Who We Support
The Homity Trustees have no fixed agenda on awarding grants, just a commitment to provide financial support where a need is identified. We will only award funds after careful consideration and due diligence by our Grants Committee, to formally registered groups where a small amount will make a big difference.
Based in central Brighton, but covering all of Sussex, we prefer to help local community groups to improve quality of life and social inclusion for their end users, and to be kept in touch with their development and progress stemming from the use of the grant.
Here are some recently funded groups showing the ever increasing needs continuing on from the COVID pandemic and now the extra influence of the cost of living crisis.
Pelican Parcels
We are proud to have supported this incredible group since their formation and so the recent decision to award them with our special 10th anniversary grant was a reflection of how they best match our desire to give funding that will make a BIG difference. This money has been matched by another local charitable foundation along with significant donations from other Sussex based Trusts too, which is amazing. The charity provides emergency and ongoing support from their Hove warehouse. They take in pre-loved and new item donations for babies and children up to age 12, and redistribute them to families facing financial hardship via various existing family services across Brighton & Hove.
Our funding is helping with the more difficult to donate items like cot mattresses, buggies and even a washing machine. Unfortunately demand for their services keeps increasing and is a sign of the real hardship many families are facing at this time. Shelley and her team of amazing volunteers do a tireless task with a smile and we look forward to being involved with their (unfortunately) further expansion and growth.
Little Green Pig
Under Nicky’s brilliantly organised leadership, her amazing team of writers and volunteer helpers deliver creative writing and poetry workshops to disadvantaged kids at several local community schools. Further funding is now supporting the Young Writers Collective groups at Longhill and Whitehawk with the boundless energy of Roy the poet leading the way! At a recent recital of their work, the audience was both in tears and laughter at the original poems produced - covering everything from kebabs and kites to dragons and grief. It was humbling to see the talented new writers gain confidence skills from a subject they may not have chosen before these opportunities. We are very proud to be able to provide further core funding for these sessions.
Crawley Open House
Trustee Marcus recently visited this amazing resource in Crawley, meeting with
Ian and his team to see the continuing delivery of first response, and longer term, homelessness care. It is a haven of resouces and a warm welcome for those struggling from a recent change in their life circumstances for whatever reason. The site has expanded enormously over the years and now incoporates a drop in advice hub with food & clothes bank, job and benefits advice, bike workshop and full on cafe and kitchen facilities too! In an area poorly served by charitable enterprises it stands out as a gem of an organisation and we are so happy to continue our support for their work even if in a small way, most recently supplying new bedding for their 24 on site residents.
Brighton Food Partnership Community Kitchen
Kate and Richard both enjoyed taking part in one of the community kitchens regular hands on batch cookery sessions. The briliantly equipped central Brighton kitchen is enthusiastically managed by Jess and Jo and their merry team who take a dozen local vulnerable guests through the use of oversupplied or waste fresh food and turn out amazing cheap but oh so tasty dishes that can be used over several meals. This low cost and fun approach was really enjoyed by everyone and we are proud to help with the running costs for several more planned events into ‘25. Yum!
The Old Boat Community Centre
Community Hub
Under the human fount of knowledge and energy, otherwise known as Reyna, the whole team and atmosphere at the centre is incredible. This truly is the epitome of a community hub in the Carden Hill area of North Brighton. The immediate sensation is of busy, happy people helping each other. From food and hygiene needs, to clothes exchange, soft play and a dementia cafe, this place delivers it all with great cakes too! We have recently supplied regular drip funding to allow some extra funds to be used where and when most needed to address existing or new ideas and issues. Trustees are confident that this funding is being used to its maximum and delivering the Homity message of small amounts making a big difference.
Rockinghorse at the Royal Alex
We are pleased to support the recently refurbished Sussex general hospital children’s specialist unit with family care packages for those in financial difficulty. These provide essential items to those young patients and their carers urgently or unexpectedly admitted for a stay in the wards. This dedicated section of the hospital is really bright and welcoming with amazing friendly staff specialising in dealing with young children’s needs for a welcoming and ‘homelike’ feel to their often daunting stay. The Rockinghorse children’s charity provides a huge amount of core and support funding for this service - and truly makes the wards a more welcoming environment. Our funding provides a small part of this joined up care.
The staff of Rockinghorse, our trustee Ella and one of the amazing care team at the Children’s hospital.