2025-26: Steadily supporting Brighton & Hove’s communities to survive and thrive

Usage of the Resource Centre’s services remained steady during 2025-26, with a total of 594 different community groups making 1,949 visits to the Centre during the year.

  • 280 groups used our community print room, making 1,030 uses of our print machines during the year
  • 349 groups hired equipment for 543 events and meetings, raising an estimated £698,900 to support their vital activities
  • We provided advice and support to 254 groups, via 208 conversations at our open-access front desk and 128 separate one-to-one meetings
  • We supported 212 priority groups with free design and print services on 278 occasions
  • We carried out 44 free examinations of accounts for priority groups
  • We provided secretarial support for 16 area-wide meetings of council tenants and residents, supporting their voice within Brighton & Hove City Council’s consultation structure

Comments from groups using the Centre have been overwhelmingly positive. For example:

“This made our fundraising event so much easier. We value the Resource Centre so highly – as does the whole community. Thank you.” (Friends of Royal Spa, July 2025)

“We hired [games] for our year 6 leavers party and they were BRILLIANT! Gave the kids lots to do and a great variety. Particularly helpful for SEN kids who wanted a calm, immersive activity.” (Friends of St Lukes Primary, July 2025)

“The Friends use this excellent service at least 4 times a year. It is the most direct and targeted and efficient community benefit and supporter we have ever found. On every occasion we feel encouraged and enabled in our community events. The equipment and services are extremely appropriate and the staff superb. Thank you” (Friends of St Ann’s Well Gardens, February 2026)

“Thank you for your quick and professional service, really appreciated. The Poster looks great” (Moulsecoomb Forest Garden & Wildlife Project, February 2026)

Human connection and an open door

Our open-access front desk services have been well used throughout the year, with an average of 90 groups each month dropping in or calling the Centre. Despite a period of understaffing during 2025, we kept our doors and telephone lines open for 28 hours a week throughout the year, with expert staff on hand to help community group organisers with their printing, equipment booking, collection and return, and friendly conversation about the multitude of other issues community groups are facing.

When visiting the Resource Centre, community group organisers find:

  • A well-equipped print room where they can print colour flyers and posters (our laser printer was used 809 times last year), black & white newsletters (66 uses of our copyprinter) and large banners and posters (155 uses of our large format printer)
  • A unique range of equipment to help their events run smoothly, raise money and bring people together. Our equipment for meetings was hired 411 times during the year, fundraising equipment 586 times and play equipment 363 times.
  • Free access to computers with software for administration and design
  • A range of information sheets to take away or read later online
  • Information about upcoming funding deadlines and useful funders for small local groups
  • A noticeboard to display information about their own events and activities
  • An opportunity to meet each other and chat with fellow organisers from other corners of our diverse city

Changing with the times

The Resource Centre has been woven into the city’s community ecosystem since the 1970s. Our unique blend of services has been built up in response to the needs of small community groups, and we continue to develop and grow in the same organic way.

During the year, we added some new items to our equipment for hire:

We also made progress on the development of a new online booking system and website, which will be launched later in 2026. This will make booking equipment much simpler and quicker for groups and free up staff time to respond more quickly to calls and queries.

In-depth support with a powerful impact 

The Resource Centre’s open-access front desk has proved a valuable gateway to support for We Are the Tree, a group run by-and-for migrant and diaspora communities in Brighton & Hove and surrounding areas.

Manal, the group’s Director, described the impact of the Centre’s support as follows:

We Are The Tree CIC is grassroots, refugee led organisation working with refugee women, divergent refugees and young people and with forcibly displaced diaspora.  Our work creates safe, nurturing spaces where refugee can rebuild confidence, connect with others, and rediscover their voices through storytelling, community engagement, and leadership activities.

As a small underfunded organisation, established in November 2025, and offered services to  1375 individuals,  our growth has depended not only on passion and commitment, but also on access to practical support and resources. The Resource Centre in Brighton has been a key partner in this journey.

The Resource Centre has been more than just a service provider—it has been a trusted partner in our development. Their practical support and encouragement have enabled us to grow from a small community group into a stronger, more visible organisation with a wider reach and deeper impact. Example of their support listed here:

  • Leaflet design and printing: They have helped us create clear, culturally sensitive, and visually engaging materials that reflect our values and speak directly to the women we support.
  • Publicity and outreach guidance: With their support, we have improved how we share our work, helping us reach women who are often isolated or unaware of available support.
  • Funding information and opportunities: The Resource Centre regularly shares relevant funding opportunities, enabling us to apply for grants that sustain and grow our programmes.
  • Ongoing advice and encouragement: Their team has been approachable, responsive, and genuinely invested in our success, providing guidance that has strengthened our confidence as an organisation.
  • Skills building and training: practical training in designing and digital marketing.
  • Lending us equipment we needed for our events

The support from the Resource Centre has had a direct and meaningful impact on the refugee and diaspora women, young people and neurodivergent we work with:

  • Reduced isolation: Improved outreach has enabled more women to find and join our community, helping them move from isolation to connection.
  • Increased participation: Clear and welcoming materials have made our activities more accessible, encouraging consistent engagement.
  • Stronger sense of belonging: Women report feeling safe, valued, and understood within our spaces.
    “Before joining the group, I felt very alone. Now I feel like I have sisters. I can speak, I can laugh again.” Nesreen from Home office Accommodation in Brighton
  • Empowerment and confidence: With more stable programming, women and neurodivergent refugees have been able to take part in storytelling, wellbeing, and leadership activities that support healing and personal growth.

At a time of great uncertainty and division, the need for strong community groups is greater than ever. By building relationships of trust, learning organisational skills and bringing people together at grassroots events, groups like We Are the Tree are renewing the democratic foundations we all rely on for our safety and the potential to thrive. We will continue to offer them patient, steady and reliable support as long as we are able to.

Page updated: May 2026