Sunday 7th December 2025

We enjoyed a festive treat on December 7th, as the Ashdown Singers performed their annual Christmas concert in aid of HOMELINK, providing a high quality performance and a wonderfully festive repertoire. This was the eighth year the ensemble has supported HOMELINK with their concert.

The performance was held at St Thomas More RC Church in Seaford and was followed by tea and mince pies.

There was a collection to support the HOMELINK Christmas Appeal which raised an amazing £1,339. In addition, a donation of £500 from Seaford Rotary was received.

6th and 7th September 2025, 11am until 5.00pm

Castle Lodge, Castlegate, Lewes BN7 1YS

With new works by painter Adele Gibson, sculptor Pippa Burley, printmaker Michelle Hockey and illustrator Robyn Allpress in the stunning venue of Castle Lodge house and garden.

As well as being able to enjoy the beautiful house and gardens, there will be the added bonus of a plant sale and a talk on the fascinating history of Castle Lodge. Refreshments, including homemade cakes, will be available.

Raising funds for HOMELINK.

at St John sub Castro, Lewes

An evening of words & music by local performers directed by John Hancorn

John Agard – Sir John Tomlinson – Andrew Davies

Guy Chambers – Richard Durrant – Julia Bishop – Helen Glavin

Alexander Hancorn – Nick Houghton – Francesca Hughes

Peter Owen Jones – Rebecca Stott – Baroque Collective Singers

Chichester University Otter Consort

All proceeds from the evening will go to the work of HOMELINK –

“helping people into housing”

We will also be holding a silent auction and amongst the prizes are:
A pair of tickets in Gus Christie’s Private Box for the performance of Il turco in Italia at Glyndebourne
on Friday 25 October
‘The Garden Party’ print, mounted
A Waitrose Fruit Hamper
A Case of Wine
A Glazed Terracotta Pot by Barry Firmin

Please join us!

To book your tickets, please click here

You can also download a copy of the poster here

Thank you!

Café12/31, TRINITY St Johns sub Castro, Abinger Place

Lewes BN7 2QA

Donate your unloved clothes & purchase a fresh wardrobe for only £2 per item!
Clothing donations can be delivered to
Café 12/31 in advance during opening hours
(Tues to Sat 9.30-2pm)
Light Dinner, Cocktails & Bar from 6.30pm
Clothes open 7.30pm
Free entry with min 5 item donation or £3 on door
Raising funds for HOMELINK
Helping homeless people into housing across Sussex

Guests enjoyed wandering around the beautiful gardens and visiting a range of stalls while listening to music from jazz band Work in Progress and local legends Lewkulele.

Strawberries and cream and afternoon tea were served courtesy of Tesco and The Co-op, while HOMELINK’s talented volunteers provided an array of irresistible bakes.

Barrack Cottage owners David and Karen Allam have hosted charity fundraisers at their property for more than 25 years, and HOMELINK was honoured to hold the last ever event there before the venue closes to the public.

Thanks are due to Waitrose for providing a selection of exotic fruit for the raffle, Boots for donating a First Aid Kit, The Seaford Afternoon & Evening Clubs for their floral arrangements, Coastwatch for managing the event parking and of course our HOMELINK supporters for the wide range of items generously donated to the raffle.

Trustee and event organiser Jane Lee said: ‘On behalf of everyone at HOMELINK, I wish to extend a huge thank you to everyone who has contributed to making this fundraiser such a success. It’s just not possible to hold these events without amazing volunteer support – thank you all so much!’

Held at the grade II listed Castle Lodge, the weekend-long event featured work by landscape artist Adele Gibson and sculptor Pippa Burley, who exhibited in the house and garden respectively.

Five works of art were purchased, along with many cakes and biscuits baked by HOMELINK volunteers, raising almost £1,000 across the two afternoons.

HOMELINK chair Ros Kellaway said: ‘We were thrilled to receive several hundred visitors to the Artwave exhibition at Castle Lodge on September 9^th and 10^th.

‘We made it clear that even if people couldn’t buy a work of art, they could still help us by buying drinks and cakes and putting money in the collection boxes.

‘A big effort was made by our volunteers, who were baking furiously for the event, including overnight on the Saturday when it became obvious how popular the cakes and biscuits were.’

The event marked the first time that HOMELINK has been a beneficiary of Artwave, the annual artists’ open house festival in Lewes.

The performance will be held at St Thomas More RC Church in Seaford at 3pm, and will be followed by tea and mince pies. Entry is free, with a collection at the door to support our Christmas Appeal.

The Ashdown Singers are a 20-strong chamber choir led by musical director Sam Barton. Their Christmas concerts have become a highlight of the local calendar, thanks to the high quality of their performances and their wonderfully festive repertoire.

This is the sixth year the ensemble has supported HOMELINK with their concert, which last year raised £800 for the charity.

Those who have recently escaped homelessness often find themselves housed in properties without floor coverings, furniture or white goods, and unable to afford such items themselves.

Our grants programme has been inundated with referrals this year, with the number of applications far exceeding that for 2022.

‘Often people have few or almost no possessions when they are initially housed in flats and houses, with nothing on the floor, no blinds or curtains, no beds or bedding and nothing to cook with or to keep food cold,’ says HOMELINK’s Lead Small Grants Administrator, Gill Short.

‘The individuals and families we support have faced considerable hardship following domestic abuse, relationship breakdowns, disability and physical or mental illness. It can be very traumatic for them to have finally secured a roof over their head only to find themselves without the essentials to make it into a home.’

During the cost of living crisis, HOMELINK has been able to expand the support it offers to clients through its small grants scheme. However, the level of need has proved so great that our funds are now depleted.

‘As we move into the coldest time of year, we are reaching out to our supporters and the local community so that we can continue to help those in desperate need,’ says Gill.

To support HOMELINK’s Christmas appeal, please visit our JustGiving page.