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Supporting people to feel safe, live well and thrive

We are SouthdownWhat we believeExplore more about SouthdownOur story
We are Southdown, a Sussex-based not-for-profit organisation providing housing, mental health, learning disability, and employment support.

For more than 50 years, we have worked alongside people as they build stability, confidence and connection in their lives. Today, we support thousands of people across Sussex, including people looking for a safe place to live, support with their mental health, help into employment, and learning disability support that enables more independence, choice and belonging.

We work closely with local authorities, the NHS, primary care, commissioners, voluntary sector and community partners, as well as people with lived experience. Together, we help make sure support is joined-up, accessible and shaped around the needs, strengths and experiences of the people we support.

As people’s needs change, our work continues to grow, with a focus on breaking down barriers and helping people access the right support at the right time. Over the coming years, we will keep building on our purpose: joining up support, expanding access to safe homes, enabling independence, and strengthening Southdown so we can support more people across Sussex.

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People supported each year

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Services across Sussex

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Employees working across Sussex

What we believe

A safe home

creates stability and opportunity

Connection and purpose

help people thrive

Support shaped around each person

strengthens choice and independence

Our story

Southdown began in 1972 as Brighton & Hove Area Group Housing Association. We were founded by a group of volunteers who wanted to support people with mental health challenges who were moving from long-stay hospital institutions into the community.

From the beginning, our work was about more than housing. Our founders fundraised to buy Southdown’s first property, but they also understood that people need connection, independence, wellbeing and tailored support to live well in their communities.

For more than 15 years, Southdown remained a small volunteer-run organisation. In 1989, we appointed our first paid staff and began to expand our work across Sussex, including support for people with learning disabilities.

In 1996, we became Southdown Housing Association. As our name changed, our work continued to grow. We developed more housing and support services, helping people gain greater independence, choice and stability in their lives.

Today, we are known simply as Southdown. We support thousands of people each year across Sussex, working alongside clients, tenants, families, partners and communities. Our services have grown and changed over five decades, but our founding purpose remains the same: to help people feel safe, live well and be part of their communities.