William Collier Open House: Brighton through the eyes of our clients

Would you like to tell us a little bit about what you do at William Collier House?
At William Collier House, we support people with multiple complex needs in high medium supported housing to overcome trauma and live more fulfilling lives.

On the ground floor, our new, floating support and coaching service EVOLVE is based. Our team of coaches work with people across the City to support them in taking ownership of their lives, build reliance and respond positively to challenges they might face on their journey to independence.

How important is it for artists in your centre to be offered opportunities to engage with and to express their creativity?
Encouraging people to express themselves through creativity is paramount for our clients. It is even more important to empower them to do this, as our clients are marginalized, have more barriers to overcome and might not be able to access the same opportunities as other people. This is why, having in-house Art and Crafts and Support Groups and workshops can make expressing themselves through art more achievable and incredibly therapeutic.

What does it mean to your artists to have their work seen by and to interact with the AOH festival audience?
Through events such as the AOH festival, as well as other local exhibitions we constantly take part in, our artists get the exposure for their art and thus the acknowledgement that they require.

 Are there any specific developments or outcomes you are hoping for as a result of taking part in the AOH festival this Christmas?
We are permanently endeavouring to build even stronger links with the incredibly supportive community of Brighton and Hove. We dream of a day when everyone is aware of the range of our services and the beneficial impact the YMCA has. Ultimately, together with partner organisations, we aim to raise the profile of homelessness and bring it back to the agenda. We work towards a society without homelessness. Our motto carries through all our work: ending homelessness, transforming lives.

Russ photography

Is here anything else you would like to tell us?
We have just launched our Christmas campaign, #CHANGETHISCHRISTMAS !

This Christmas, you can make a real difference by simply buying a loved one a gift.

Many people find Christmas a difficult and isolating time. We at Brighton YMCA want to bring people together during the festive season. Your generous donation could provide a Christmas meal or present to one of our 310 clients.
This offers distraction from loneliness and a sense of belonging at what can be a really challenging time for our clients.

HELP US #CHANGETHISCHRISTMAS… and Christmas will mean so much more to you!

For all details on how to donate, please follow this link: https://www.brightonymca.co.uk/youcanhelp/xmas/

While you visit, you can buy prints (framed and unframed) by the artists who took part in the MyBrighton & Hove Photo Project . Photographers receive 50% profit from sale of the prints, and the rest goes back in their social entreprise and photography mentoring project.
 

William Collier House
40 North Road, Brighton, BN1 1YG

William Collier House

Brighton YMCA Artists Open Houses:
https://www.brightonymca.co.uk/2018/11/27/artist-open-house/

Christmas fundraising campaign:
https://www.brightonymca.co.uk/youcanhelp/xmas/