Jewish Care's Brighton & Hove Fund, paid for by the sale of Hyman Fine House, will back groups helping Jewish people aged 60 and over. It opens in November.

A new fund for Jewish people aged 60 and over in Brighton & Hove and across Sussex is due to open for applications in November 2026, paid for by the sale of the former Hyman Fine House care home. Community groups, charities and grassroots projects can apply, through a two-page form.

The Brighton & Hove Fund has been set up by Jewish Care, which will also run it. It will give money to local projects, initiatives and groups that improve the wellbeing, independence and quality of life of older members of the Jewish community.

Where the money comes from

Jewish Care closed Hyman Fine House, its care home on Burlington Street in Kemp Town, and then sold it. The net proceeds of the sale are held in trust for the benefit of the Brighton, Hove and Sussex Jewish community, and the fund will be paid from the income on that money. Jewish Care says this will keep the fund going “for many years to come”.

Who decides

A new Brighton & Hove Fund Advisory Board will oversee the fund. It brings together representatives of the Brighton & Hove Jewish Welfare Board, the Sussex Jewish Representative Council, Jewish Care and Nightingale Hammerson. The board met last week and agreed unanimously to launch the fund by the end of November.

It will look at applications every quarter, with arrangements to consider urgent requests sooner where that is appropriate. Jewish Care says conflict of interest rules have been set up so that decisions are fair and independent.

Fiona Sharpe, who chairs the Brighton & Hove Jewish Welfare Board and is co-chair of the advisory board, said:

“There is a real sense of a creative opportunity with the Fund. By bringing together local expertise, strong governance and efficient administration, we have a chance to support meaningful, innovative projects, from different sectors of the community, that in the past may not have been able to apply for funding. This will also strengthen community engagement and create a lasting positive impact across Brighton & Hove and the wider Sussex area.”

The other co-chair is Louise Kermode, Jewish Care’s Director of Community Services and Jami Mental Health Services. She said:

“We are delighted to be launching the Brighton & Hove Fund and creating new opportunities to invest directly in initiatives that make a meaningful difference to older people across our community. The Board shares a commitment to ensuring the Fund is accessible, transparent and responsive to local needs, and we look forward to supporting projects that enrich Jewish communal life throughout Sussex.”

Small groups expected to apply

The board expects many of the bids to come from small organisations and volunteer-led projects. That is why it chose a short, two-page application. Groups and individuals who want to talk through an idea before applying will be offered help to do so.

The fund will focus on Jewish people aged 60 and over, in line with the objectives of the trust. The board has said it will keep track of new and unmet needs in the community as the fund develops, and review where the money goes so that it has the greatest impact.

What it means for you

  • Who can apply: community groups, charities and grassroots initiatives whose work fits the fund’s social welfare aims for Jewish people aged 60 and over in Brighton & Hove and Sussex.
  • When: applications open in November 2026. Jewish Care says more details will be announced shortly.
  • How: a two-page application form, reviewed by the advisory board every quarter. Urgent requests can be considered between rounds.
  • Before you apply: help is on offer to discuss an idea first.
  • Contact: email apply@bhfab.org.uk.