My Time with East Brighton Trust

We recently had the pleasure of welcoming Rubyn for a week’s work experience at East Brighton Trust, where he spent time with some of the organisations we support. Thank you for the wonderful blog-piece Rubyn, come and visit us again soon! 

“Hi, my name is Rubyn and I am a first-year student at BHASVIC coming towards the end of the last term.

As part of the transfer from year 1 to year 2 every student is required to complete a week’s work/skills experience out in the ‘real world’. Despite suggestions from the college, I wanted to do something that could reshape and better my understanding of the city I share with over 200,000 others – as opposed to 5 days of tasks I have probably have no further interest in. And I was lucky enough to land a placement with the East Brighton Trust.

Throughout the week I found myself all across East Brighton, meeting with people and organisations supported by EBT, trying things I wouldn’t have otherwise done, and meeting people I never would have come across- but I’m glad I did.

The first place I visited was the East Brighton Food Co-op The EBFC is responsible for the production and delivery of healthy, nutritious food all over the city to individuals and communities in need. 

EBFC provides nutritious meals to vulnerable people who otherwise would have no opportunity to eat fresh and healthy food – whether that be due to homelessness, disability, age, or poverty. They also maintain a focus on supplying food to areas that may not get sufficient support such as parts of Whitehawk and the Bristol Estate. It was great to witness the compassion and hard work of the volunteers at EBFC firsthand, from the tiny kitchen between the Level and London Road.

During my time there were only ever 4 volunteers at any one moment, yet by 1.30 pm on my second day over 120 meals had been prepared and packaged, highlighting the incredible work of the cop-op and the impact of their work.

The second place I visited was the Moulsecoomb Community Market The Moulsecoomb Community Market is open once a week and is responsible for the supply of fresh fruit and veg as well as cupboard essentials to the local community – which, according to research is in the top 10% deprived areas in the UK. The market operates using the social supermarket model in which members pay a small membership fee and another small fee when they enter the market. All members have a choice on the level of food shop they want and are able to choose from a wide variety of food. When I was in to help out, I and many of the other volunteers were there from 8.30am (and some from earlier) to set up the multiple tables of everything from toiletry essentials to carrots and onions. Over the next 5 hours, the volunteers worked tirelessly: running the tills, helping newcomers with their shop, and being a kind and welcoming face, supporting every person from the second they walked in, to the second they left.

Much like the EBFC, the Moulsecoomb Community Market is a not-often-acknowledged and unsung essential service. In a time where food inflation is exponentially increasing and pricing consumers out of essentials, the Moulsecoomb Community Market and the value of their work is crucial and selfless, to say the least.

Finally, the last place I visited during my week was the Crew Club in Whitehawk. The Crew Club is an independent community organisation that supports young people in Whitehawk and the surrounding areas through a huge number of (growing) activities and brilliant facilities. Its aim is to provide greater opportunities for youth in the local area whether that be sport, music and everything in between.

The work of the Crew Club and the impact on the surrounding area cannot be understated as they help to level the playing field in providing not only a safe space for the children, but also support and encouragement to improve their lives via any one, or all of the activities offered. During my visit, I was massively impressed with the facilities on offer. They included multiple fields – 2 of which have football goals – a music studio, a boxing gym, basketball courts, and more. Throughout the week I was invited to help out with the football coaching delivered by Crew Club Hawks, VYD, and the Russell Martin Foundation. I was impressed with the level of dedication and compassion of both the volunteers and coaches alike. The children seemed to thoroughly enjoy their football sessions, leaving me with the impression that the training offered is greatly appreciated in the local community and provides an outlet for the kids to release their (boundless!) energy.

As well as my experiences of working alongside these charities I had the opportunity to visit the East Brighton Trust office at Westergate, just a stone’s throw off the Lewes Road on an industrial estate. Yet another place I never knew existed! I met with Gary Pleece, EBT CEO who talked to me about the aims and aspirations of EBT and what it takes to run a non-profit organisation. I was told about how the organisation distributed funds to numerous groups, organisations and schools across East Brighton and how the Trust decides where best to contribute funds to maximise benefit and positively impact the lives of people of East Brighton.

I also met with three tenants who explained some of the brilliant work they do. I met David of Exploring Senses and I was instantly impressed with some of the artsy T-shirts and 3D printed sculptures I saw when I walked in. David was really enthusiastic about his work and seemed proud to be able to share his passion with young people in and around Brighton, doing activities which they would not have otherwise had the chance to do. I was particularly impressed with some of the graphic designs and mask/ T-shirt designs some of the kids had done at events he has delivered in Whitehawk.

Another tenant I talked to, Vania, runs the organisation Gladrags. Gladrags is an eco-conscious second-hand costume company that provide affordable costumes to schools (my own primary school included) as well as for community events and to community groups. When I walked in I was greeted by Vania who showed me around the endless rows….and rows of costumes (it was like entering Narnia) and she explained how Gladrags started and how it works. The people who work with her – all volunteer – seemed very passionate about their work.

Finally, I had a conversation with Sibel and a few of the volunteers in the Textile Hub who pride themselves on reusing and repairing clothes of all shapes and sizes. They are clearly driven by environmental concern and passion and are big supporters of the anti-fast fashion movement. They explained to me the amount of clothes they save from scrap and landfill – and remake into new pieces which are then sold affordably at pop-ups or at festivals.

Overall the conclusion I have drawn from my weeks work is that there is an entire world of work and volunteering happening every day that most of us will never even know of. Yet the impact these organisations have, surpasses their recognition 10 to 1. For example, before I started I would never have even heard of the Moulsecoomb Community Market let alone know that they provide so many families every week with subsidised, high-quality food to support the local community. Similarly, the EBFC opened my eyes to the unbelievable effort of those who provide food to those in serious need to no personal benefit, just purely out of compassion. These experiences really did emphasise the incredible work being done by organisations such as these, and have shown me how support for similar grassroots community groups will help them in their journey of bettering Brighton one step at a time.”