Off The Fence Trust

Off The Fence Trust is a Brighton based registered charity founded on a Christian vision and driven by Christian values. The charity provides vital services to the most vulnerable and marginalised in our community. The charity works in the four areas of street homelessness, women at risk, education, and provides supported accommodation for vulnerable young people. Off The Fence staff are supported by an enthusiastic and committed group of more than 50 volunteers.

May we ask for your urgent help to provide hope to the many street homeless and rough sleepers in Brighton and Hove? Their need is desperate as the temperatures on the streets of our city have dropped below freezing.

Your support is needed now more than ever. Please help our 'Project Antifreeze' to continue providing emergency sleeping bags, food, warm drinks and medical supplies to the homeless.

The recent TV and radio coverage of the plight of former TV news reader Ed Mitchell has highlighted that homelessness can come to any family. Ed's story is not unusual. After experiencing redundancy and credit card debts that spiralled out of control he ended up sleeping rough. Many others have suffered the same fate.

Without the support of concerned individuals, Off The Fence would simply not be able to provide the help that is so vitally needed at this time of year. So often this is the only thing that shows people on the streets that somebody cares whether they live or die.

Can we ask you as a matter of urgency for a donation towards the work of Off The Fence? By giving a gift, you can help ensure that we can continue to provide a ray of hope to the most vulnerable on the streets of Brighton and Hove? Please click on our 'Donating' page to see how you can make a gift today.

An appeal from the Director Paul Young.

A former news reader who became homeless in Hove is attracting massive national and local media attention.

Ed Mitchell once worked for the BBC, ITN and Sky and was earning £100,000 a year. However, after experiencing redundancy and credit card debts that spiralled out of control he ended up sleeping rough.

His recognition of the support that Off The Fence has given him has led to a lot of media interest in the charity. In an interview with BBC South Today, Project Antifreeze worker Mervyn Weeks spoke of the variety of people who end up homeless in our city. People from all sorts of successful and professional backgrounds can find themselves in desperate situations and need help.

Our Project Antifreeze staff and volunteers run a nightly outreach service to provide food, hot drinks and emergency sleeping bags to the homeless in Brighton and Hove. The Project also operates an Advice Centre on Portland Road, Hove, where those who are homeless can find one-to-one counselling, advice and support.

For more information on this report please see: BBC South Today & The Argus & BBC Radio 4 Interview.

Every week young people across our city attend Christian lunch time clubs organised by, or in partnership with, Off The Fence. To see which schools our staff and volunteers are working in see our Schools and Youth page.

The Schools Project has been expanding rapidly this term with the launch of a new group for girls, involvement in a school mission and other exciting opportunities. In order to serve the young people we work with in local secondary schools, we would love to be able to loan/give away books to help them find out more about the gospel of Jesus Christ and grow in their relationship with him.