Charity partnerships

Spear Brighton Trust

Who they are

Spear Brighton Trust inspire and help unemployed young people overcome disadvantage by focusing on the key issues that help them to succeed in work: attitude, confidence, and qualification.

Their impact

Their award-winning Spear Programme helps 16–24-year-olds overcome the challenges they’re facing to find and succeed in sustainable employment. Their vision is to transform the lives of up to 90 young people facing barriers to employment in and around Brighton each year, giving them the support, skills and confidence they need to get into work or re-enter education and begin to build a future filled with hope.

Our Partnership

The Spear Programme unlocks the innate talent and potential of young people, igniting in them ‘a vision of the possible’ with the support of local partners. As well as helping them with valuable funding, OneFamily aim to make a direct, tangible impact through sharing our skills, networks and experience.

Team Domenica

Who they are

Team Domenica is a social enterprise charity. Their mission is to help people with learning disabilities discover their career potential, to create employment opportunities and remove barriers to work in local communities.

Their impact

An incredible 76% of their young people gain employment through their supported employment programme and 90% retain their position (compared to just 20% across the UK). This is because they stay with their young people for life - providing ongoing support and hope for the future.

Our Partnership

Team Domenica rely on the support of the community to provide their extensive and highly individualised programme across Sussex; including classroom education, training in their cafes and coffee roastery, enrichment activities in the community, supported work experience and internships, tailored job opportunities and wellbeing support.

OneFamily will work with Team Domenica to help raise their profile in the community and provide valuable funding to help support their employment centre, which provides additional work experience, internships and employment opportunities.

The Clock Tower Sanctuary

Who they are

The Clock Tower Sanctuary work with young homeless people to give them space, support & stability. They provide a space for homeless 16-to-25-year olds where they can feel safe and 'just be', whilst also getting access to services and support.

Their impact

Brighton & Hove has the fourth highest number of homeless people outside of London. The Clock Tower Sanctuary is the city’s only day centre for 16-25-year-olds who are homeless, or insecurely housed. They provide a safe, supportive place, where people can find a hot meal, showers, laundry facilities, clean clothing, food parcels, life skills classes and one-to-one case-working.

Our Partnership

Having a safe, stable place to live is the foundation to increasing a young adult’s life chances. However, the transition out of homelessness can be difficult for their clients who have frequently experienced chaotic childhoods and lack role models to show them how to manage living independently. OneFamily are supporting the ‘Towards Stability’ project, which is designed for clients who are ready to move into housing and are looking to find work or training and take steps towards a more secure life.

Elderly Accommodation Counsel (EAC)

Who they are

EAC is a national charity that encourages whole family conversations with the aim of helping older people to live safely and well at home, with any care or support they may need. Their website receives 4.4 million visitors each year and provides free, impartial information and advice to help people plan, access local services and explore accommodation options.

Their impact

Too often older people or family members contact EAC after a crisis. This rings alarm bells about whether Mum or Dad really should be living where they do. EAC aims to reach them earlier, when a wide range of options can be discussed with them and their families – enabling them to live safely, well, independently and with dignity in their own homes for as long as they wish.

Our Partnership

EAC’s Advice Line service worked with around 20,000 older people and families a year until funding cuts forced it to shrink its capacity to less than 5,000. OneFamily’s support will allow it to rebuild the service whilst exploring new ways to fund their good work in the longer term.

Citizens Online

Who they are

Citizens Online is passionate about digital skills and access. They work towards an inclusive society where everyone can benefit from digital connections by assisting people and organisations to get online and learn digital skills. Citizens Online’s work is all about ensuring the benefits of the internet and digital technologies are available to everyone.

Their impact

It’s estimated that 7.8% of UK adults (4. 2M people)* have either never used the internet, or last used it over 3 months ago and 21% of UK adults (11M people) do not have the Essential Digital Skills needed for day-to-day life.**

Digitally-excluded people can lack skills, confidence and motivation, along with having limited or no access to equipment and connectivity. This can create additional layers of social exclusion and exacerbate social and economic problems. With support to get online, people can have better job prospects, manage their health and wellbeing more easily, stay connected and reduce feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Our Partnership

Money received from OneFamily’s recycled IT equipment is used to support Citizens Online with coordination and delivery of their Digital Champion programme and telephone helpline in the Brighton and Hove area. The Digital Champion programme helps users increase their skills and confidence online by building new skills in anything from using online banking safely and using comparison websites to find the best deal, to helping a learner to reconnect with their family.

*ONS (2020) Internet Users, UK
**Lloyds Bank (2021) Essential Digital Skills Report