The city's homelessness appeal reopened on 4 September. Donations are split equally between eight frontline charities, with nothing taken out for admin.

Eight Brighton & Hove homelessness charities have reopened their joint appeal, Make Change Count, and this year’s donations are again split equally between all eight. None of the money goes on administration: each charity takes part at no cost, and the campaign says every penny reaches frontline support.

The council announced the 2026/27 appeal on Thursday 4 September. Make Change Count has run since 2016 and has raised more than £100,000 over that time, according to Fabia Bates, chief executive of The Clock Tower Sanctuary, which is hosting this year’s fundraising page.

The pitch is straightforward. It is an alternative for people who want to give change to someone sleeping rough but would rather the money bought professional help.

Panel showing what £5, £10, £25, £50 and £100 donations pay for under the Make Change Count appeal in Brighton and Hove

The eight charities

The campaign shares every contribution equally between:

  • Antifreeze, part of Off The Fence Trust, afternoon and evening outreach with hygiene facilities, showers, laundry, clothing and structured support.
  • BHT Sussex, accommodation, mental and physical health care and addiction recovery through its day centre, housing projects and prevention teams.
  • BWS: SIG Equinox, Brighton Women’s Service, the city’s only accommodation-based service for women with high support needs experiencing homelessness. It is an 18-bed, trauma-informed service.
  • YMCA Brighton, the city’s oldest housing charity, supporting more than 400 people a year with advice, accommodation and coaching to prevent homelessness.
  • Sussex Nightstop, same-day emergency accommodation in host homes for 16 to 25-year-olds.
  • The Clock Tower Sanctuary, the only day centre in the city for 16 to 25-year-olds experiencing homelessness, offering food, clothes, showers and emotional support.
  • YMCA DownsLink Group, working across Sussex and Surrey on youth homelessness and mental health.
  • Change Grow Live, helping people move off the street into the right services and reduce repeat homelessness.

Three of the eight work specifically with young people, which is a useful thing to know if you are choosing where to give: a single donation here reaches both the adult and the youth end of the city’s homelessness services.

Councillor Gill Williams, cabinet member for housing, said every donation “provides direct, practical support to help people move away from rough sleeping and towards a more stable future”.

Where the appeal stands today

The JustGiving campaign page is run by The Clock Tower Sanctuary, registered charity number 1146777. When we checked it on Friday 5 September it had raised £200, plus £50 in Gift Aid, from a single donation. The appeal is days old, so that figure should be read as a starting point rather than a verdict.

What it means for you

If you want to give. Donate through the Make Change Count 2026/27 page. Add Gift Aid if you are a UK taxpayer: it lifts a £25 donation to £31.25 at no cost to you. Your money is divided between all eight charities, so you do not need to pick one.

If you are worried about someone sleeping rough in Brighton or Hove. Report it to Streetlink. The city’s street outreach team is then sent the location and will try to make contact and offer accommodation and support. The council’s own guidance is blunt about why this matters: reporting where someone is, is the most reliable way of getting them help, because outreach workers cannot find people they do not know about.

If you want to know what the council itself is spending. We reported in August on the government funding secured for rough sleeping services in the city, and on the record number of households in temporary accommodation. Both sit behind this appeal: the charities here work at the sharp end of the same problem.

Sources