Brighton community centre to close

A Brighton community and advice centre is to close at the end of next month.

The Whitehawk Inn, which was once a pub, has faced years of financial struggle as grant income has decreased.

The community project merged with BHT Sussex, formerly Brighton Housing Trust, eight years ago but the charity has been unable to set its finances on a sustainable footing.

BHT said that, despite its efforts to secure additional funding, the costs of running the services together with leasing and maintaining the building itself have proved too high.

Some of the centre’s services – such as the “Money Works” financial advice service and the digital inclusion classes run by BHT – will continue at alternative community venues and remotely.

BHT Sussex chief executive David Chaffey said: “BHT Sussex took on the Whitehawk Inn in 2015 when it faced imminent closure and we were determined to save the project as a highly valuable, and valued, resource and community venue for the residents of East Brighton.

“We are proud to have kept the service running for seven years and deeply regret that, without additional stable income, we have had to make the difficult decision to close the service.

“In the current very challenging economic climate we must do all we can to protect our core services around homelessness, advice provision, addiction, housing advice, mental health and housing.

“The reality is that continuing to support the Whitehawk Inn could affect our ability to do that in the future.

“These aspects of our work remain the key components of our mission and must be our priority to continue to provide.”

BHT Sussex is liaising with people who use the centre to try to mitigate the effects of its closure. It has been used by a number of community organisations over the years and used as a community fridge, polling station and vaccination centre.

Last year, the Money Works service alone provided 769 advice sessions and helped clients to claim just over £100,000 of benefits to which they were entitled.

The old pub, in Whitehawk Road, Brighton, was bought in 1994 by Glenn Jackman, 63, and his wife Irene, also 63, of Walpole Road, Brighton. He wanted to set up a community computer training centre.

He was one of the trustees of the Clarion Development Trust which set up a community centre and internet café there in 1997, known as the Clarion Projects. The trust changed its name to the Whitehawk Inn in 2005.

In its final set of accounts before the merger with BHT, the Whitehawk Inn listed rent of more than £37,000 among its outgoings, as well as staff and property costs. The costs of running the property, such as energy bills, are believed to have risen sharply.