A Brighton-based charity supporting homeless young people is to receive £500,000 over four years from The National Lottery Community Fund.
The Clock Tower Sanctuary will receive £112,000 a year until 2027, which represents a sixth of what the charity needs each year.
It will fund core staff costs and the “bread and butter work” of the charity’s support officers, but will also help to continue courses on independent living as well as training staff and volunteers.
The National Lottery has funded individual projects for the charity before and supported them during covid, but this represents the first time the charity has received funding at this level.
Frances Duncan, chief executive of The Clock Tower Sanctuary, said: “Amidst a cost-of-living crisis and ensuing cost-of-giving crisis, [it] enables us to plan with confidence, knowing we can be here for young people experiencing homelessness.
“This funding will enable us to continue delivering our Tenancy and Independent Living Skills courses, and supports our year-round recruitment and development of volunteers.
“It’s a specialist program where we work very intensely with small groups of people, focusing on meeting people where they’re at.
“It gives people the skills to find accommodation, and once they’re in accommodation to maintain accommodation and avoid eviction.
“It covers things like how to manage money and pay bills, how to avoid getting into debt and understanding housing options as well as having the confidence that they can find their own solutions and know where to turn to get help.
“With the support of The National Lottery Community Fund, we can accelerate this work in 2023, ensuring young people are in the lead and feel heard.”
The charity helps those aged 16 to 25 who are rough sleeping, ‘sofa surfing’ or living in temporary or emergency housing by providing accommodation, hot food and showers.
The Clock Tower Sanctuary ‘youth voice’ approach means the service users often get a say in how the service is run, and what it provides.
Ms Duncan said this has improved the service for young homeless people, who asked for a big dining table when the centre was renovated in 2020 in order to build more community and eat and socialise communally.
Esther, a person who has benefited from the service, said: “I started to come to The Clock Tower Sanctuary last year, but it’s helped turn my life around already.
“With the help of my case-worker, I’ve gone from emergency accommodation into a more permanent, supported accommodation, and I am now waiting to move into independent social housing.
“The people here have helped me find strength that I’d forgotten I had.”
The Clock Tower Sanctuary is one of more than 250 charities in the south east to have been awarded over £10 million of National Lottery funding in the last three months.
