Bridging the gap: How grassroots giving is changing lives in Sussex

Think of Sussex and you might think of leafy suburbs and Glyndebourne. There’s no doubt that it’s an area of high wealth. But a recent report serves up surprising results on the state of the county’s youth.

Sussex has long been seen as one of the wealthiest regions in Great Britain. But the Sussex Uncovered "Reaching Potential" report, released by Sussex Community Foundation, paints a more complex picture. It reveals a county where educational attainment lags national averages, where persistent school absence is on the rise, and where pockets of real deprivation continue.

Sussex has nearly a 3% lower rate of Key Stage 2 attainment than the average across England. Fewer students achieve a grade 5 or above in English and Maths GCSEs than in the wider Southeast. And the impact of Covid-19 continues to be felt sharply, with persistent absence from school spiking across the county.

The Reaching Potential report is the second in the Sussex Uncovered series. It aims to paint a real picture of the pockets of need within the county – as well as highlighting some of the successful community work. The findings reveal significant challenges for both our statutory and private sectors, contradicting the perception of Sussex as a wealthy community.

It’s within this hidden landscape that The Juno Project works.

Supporting grassroots organisations
We support vulnerable and marginalised young women across Sussex who are struggling with mental health challenges, exclusion risk, and unstable home environments. Nearly 60% of the young women referred to us are at risk of becoming NEET (Not in Education, Employment or Training). Our work exists because the data is real—but more importantly, because these young women are real. And their futures matter.

Since our inception in 2017, we’ve been lucky to receive regular funding from Sussex Community Foundation. Their belief in early-stage, community-driven projects like ours has enabled us not just to survive, but to grow.

Kevin Richmond, Chief Executive of Sussex Community Foundation, has been at the helm for nearly two decades. He describes the Foundation’s role as a bridge between wealth and need.

“Our mission is to build a fairer, more equal Sussex. The best way we can do this is by supporting grassroots organisations across the county. They're the bedrock of our communities. We all know the big household names in the charity world, but they all started somewhere—often with a few people coming together and saying, ‘This isn’t right. Let’s do something about it.’”

Kevin Richmond, Chief Executive of Sussex Community Foundation (pictured centre)

The Foundation can support local organisations by connecting with wealth in the county and diverting it to the pockets of most need. “Part of our premise was that a lot of wealthy people don't know the need on their doorstep. Sussex has got a very vibrant community, and it varies a lot, but especially, you know, our towns like Littlehampton, Worthing, Eastbourne, Hastings, Chichester, they're vibrant and they're full of people who want to make the world a better place.”

Reaching potential
To help bring greater clarity to the grant giver, the Foundation recently refined its funding priorities based on research across the region. These now include tackling poverty, supporting young people to reach their potential, improving health and wellbeing, and taking local action on climate.

“Reaching potential was the one I thought would be the most fun,” Kevin reflects. “You know, helping young people become musicians or excel in sport. But when we looked at the data, we were shocked at how poorly Sussex is doing in terms of educational outcomes, especially for children with special educational needs. And the impact of Covid on school attendance has been stark. In East Sussex, attendance has gotten worse.”

What sets the Foundation apart is its ethos: rigorous, but proportionate. Kevin puts it simply: “Our job is to give money away.”

And that comes with a refreshing approach to risk. “Some of the projects we fund aren’t perfect. But they’re usually small groups doing incredible work with limited resources. If something doesn’t work out, it’s not the end of the world. I’d rather fund an organisation that tries and fails than not fund it at all. Because if you don’t give them the grant, they definitely won’t succeed.”

At The Juno Project, we felt that belief early on. “I remember the very first application,” Kevin says. “It was one of those moments where you see people with personal experience of adversity coming together and saying, ‘We can do something to help others.’ Being one of the first funders of that? That’s exactly why we exist.”

For the young women we support, “the right intervention at the right time can completely change the course of their lives. In those formative teenage years, the risk of falling through the cracks is very real—but so is the potential to rise.” says Kevin.

“And that's one of the things we're very proud of as a Community Foundation — supporting people who see a problem and come together to solve it.”

A growing need
Current research shows that young women make up the highest risk group for mental health issues. But as a small charity, we work in an increasingly competitive landscape, with a greater demand for our services and increasing difficulty in securing funding.

Last year, Sussex Community Foundation awarded just over £2.5 million in grants, funding around 500 local charities. But applications totalled over £7.5 million—a gap that continues to widen.

Community-based, grassroots charities are effective changemakers who address the root causes of poverty on a daily basis They are the ‘glue’ that binds together communities across the country, able to support people facing the most complex and overlapping barriers to opportunity. Yet, due to their size and their focus on delivery these small organisations are consistently unseen, underfunded, and their impact unrecognised.

This is why grassroots giving matters. This is why community matters. And this is why, in a county known for its privilege, we must never stop looking beneath the surface.