A housing and homeless charity has been awarded almost £500,000 of lottery funding to help people without somewhere to live as they look for work.
Some of those who have been helped by BHT Sussex, formerly Brighton Housing Trust, boosted the funding bid by sharing their success stories.
The National Lottery Community Fund awarded BHT Sussex £486,697 to extend the “Accommodation for Work” project for a further five years.
The project provides temporary shared housing and support for people in Brighton who are looking for work but who don’t have anywhere to live.
BHT Sussex said: “The new funding from the National Lottery Community Fund, which distributes money raised by National Lottery players for good causes, will enable a vital local service to continue.
“The Accommodation for Work project helps people experiencing homelessness to get off the streets and into employment and independent accommodation.
“In the year to March 2024, it supported 52 residents, 98 per cent of whom took part in work and learning activities and two thirds of whom secured paid employment.
“The Accommodation for Work project is well-regarded by its current and former clients, many of whom helped with the charity’s funding bid by sharing their stories of how the project helped them.”
One of the people helped by the project said: “Accommodation for Work is helping me to achieve more and have a better life for myself.
“Before I came here, I was sleeping in a kitchen and nothing was improving in my life.
“Within three months of being at Accommodation for Work, I was learning new skills and I got my first certificate. This is the first certificate I’ve ever had. I can’t believe I passed a course.”
BHT Sussex project manager Bernadette Lynch said: “We’re thrilled to receive this funding which will enable us to support more people who work or want to work but who are experiencing homelessness.
“We so appreciate the continued support of the National Lottery and we are looking forward to supporting our residents to achieve their work and learning goals and put homelessness behind them.”
BHT Sussex is a registered charity made up of interlinked projects and services aimed at empowering people to overcome homelessness, poverty, addiction and mental ill health.
The charity, which started as the Brighton Hostel in 1968, said: “We provide homes, specialist support services and legal advice on housing, immigration and welfare benefits related issues. Our services operate across Sussex.”
To find out more about the project, visit bht.org.uk or click here.
