In 1985, Father Alan Sharpe of the St Patrick’s Church in Cambridge Road, Hove, opened the church doors to two people without a home and somewhere safe to sleep. That single act dramatically changed the life of St Patrick's Church.

The following evening they returned and then began to bring their friends. Within months, the church was providing shelter for over 30 people a night. As his knowledge and experience grew, it became clear to Father Alan that the fledgling Trust had a vital role to play in supporting people affected by poverty and homelessness in Sussex.

Now Lorica St Patrick’s, we offer over 25,000 bed spaces per year for homeless people through a 22-bed Nightshelter, 29-bed hostel and move-on accommodation for 19 people. We also operate a food distribution service, education centre and wintertime all-night cafe.

Having recently been through some testing times, serious challenges have been made to our philosophy, which have had far-reaching effects on our funding and operations. The Council’s decision to withdraw £200,000 of our funding for the 22-bed Nightshelter means that we now have to work harder than ever to appeal for private funding and volunteering services from individuals and companies in Sussex.

However, we are determined that the Nightshelter should continue to exist to provide shelter and care for all street homeless in our city – regardless of their origins or roots.  With over 20,000 members of the public signing our
SAVE OUR
SHELTER petition in support of our ethos (one of the largest ever number to sign a petition in Brighton and Hove), this confirmed what we already knew in our hearts and minds, we need to find a way to keep our Nightshelter open. We now need your support more than ever before. Please help us to keep the night shelter open through 2006 by making a donation – time, money and provisions are all gratefully received. Click here to make a donation or contact us on 01273 733151.