A charity for the homeless has been given a £1 million grant to boost its work.

Hove-based St Patrick's Trust was already sprucing itself up in readiness for a visit from the Queen next week.

But staff and residents at the project, based at St Patrick's Church, Cambridge Road, now have double the reasons to celebrate.

The grant was given to the trust by the Housing Corporation and will be shared with the New Downlands Housing Association.

The money will be used to create small housing units for homeless people who want to get a job and become part of the community.

It will be the final step of a project aimed at seeing people through homelessness, addiction, training and back into work.

The Queen will visit the trust on Thursday and will see the work of residents and staff.

Trust chief executive Stephen Sharpe said: "The most important aspect of St Patrick's is the work we do to help the homeless people of Brighton and Hove.

"We are absolutely delighted at the news of this funding.

"We are also thrilled to have been chosen as a venue for the Queen's visit to the city."

Since St Patrick's was formed in 1985, it has provided more than 100,000 bed spaces for homeless people.

It offers 53 beds per night and the hostel includes a detoxification unit and a mental health unit.

The trust receives £1.2 million funding under the Government's rough sleepers initiative but depends on private fund-raising to meet the rest of its costs.