Safehaven

Safehaven exists to help support anyone who is in need. Since 2010, we have opened drop-ins throughout the week, built relationships with agencies across the city and opened our new Hope and Wellness Centre.

We welcome anyone who is looking for a safe place. Together we enjoy a home-cooked meal and great conversations. Our aim is that we provide dignity, hope and community for each of our guests.

Every week, alongside a hot meal, there is an opportunity to engage in arts & crafts and other activities. Our team offers guidance and a friendly ear in a relaxed environment. For those who are interested in exploring faith, there is also an opportunity to worship and pray together. We are also grateful to work with a range of partners across the city to provide holistic support for the guests.

Our drop-ins run throughout the term at the following times:

Safehaven Men – Wednesdays, 1 – 3pm

Autumn Term – 11th Sept – 11th Dec

“I love to volunteer at Safehaven Men because of the interesting life stories of the men, the chats, laughter and fellowship of volunteers and guests.” (Safehaven Men guest)

Safehaven Women – Thursdays, 1.30 – 3pm

Autumn Term – 12th Sept – 19th Dec

“It’s a family, a home and it’s a safe place. You can’t describe Safehaven in just three words, it’s just an amazing place to be!” (Safehaven Women guest)

Safehaven Saturday (for men and women), 5 – 6:15pm

Autumn Term – 14th Sept – 7th Dec

“Safehaven is a place to relax and to talk to people about issues I have and I am so grateful for that. I’m thankful for the love and support.” (Safehaven Saturday guest)

Safehaven Mother and Baby

Nobody should have to go through motherhood on their own. Vulnerable new mothers and pregnant women are offered practical support and skill development within a supportive, nurturing community.

“Safehaven Mother and Baby has been very helpful and supportive to a single mum like me. I love the activities they offer which help to build my confidence as a mother.” (Sally, Mum to Lucy and Sammy)

Origin and growth story

Bloom Cafe & Hope Centre was a space created by the Safehaven Team in response to an increasing need in the city for safe, women only spaces. It was created to support women in Brighton, especially those experiencing loneliness, homelessness, addiction, isolation, abuse, for women who are on probation, or facing many other significant challenges. This was done by providing workshops which focused on wellbeing, community and learning new skills.

Current changes and challenges

As we are all aware, the huge surge in cost of living continues to hit everyone, creating a level of uncertainty in what to spend and what to save. Everything we do at St Peter’s is made possible by the generosity of our congregation. In the current climate everyone is feeling the financial challenges of inflation and the cost of living crisis and this has meant that we have had to be wise and re-think how we steward the resources we have, which are considerably less than previous years. Unfortunately, we have had to make the difficult decision to close Bloom Cafe & Hope Centre in July 2023.

What’s next?

Although Bloom is now closed, our heart for the vision remains unchanged, and we are committed to finding new ways to serve our community. We will take all that we have learned from Bloom and apply it to St. Peter’s, the family of churches, and beyond in the city. We recognise that our community’s needs are always changing, and we are committed to evolving our approach to better meet those needs.