Off the Fence
Donation saves lives of homeless people
Off The Fence supports vulnerable and socially excluded people in Brighton and Hove in Sussex. Antifreeze, is the charity’s day centre for the homeless, part of an emergency outreach.
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.
“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
“Thank you for your compassion and generosity. Lives will be saved” – Jane Leaver, Office Finance and Individual Giving Co-ordinator
More About Off the Fence
Celebrating its 25th year, Off The Fence Trust works with vulnerable and socially excluded people in the Brighton and Hove area. Over 700 people use Antifreeze, the charity’s day centre for the homeless. Some users (for example if they own a dog,) have elected to remain rough sleepers. In 2021-22 Antifreeze’s services were used 1,775 times. Whilst many rough sleepers can be accommodated in the City’s hotels and B&Bs, this is only a temporary solution, and the numbers are rising steeply.
Off The Fence Trust tackles social and spiritual poverty, and help members of the community who are facing crisis situations with little or no support. Their priority is to provide a practical, emotional and psychological safety net through three projects:
- Antifreeze, a day centre for the homeless – part of an emergency outreach to rough sleepers
- Schools’ programme for 6-18-year-old children
- Gateway, a women’s centre supporting women in crisis
There’s more about their work here