With the year coming to a close, we wanted to look back at a few of the many exciting moments that have happened within Grace Eyre in 2024.
Don’t forget you can keep up to date with everything going on at Grace Eyre by following us on social media and subscribing to our newsletter – links are at the bottom of this page.
January: Kirsty & Sandra’s story
Sometimes success means a big achievement in everyday life.
Kirsty, a Grace Eyre Support Worker, and Sandra, a person supported by Grace Eyre, get along well, but it took lots of time and patience for Sandra to trust Kirsty enough to help her manage housework and laundry.
Read: Sandra and Kirsty’s story
February: Grace Eyre joined Brighton & Hove Buses as they launched a new community space
Grace Eyre staff, along with one of our successful former travel trainees, joined Brighton & Hove Buses for the launch of their new community space.
March: We opened The Reach
We were so excited that The Reach, our brand new, welcoming space in St James’s Street Brighton, opened on 4th March.
Run by our Choices team, the Reach is for people who receive outreach support from us in Brighton & Hove. While we still provide services at home, our pioneering venue supports people when they need it to get help with tasks, meet friends and try new things.
For more information go to The Reach.
April: We introduced our Charter Checkers
David and Robert are supported by our Charter Checker Coordinator to visit homes where the people Grace Eyre support live to make sure the support provided aligns with Our Charter.
Robert and David have said:
“The name Charter Checkers came from having lots of conversations with staff in Our Voices. Our job is to uphold the Grace Eyre Charter and checking that services follow the Charter.”
Both David and Robert live in supported living services themselves, so rely on their own experience of what a good service is to make recommendations to Grace Eyre about areas of improvement, and of course, areas of success!
Read about Our Charter
May: We launched our new online gallery – Pioneer Arts
As Brighton’s Artist’s Open Houses got ready to open, Grace Eyre not only be welcomed art lovers to its own Open House in Montefiore Road, Hove, but also to a brand new online gallery.
The Pioneer Arts website showcases artwork created by artists supported by Grace Eyre. Initially sharing work created by a few of the artists, but with plans to expand further in future, visitors can learn more about the artists, view a selection of the diverse work and find out how to buy it.
Take a look: Pioneer Arts
June: We celebrated Learning at Grace Eyre
Students from our ‘Employability and Skills’ and ‘Money and Numbers’ courses marked their brilliant achievements, alongside friends and family, with a celebration event at Exeter Street Hall.
Read more: Celebrating Learning with Grace Eyre
July: We celebrated Co-Production Week
Co-production is about working in equal partnership with people using services, carers, and families.
Cleo Dibb, Our Voices Head of Service says:
“Our Voices is a co-produced department at Grace Eyre – 86% of our staff and volunteers in the team have a learning disability or are autistic. We help support the rest of the organisation to know why sharing power and responsibility when making decisions about our lives and services is so important. Our main goal is ‘people are in charge of their own lives.’”
Find out about Co-production Week
August: We were proud to be part of Brighton & Hove Pride
We were so excited to be a part of Brighton & Hove Pride LGBTQ+ Community Parade last Saturday.
We had a fabulous day representing Grace Eyre and showing our commitment to diversity!
Proud to be part of Brighton & Hove Pride 2024
September: We talked about Homeshare
Grace Eyre Homeshare Sussex is all about living together, sharing time and helping each other out.
We connect people who have a spare room and may need companionship, with people in need of affordable accommodation who are happy to help around the house.
To find out more or register your interest, visit: Grace Eyre Homeshare Sussex
October: We launched our Big Build Campaign
We’ve owned our building in Montefiore Road for more than 70 years and used it to run much of our work, activities and events ever since.
But our historic building now urgently needs modernisation and improvement.
Our Big Build will create a vibrant, sustainable and accessible building, including 8 flats for independent living and an arts centre, theatre and café, which will provide opportunities for employment, performance and more.
To complete the Big Build, we urgently need to raise £1 million. We have today launched an appeal to the people of Brighton & Hove and beyond to support the Big Build and make a real difference in the lives of people with a learning disability and autistic people.
Visit: www.grace-eyre.org/bigbuild to find out more and donate today.
November: The Big Build has started!
On 27th November, Eva Eriksson, our Chief Executive, and Stuart McCallion, who is supported by Grace Eyre, put on their hard hats to break ground on The Big Build.
Find out more: Our Big Build has started! – Grace Eyre
December: We celebrated at our annual Christmas Concert
This year’s concert connected us with our past, present and future.
Read all about it: Celebrating at the annual Christmas Concert