Ten Sussex charities have been awarded a combined total of more than £100,000 following a high-impact Angels’ Den fundraising event hosted by Focus Foundation at the Brighton i360.
The inaugural event brought together over 200 guests, including the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Amanda Grimshaw, Deputy Lieutenant Michael Bedingfield, as well as Focus Foundation Patrons Anita Dobson and Andrew Bernardi. The evening featured powerful charity pitches delivered directly to a panel of five “Angels” – influential business and community leaders committed to backing local grassroots initiatives.
The Brighton Table Tennis Club secured the evening’s largest award, receiving £25,000 to expand its network of highly trained junior coaches and deliver table tennis coaching across schools in the city.
Tim Holtam, Co-founder and Director, said:
“We are absolutely delighted. Our young coaches are incredible, and this funding means we can invest in their development and bring the sport into more communities across Brighton. This will genuinely help change lives.”
The Children’s Respite Trust, based in Uckfield, was awarded £17,500, followed by an additional £13,440 made up of audience voting and matched funding from The Pebble Trust and Focus Foundation. The funds will help the charity create a sanctuary space and deliver over 2,000 extra hours of respite care for families across Sussex.
Support Spread Across the County
Each charity had two minutes to present their work and explain how funding would directly impact local communities. The panel then questioned each organisation before making funding decisions.
Additional awards included:
| Charity | Awarded |
|---|---|
| Grassroots Suicide Prevention | £12,500 |
| The Real Junk Food Project Brighton | £8,750 |
| The Launchpad Collective | £8,750 |
| Pelican Parcels | £7,500 |
| MindOut (LGBTQ Mental Health) | £5,000 |
| Springboard | £5,000 |
| Sussex Nightstop | £5,000 |
| WOLO Foundation | £5,000 |
A Celebration of Community Power
Chris Goodman, Co-founder of Focus Group and Focus Foundation, said:
“The purpose of Focus Foundation is to connect communities and help grassroots charities thrive. Our first Angels’ Den demonstrated exactly what is possible when local people, donors and organisations unite behind positive change.”
“It was a moving, uplifting evening — and the funding awarded will make a real and immediate difference across Sussex. We are incredibly proud of the charities who took part and the inspiring work they do every day.”
The Angels Panel
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Chris Goodman – Co-founder, Focus Group & Focus Foundation
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Rob Starr MBE – Founder, Seico Mortgages & The Starr Trust
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Sarah Willingham – Owner of the i360, Chair of Nightcap Group & former Dragons’ Den investor
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Nazila Blencowe – Founder, Baron Homes Corporation
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Martin Gallagher – CEO, The Clare Foundation
Event sponsors included:
Seico Mortgages, E3 Events, Galloways Accountancy, Cognitive Law, The Marcus Tomlinson Consultancy, The Clare Foundation, Action Funder and the Brighton i360.
Chris Goodman added:
“This is just the beginning. Focus Foundation will be announcing further community funding initiatives in the months ahead. We look forward to doing even more to support the organisations improving lives across Sussex.”
For more information, visit: https://focusfoundation.org.uk/
