This month we officially changed our name from Brighton Housing Trust to BHT Sussex, to reflect the work we undertake in many parts of Sussex.
Last April, we merged with a mental health care and support charity, Sussex Oakleaf, that provides services in North West Sussex including in Burgess Hill, Haywards Heath and Crawley. We already delivered services in Brighton and Hove, Lewes, Eastbourne and Hastings.
BHT Chief Executive, Andy Winter, explained the reasoning behind the change:
The name ‘Brighton Housing Trust’ doesn’t reflect the broad nature of our work. We work well beyond Brighton and Hove, and while housing is an important part of our work, we do so much more than that, from providing mental health support to helping people overcome addiction and rebuild their lives.
We also felt that now, in the middle of an international pandemic, it was not the time to do a major and expensive rebranding exercise. Many people already know us by our initials, BHT, so by using that and adding ‘Sussex’ we feel we can convey our expanded geographical reach while retaining an important part of our history and identity.
We will gradually replace existing materials, as an when they are due for renewal, so the additional cost of this change will be negligible.
What will not be changing are the quality services we provide, as we continue to transform lives across Sussex.
The name ‘Brighton Housing Trust’ doesn’t reflect the broad nature of our work. We work well beyond Brighton and Hove, and while housing is an important part of our work, we do so much more than that, from providing mental health support to helping people overcome addiction and rebuild their lives.
