BHT Sussex has now been running First Base Day Centre in Brighton for over 40 years. First Base is our day centre for people sleeping rough in Brighton and Hove, which provides practical essentials such as hot food, showers, laundry facilities and clothes, alongside in-depth advice and support to move people away from homelessness for good. It is the only day centre of its kind in the Brighton and Hove area.
The hall is a grade II listed building that was built in 1766 as an assembly room to the Castle Inn at the Old Steine. The Castle Inn was a fashionable venue which helped put Brighton on the map in the 1700s. As such a historical building, it has quite an interesting past.
In 1814, it was appointed as a chapel for the Royal Pavilion by the Prince Regent. After the sale of much of the Prince Regent’s estate, the building was at risk of demolition but was saved after the Bishop of Chichester claimed that, as the chapel had been consecrated, it belonged to the church. The building was saved from demolition but was instead dismantled and re-erected on Montpelier Place – where it still stands today.
The building reopened as St Stephen’s Church in 1852 but was closed in 1939 due to a dwindling congregation. In 1950, the Sussex Diocesan Association for the Deaf and Dumb, later known as Sussex Deaf Club, took over the building.
In 1982, BHT Sussex acquired the hall and began two years of renovations before opening St Stephen’s Hall as First Base Day Centre in 1984. We have been running First Base from the hall ever since.
In 2010, we received Heritage Lottery funding to renovate the building and restore its beautiful original features, as well as maintain a functional, fit for purpose day centre for our clients. As the building is a grade II listed building, we worked creatively and built ‘buildings within the building’ – our offices are ‘pods’ built into the hall – allowing original features such as moulding and pillars to be maintained.
In 2024, First Base needed further renovations due to several maintenance issues. The parquet wood flooring was replaced, the roof was fixed, an accessible toilet has been modernised, and a well needed lick of paint has been applied – all making the centre more functional and welcoming to our clients.
It is not only the physical building that has changed over the past 40 years, but our service offering as well. We previously had a broader client base as we ran a duty office from First Base where we’d support people in any kind of accommodation with their housing problems. Now, our focus is on supporting people who are rough sleeping or experiencing other forms of homelessness, such as sleeping in vehicles or sofa surfing. Our main focus is to support our clients to end their rough sleeping and move into safe accommodation. The general housing advice we used to offer at First Base can now be found in our Housing Advice services across Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings.
Additionally, we have continued to increase the range of partners we work with in the city to deliver health clinics for our clients. The clinics are specifically aimed at combatting the health issues that people experiencing homelessness are more likely to endure. We have on sight facilities such as an optometry room and a medical room to allow our clients to have direct access to healthcare.
Back in 1984, it may have been hard to imagine that First Base would still be needed in 2025, but rates of homelessness are rising every year and shockingly, 1 in 77 people are now homeless in Brighton & Hove, according to Shelter. Last year, First Base supported 560 people experiencing homelessness and subsequently supported 242 of those people to move away from rough sleeping and into accommodation. You can read more about First Base’s positive effect on our clients in this impact report.
We believe that no one should have to sleep rough. Whilst the fact that our services are still so desperately needed is no cause for celebration, we are proud to have been able to empower so many people to turn their lives around over the last 40 years.
Guy Hayes, Operational Manager at First Base, said this:
We’re proud to provide an essential front-line service to some of the most vulnerable in our city and make a difference to the lives of so many over the last 40 years. Sadly, services like ours are needed now more than ever, and the lack of truly affordable housing in the city means that homelessness can affect anyone. Our service supports people to get off the street, offering sanctuary and dignity to people enduring rough sleeping, and provides a vital safety net to the most vulnerable members of our society.”
We want to thank everyone who has supported First Base over the past 40 years, from our generous supporters to our dedicated staff and volunteers. In particular, thank you to our regular donors – we would not be able to continue without your vital support.
If you would like to become a regular donor, please head to the donate page of our website.
