Welcome to Axis Foundation, the charitable arm of Axis.

homeless

Off the Fence

January 11, 2023By Axis Foundation

Saving lives of people experiencing homelessness

Off The Fence supports individuals facing homelessness and all forms of poverty in Brighton and Hove in Sussex.

In 2023 the Axis Foundation donated £7,000 to Off the Fence Trust to purchase 200 Vango Atlas Heavyweight sleeping bags for the rough sleepers who use the services of Antifreeze. Antifreeze is the charity’s day centre for the homeless, part of an emergency outreach.

“We are so grateful, as are our clients. Until they are housed, each of our clients uses at least two high quality sleeping bags a year, demand fuelled by wear and tear or theft. £7,000 enables us to purchase 200 military quality sleeping bags that will undoubtedly prevent deaths from exposure, illness and the cold through the winter months. This is helps us meet a significant proportion of our outdoor budget in this area” – Roy Stannard, Head of Income-Generation and Comms

We followed this up with a further donation of £4,750 to purchase hygiene materials (including toothpaste, shampoo, razors, shaving foam and cleaning products), hot water bottles (for distribution on the street) and waterproof jackets (for warmth and protection in the cold winter).

“The Axis Foundation is bulwark of compassion in an uncertain world” – Roy Stannard, Head of Income-Generation and Comms

“Thank you for your compassion and generosity. Lives will be saved” – Jane Leaver, Office Finance and Individual Giving Co-ordinator

“On behalf of Off The Fence, I extend our deepest gratitude for your recent support of £4,750 in aid of our essentials provision in our Antifreeze Day Centre – supporting the health and wellbeing of individuals currently experiencing homelessness in Brighton and Hove. In this past year, we have noted heightened levels of homelessness and housing insecurity in our city as inflationary pressures force individuals below the poverty line. By partnering with Off The Fence to provide warmth and comfort amid homelessness, you have helped alleviate this pressure. For this, we thank you” – Analise Walls, Executive Support and Trusts and Foundations Lead

In 2026, we donated a further £1,870 towards essential winter clothing to support those facing homelessness in Brighton and Hove.

“Thank you again for your demonstrated generosity and compassion at a time of immense local need. Together, we are resisting poverty, empowering people and restoring hope in Brighton and Hove” – Analise Walls, Executive Support and Trusts and Foundations Lead

More About Off the Fence

Since 1997, Off The Fence has worked across Brighton and Hove to tackle the root causes of poverty, supporting people to move beyond vulnerability and towards long-term stability. Antifreeze is one of three core programmes delivered by Off The Fence:

Antifreeze – supporting individuals to move out of homelessness
Gateway – support for women, by women
Schools and Youth – standing alongside at-risk children and young people

Each year, more than 500 people access Antifreeze’s services, ranging from essential provisions such as showers to dedicated Key Worker support and clear pathways into housing and employment. While the city’s hotels and B&Bs accommodate many people experiencing homelessness, this remains a short-term solution, and demand is rising sharply. In 2024/25 alone, the Antifreeze Day Centre recorded 2,571 visits.

There’s more about their work here

Community

Choir With No Name

May 10, 2018By Axis Foundation

Our notes help Community Choir support homeless and socially marginalised through singing

The Choir with No Name (CWNN) is a community choir for people affected by homelessness and marginalisation. CWNN’s vision is that all people have a place they belong. A place where anyone can come and sing their hearts out. Their mission is to enable as many homeless and marginalised people as possible to beat loneliness and build their confidence and skills through singing. Communal singing is proven to be hugely beneficial for both physical and mental health. So, they were delighted to receive a sum of £5,000 from the Axis Foundation.

“We are thrilled to have the support of Axis Foundation. Our London choir is a positive and non-judgmental space where the most isolated members of the community can build up a network of support, grow in confidence, sing away their worries and get themselves back on their feet.”

“The Axis Foundation’s generosity means that we will be able to continue to run rehearsals in central London all year round, reaching more people affected by homelessness in the city and introducing them to the multiple benefits of singing together.”

“We are extremely grateful, thank you!” – Rachel Clare, Fundraising and Communications Manager

More About our Grant

The Axis Foundation’s £5,000 grant will support the music delivery costs of the London choir, including the Choir Director and rehearsal venue hire fees. Support for these costs in 2018/19 will enable them to offer community choir rehearsals 48 weeks of the year, create 12 gig opportunities for members at inspirational venues across the capital and host 12 outreach singing workshops for people at risk of homelessness and marginalised community members. The community choir project aims to engage with 230 individuals through their rehearsals and outreach programme throughout the year.

More About The Choir with No Name

The Choir with No Name London is based in the borough of Camden but is open to all boroughs in London. They also run choirs in Birmingham and Liverpool, and launched a brand new choir in Brighton in August 2018. In 2017/18 they worked with 764 marginalised adults across all choirs (278 via rehearsals and 486 via outreach singing workshops). CWNN rehearsals are followed by a hot meal and then the opportunity to socialise. Volunteers do the cooking and provide pastoral care and practical support too.

Community

The Passage

July 28, 2014By Axis Foundation

Help for the homeless in Westminster

The Passage is a day-care centre that operates for the homeless, providing food and shelter, as well as two hostels for vulnerable rough sleepers at night. The centre is used by up to 200 people a day for both men and women, offering basic care, advice, health care re- homing help, education, training and hostel accommodation.

Westminster has the highest concentration of homeless rough sleepers in the country. There is a pressing need to both provide care for them with basic services and to support them to rebuild their lives. The Passage strives to achieve this by helping them access benefits they may be entitled to and by offering educational support so that they can find accommodation and maybe a way of income.

The Axis Foundation has aided The Passage in continuing their support for people in the Westminster area by donating £5,000. This donation will look to furnish the bedrooms in their main hostel and help fund new bedding, towels, table lamps, clock radios and cleaning kits so residents have a clean atmosphere and a pleasant feel to the place.

Over the years a number of Axis people have used their 1 volunteering day a year to volunteer at the passage to help out the homeless in the areas we work. We have also donated painting equipment with staff volunteering their time to refurbish rooms and several corridors at the Passage Homeless Shelter.

In one year it took £3.9m to run their 48 bed shelter, the day centre and provide support including; mental health care, alcohol and drug rehabilitation, shelter for older homeless people, education and training for employment.

Axis recognised the importance of the Passage’s work and shares the centre’s ethos of providing a hand up rather than a hand out, something Axis employs within the social housing communities in which they work.