This is how Stonepillow is transforming the lives of homeless people in the Chichester and Bognor Regis area and giving them fresh hope
The High Sheriff of West Sussex Gary Shipton visited Stonepillow - an extraordinary charity based in the greater Chichester and Bognor Regis area working to empower and support homeless and rough-sleeping individuals to restart their lives with independence, dignity, and confidence, and to prevent homelessness wherever possible.
Its Day and Night Hubs provide basic needs such as showers, laundry, nutritious cooked meals, warmth, and safe, non-judgmental spaces; it operates 24/7 emergency hostels and supported accommodation properties; while its recovery services offer abstinence-based residential rehabilitation programs for drug and alcohol misuse. Focusing on prevention, relief, recovery, resettlement, and restoration via peer support, outreach and working with local district councils is at the heart of its mission, supported by retail spaces that accept preloved goods and offer employment/training opportunities.
Mr Shipton said: “In my capacity as High Sheriff of West Sussex I was so impressed by their exceptional work during a visit to Bognor Regis where I also met some of the retail team and had the opportunity to participate in a Past Tents session.”
Afterwards, CEO David Francis said: “We were delighted to welcome the High Sheriff to Stonepillow to show case the work we are doing to support people at risks of or dealing with homelessness and rough sleeping in West Sussex. It was great for our teams and clients to share their experience and the High Sheriff’s encouragement and support was greatly appreciated. We look forward to continuing the conversation about how we can work together to support people to rebuild their lives as part of contributing to strong and thriving communities.”
Jenny Jackson, Director of Income Generation, Communications and Volunteering, added: “Community collaboration is key to enable Stonepillow to provide the best possible support for people experiencing homelessness. It was wonderful to introduce the High Sheriff Gary Shipton, to staff and clients within our Bognor services: Our hub to hear more about the vital initial support Stonepillow provide; The hostel to share more around the 24/7 support provided for up to 16 people at any time; The Stonepillow charity shop on the High street which is key to generating income to support the services around 1,000 people rely on each year.
"West Sussex is an incredible place to live and work, there is a real community here and it was great to hear about the other incredible organisations that the High Sheriff has been visiting and further collaborations that could be formed going forwards. I look forward to the day when our services are no longer needed, but until that day we will continue to provide the breadth of services required to support people experiencing homelessness.”
The High Sheriff of West Sussex is an independent, non-political, and voluntary royal appointment. The office represents the Crown for matters relating to the judiciary, law, and order, while acting as a high-profile champion for local communities and voluntary services. It is entirely unpaid. Separately, Mr Shipton is the Editor At Large of SussexWorld and its sister newspapers – reflecting his involvement with the titles dating back nearly half a century.