A few weeks ago, the Rotary Club of Eastbourne celebrated their centenary at the Eastbourne Grand Hotel with £100,000 donation to help the homeless.

The event marked 100 years since the Rotary Club was founded and the end of the two-year Homes for Homeless fundraising campaign which Southdown has supported and match funded money raised.

Colleagues from our East Sussex Rough Sleeper Services and Housing team attended the event along with Neil Blanchard, our Chief Executive, who accepted a cheque for £100,000 on behalf of Southdown (pictured above).

Upon receiving the cheque, Neil said the project would create a lasting legacy and “help change the lives of many”.

He added: “The Rotary club has done fantastically well to raise this staggering amount during the past two years in support of their campaign. I’d like to say a heartfelt thanks to its members for choosing to support homelessness for their centenary fundraising project. It has been a privilege to work alongside them.”

With the money raised by the Rotary, along with money Southdown has invested and Government funding, our Housing team has identified two self-contained flats in Eastbourne which we’re in the process of purchasing. Once the flats are ready to be let, tenants for the properties will be referred in collaboration with the East Sussex Rough Sleepers Team, with support provided by Southdown’s Housing First team.