Ordinary Boys lead singer Preston gave the £50,000 he earned from Celebrity Big Brother to a homeless shelter.
Preston, 24, nominated St Patrick's Trust in Hove as his chosen charity while on the Channel 4 reality show and 16p of every £1 from phone calls voting to keep him in the show also helped save the shelter from closure.
Father Alan Sharpe said: "We are extremely grateful to Preston, not only for the money but for the attention he has drawn to the trust and its work."
Brighton and Hove City Council withdrew St Patrick's £200,000 annual funding because Father Sharpe refused to turn away homeless people with no city connections, against council policy.
The council has since given the trust £50,000 to modernise its facilities.
See today's Guide for an interview with Preston.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereComments are closed on this article