Overview

'Friends First’ started with the efforts of a group of volunteers from Church of Christ the King in Brighton who began befriending homeless people in the Brighton & Hove area in 1990 and provided a weekly 'drop-in' for those on the margins of the local community.

The drop in continues to offer a hot meal and friendship in a relaxed café atmosphere and sees around 50 people each week. One of the consequences of getting to know this group of people was the realization that, however motivated, unless they had secure accommodation and daily support it was unlikely they would be able to escape from the life controlling issues and cycles of dependency that dominated their lives.

In 2002 Friends First Supported House was set up by Church of Christ the King in cooperation with the Council’s Supporting People Team to provide accommodation for eight men and four women who had been assessed as in need of a period of intensive support so that they can work towards independent living. It Includes a separate women’s area to provide a safe environment for women who may have experienced abuse or domestic violence.