Who We Support
The Homity Trustees have no fixed agenda on awarding grants, just a commitment to provide some financial support where a strong need in line with their current priorities is identified. We will only award funds after careful consideration and due diligence by our Grants Committee, to formally registered groups who will help make a big difference to their end users.
Based in central Brighton, but covering all of Sussex, we prefer to help local community groups to improve quality of life and social inclusion, 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 addressing the extra influence of the ongoing cost of living crisis.
Burgess Hill Community Pantry
Occupying an old shop space within the regenerated Burgess Hill shopping mall is this vibrant, cheery community food resource. Led by the effervescent Claire, her team (see photo) sort and display excess food destined for landfill but still perfectly safe and nutritious. From mangoes and marmalade to crusty bread and delicious pastries, registered members can stock up for what they can afford. This is an absolute gem of a resource for those many families struggling with the cost of living at the moment. Our Trustees were most impressed with their joined up model and signposting to other support organisations locally and particularly the tie in with a neighbouring real butcher! Here bulk purchase of assorted meats and poultry allow lower prices and less waste whilst providing essential proteins. Future group cookery sessions are also planned to help with family budgeting. We look forward to supporting their development and community promotion.
Some of the happy pantry team.
Real Junk Food x Voices in Exile
A brilliant tie up between two East Brighton established community food and support groups. The Real Junk Food manager Paul, has set up a summer holiday drop in and lunch day, using our funding to help cover costs. This day allows refugee & asylum seekers to socialise, get a nourishing free lunch, freshly prepared from supermarket waste food, whilst also accessing various support groups (including a foodbank/pantry on site) provided by Voices in Exile, their neighbours at the Fitz Hub in Kemptown. As you can see everyone gets to help and then work it all off with some table tennis time courtesy of the third residents, Brighton Table Tennis Club. Such an uplifting and joined up solution to many issues faced by those in a foreign environment.
Thank you!
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 whilst also engaging with partner organsiations to maximise the use of these limited funds.
Dentaid, the dental charity.
We are pleased to continue regular support for Dentaid the team that provides dental care and oral health advice for people experiencing homelessness, harm, poverty and abuse. This hidden issue is particularly acute amongst those marginalised in the community and we visited them on a recent treatment morning at the Brighton Friends, Families and Travellers site. Run expertly by Sophia, alongside Mel and the numerous volunteers including specialist emergency dentists giving their time for free, it is a chance to bring something we take for granted to those unable to access vital care especially at a younger age. A very professional and impressive set up that relies on donations for all their running costs and our small but regular unrestricted funding helps with day to day expenses
The staff of Dentaid in their mobile treatment unit with our manager Richard.
Wakehurst Place visits
Just Friends is an energetic organisation, originally based in Eastbourne but now at numerous sites across Sussex. It is aimed at organising outings and social events for those who find loneliness a life issue. There is No Age Limit, No Membership Fee and No Expectation, which is a lovely approach.
The Gateway centre in Portslade is the womens drop in centre run by Off the Fence. Homity have recently provided separate ‘extra’ outings for both groups through their Community membership at Wakehurst Place in East Sussex. This sister site to the famous Kew Gardens is a haven of rolling and wooded peacefulness with an historic manor house and numerous cafes!! The groups of 25 had a great time exploring at their leisure whilst gaining inspiration for their own smaller scale gardening plans. This type of wellbeing is something that brings great health and social benefits especially to the more senior amongst us… we look forward to providing more adventures soon.