ALMOST three quarters of people in Britain say they will make a charitable donation this Christmas, according to a survey of 140,000 people by the insurance company, Ecclesiastical.

Seventy two per cent of those polled said they would make a gift to charity over the festive period, 84 per cent of respondents said they thought charitable giving was more important at this time than in previous years.

At Brighton Housing Trust we rely on the support we receive through our annual Christmas Appeal to support our work at Christmas and throughout the year.

What difference does a donation make? It can help our work at First Base Day Centre where we have continued to work with rough sleepers throughout the pandemic.

The best way to end homelessness is to end it before it begins, which is exactly what our advice centres in Brighton, Eastbourne and Hastings do.

Last year they prevented 927 households from becoming homeless. Your donation can help a family stay in their home.

Your support helps us to help people who are on the street and to prevent many, many more from becoming homeless in the first place.

This year, because of the Covid-19 pandemic we can't have our normal Christmas street collection on the Saturday before Christmas, but you can still support us by making a donation, either through our website (www.bht.org.uk<http://www.bht.org.uk>) or by sending a cheque, payable to BHT, to me at 144 London Road, Brighton, BN1 4PH.

Andy Winter

Chief executive

Brighton Housing Trust