brighton based charity. Sussex Homeless Support provide support, advice, and outreach to people suffering housing crisis in Sussex.
Run by volunteers, SHS rely solely on donations to continue our work. Every Saturday SHS run a Street Kitchen at Old Steine in Brighton where they serve meals, give out clothes and advice to around 500 rough sleepers and vulnerable people.
SHS run two outreach projects:
1. Every Saturday at Old Steine from 1pm until 3pm.
Hot food, tea and coffee are available to anyone in need of a warm drink or a nourishing meal. SHS also take this opportunity to distribute donations of warm clothes and toiletries.
2. Every Thursday at The Peace Statue from 6:30pm until 7pm
With a small van delivering a snack service alongside St John's Ambulance who provide medical attention and advice.
"We won’t turn anyone in need away and we’ll aim to help in any way that we can"
Sussex Nightstop
Every day for over 12 years, Sussex Nightstop has been driven by the fact that every night someone stays with one of our hosts is a night they are not vulnerable to the significant risks of rough-sleeping or sofa-surfing. Their volunteers have provided over 3,800 safe bed nights to 475 vulnerable people and in one year they dedicated 7,534 hours of their time – a living wage equivalent of £61,854.
"Aside from meeting basic needs, (a hot meal, a warm, private room and the head space that homely comforts free up) our hosts remind people at the most desperate of times that people care. They choose to open their door. They choose to be there. Confidence and belief are important ingredients in a person’s ability to maintain the good stuff in their life, seize new opportunities and bring about positive change for themselves.
While guests recuperate in these safe spaces, our support co-ordinator connects them with local services, including housing advisors, to help them find safe and suitable accommodation. We also operate an on-call service to support both guests and hosts."
Homeless Shelters Across Sussex
We are fortunate to have many different homeless shelters and warm spaces available across Sussex. We have compiled a small list of notable and accessible shelters. You can find out more information by performing a simple web search using keywords such as 'homeless shelter' or 'night shelter' and your location online. We have found that the council websites usually have a page dedicated to shelters available in their district. For example: The Brighton and Hove council page here.
- Clock Tower Sanctuary (NOTE: only for 16-25 year olds)
- The Winter Night Shelter (NOTE: only operated from December to February)
Also, for help finding a warm space, the website 3VA (a website focused on Wealden, Lewes and Eastbourne district) has a helpful page. You can access that here.
Free Feminine Hygiene Products
Although specific help for this is limited across Sussex, most homeless shelters and day spaces will provide free feminine care and hygiene products for you. You can also sometimes find such products in community centre toilets and washrooms.
East Sussex Libraries set up the PeriodBank to help tackle period poverty in East Sussex, providing donated period products and hygiene products to anyone who needs them. The project launched in January 2020 in Eastbourne Library and quickly expanded to include Hastings Library, Hailsham Library and Newhaven Library in June 2021. A fifth library will be joining their successful scheme later this year! Their long term goal is to provide PeriodBank collection points in all of their libraries.
They provide bags of products as well as ‘pick your own’ stands. The East Sussex Library team have also shared their donations and knowledge with smaller community groups in the form of seed donations to encourage them to pilot their own period banks.
Taken from the Hey Girls website: https://www.heygirls.co.uk/com...
Housing Help and Guidance
Homelessness can often be avoided if you act quickly and get the right help.
You do not have to be living on the street to be homeless. You may be legally classed as homeless if you:
- live in insecure conditions, such as staying with friends and family (sofa surfing)
- live in inadequate or unfit housing
- have a place to sleep but it’s temporary, such as a hostel or an institution
The East Sussex council page has a helpful page on advice and support if you are facing homelessness or need assistance on housing. You can find out how to protect yourself and find alternative accommodation, as well as organisations that can support you. Check out their website here.
Get Involved
Warming Up The Homeless (WUTH) is a charity working to support people living rough across the coast in Hastings, Bexhill St. Leonards and Eastbourne. You can get involved in a number of ways by raising money, collecting clothes or donating food to their hubs. WUTH also accept cash donations to help their team on the streets and at the hub locations best support people facing homelessness.
Check out their website here: https://wuth.org/get-involved/
Many homeless charities also host 'Sleep Outs' fundraisers.