Emmaus is a charity whose purpose is to help homeless people and is located in the heart of…read morePortslade. When my husband and I decided to visit today, we were really in awe of this place. The grounds are absolutely beautiful and there is so much to see. The grounds appear to be within an old church (one of the buildings is simply called The Chapel) which makes for a lovely backdrop to this brilliant place. As you wander through the grounds and in to one of the buildings, you will be astounded by how much there is for sale. There are several rooms filled to the brim with furniture - and even better, the furniture is all of incredibly good quality. Here you will find lots of lovely sofas, tables, chairs, beds and much more - all for a very reasonable price indeed. I was really surprised at how good the quality of everything is as it's not necessarily what you might expect from a second-hand store. Alongside the shop, there is also a cafe. I didn't stop to try the food as I wasn't hungry at the time but I will certainly be back to try on another occasion. The food looked and smelled delicious and was so reasonably priced - £5.50 for an all-day fry-up! I will absolutely be visiting this place again and would very much encourage others to do so as well.

Emmaus is the kind of charity shop dreams are made of...well, my dreams, anyway! It's a big…read moresprawling place, which occupies two buildings- there are numerous rooms filled to the brim with bric-a-brac, furniture, kitchenware and more. If you need a chest of drawers, a bedside table or a desk, it's definitely worth visiting Emmaus to check out what they've got. They often have really lovely 30s and 40s pieces...a couple of times I've had to tear myself away from gorgeous art deco dressing tables, simply because I don't have the space. Prices are really reasonable here, a book shelf or a cabinet will cost somewhere in the region of £10-£25 depending on style and condition. The housewares section is really great too: you can pick up all sorts of kitchen appliances, vases, and chinaware for next to nothing. As is always the way with charity shops, sometimes there's nothing interesting, but sometimes you'll find an absolute gem. The book section is really great, you can often buy 3 books for £1, which is an absolute bargain! They also have a funny little broom cupboard full of paintings and prints...quite often they're not priced and prices are invented at the till, meaning it's quite possible you'll walk away with an absolute steal! Last time I was there I was charged £2 for a beautiful painting and a really cool plant pot! Not only is this a really great place to pick up a bargain, it is also a charity well worth supporting. Emmaus help homeless people to rebuild their lives, by providing work and a home in a supportive community.

Someone must've been fond of the YMCA song in Hove, because just when I was thinking there was only…read morea Hove YMCA on London Road, Brighton, I find out there are THREE of the blighters in two streets in Hove alone. There may even be more! Where the George Street store is your standard clothes charity shop, and the other Blatchington Road branch (see review) focused on furniture, this store is all about electrical products - from radios and TVs to fridges and heaters. If you're in the market for second-hand electrical products then be sure to check this place out, as they are slightly more reliable than other non-charity shops. You're also helping the YMCA out, so they can make more awesome pop videos with the Village People (who, coincidentally, seemed to be working at Lewes Bonfire Night this year!)

As well as all of the electrical products and other amazingly useful buys or just as easily,…read more ridiculously old fashioned and perhaps useless tat, Hove YMCA does what it's name suggests; Advise Youths. Monday to Friday Hove YMCA runs drop in sessions, giving much needed help on issues ranging from unemployment, and job hunting to sexual health and free pregnancy tests. These types of places are in my opinion the bed rock of a good society, so naturally I will give it 5 stars!

The federation of disabled people are very brilliant peeps indeed. They provide an apic amount of…read moreservices for disabled people in Brighton and Hove from brilliant online resources such as a disabled city guide and online forum to training and support. The following is a short history from their website; 'The Brighton & Hove Federation of Disabled People was started in 1981 to provide a body that would promote the independence and dignity of disabled people making sure than when services were being planned and developed, disabled peoples views were heard. It is this ethos, which the Federation represents today. The Federation is run by disabled people and works closely with local organisations and service providers to advocate better transport, ensure that disabled people are invited to join committees and forums and look at ways for disabled people to be recognised as part of the community rather than being on the fringe. We provide training and support to all our volunteers and staff and always involve those who have actual experience of the issues we deal with. The Federation takes a positive approach to the removal of barriers for disabled people and looks more at what people can do as opposed to what they can't do.'

I went to this charity shop for the first time today and boy, was I impressed! I so admire the…read moreprecision with which the shop is arranged. I realize I sound a little overzealous, but I am a girl who likes things to be in their place, especially when it comes to clothing. The shop is organized, uncluttered and unlike many secondhand shops, its enjoyable to browse the rails, as they aren't rammed full and everything doesn't fall of its hanger the second you touch it. There is an impressive wall of books: fiction, nonfiction, cook books, travel books, dictionaries and more. They also have a good collection of coats at the moment- I saw two Levi denim jackets, which are v. trendy at the mo and I also saw a great cosy sheep skin coat, which I definitely would have bought, had it been a little smaller. I'd say the collection of men's clothing is bigger, there are tons of jeans and an incredible amount of smart suit jackets! This is also a great place to pick up your Xmas cards, whilst supporting a local HIV/Aids charity.

A friendly greeting is a great way to get in my good books in any shop, let alone a charity shop…read morewith such an organised and easily manoeuvrable layout. Clothes, books, nic-nacs and bric-a-brac A wonderful charity and a great cause, it's a pillar of strength and a strong link of the community-I haven't seen such an extensive Gay and Lesbian book section in a bookshop or library, but the Beacon has quite a collection.

This place is simply amazing…read more Whilst most youth clubs will have a few footballs and maybe some computer games to keep the 'yoots' happy this place is state of the art. There's a room filled to the brim with G5 Apple Macs, with all the best gear for editing films with, such as the professional quality Final Cut Pro, and other amazing editing tools for music. There's a professional standard recording studio with state of the art equipment and sound booths. If you dont have the instruments, they are all here, with guitars, basses and drums to allow you to record the best music ever. The main hall is huge, and there are so many things to do here it is incredible. Supporting this main room are smaller rooms, where different activities such as Art lessons can take place. There is so much going on here, the best bet is to look at the website and just get yourself down here to experience it either as a Whtehawk resident, or as a volunteer on one of the many amazing projects run from here. Here's the website. http://www.crewclub.co.uk/

From the owner: The Crew Club specialises in work with young people from the ages of 7 to 25. This includes Youth…read moreWork, Play Work, 14 to 16 KS4 Support, 16+ Foundation Learning Courses, Music & Media Provision for Young People with Special Needs and Physical Disabilities and Holiday Activity Programmes.

Most people won't have much of a need to go to the Brighthelm Centre: mostly it offers conference…read morerooms and church services, and is otherwise quite quiet, apart from the small cafe in the entrance hall. However, I've found myself in the Brighthelm relatively frequently, mostly because it doubles as a theatre venue during the Festival Fringe. As a venue, it is one of the biggest and nicest in town, yet criminally undervalued and underused. The church hall itself, the space that is used as the theatre space, is humungous, seating 270 (!!) at a pinch, and that's not including the beautiful wooden stage space. The tech may be a bit old-fashioned, but it's all you need to help a space like this really come to life. As spaces go, I've found it to be incredibly versatile as well as cheap for the amount of seats it offers. Sure, it's not brilliantly well known, but it makes up for that in spades. If you haven't had a chance before, check out some of the theatre at this year's Festival Fringe: you really won't be disappointed by the space. It could do with more aggressive planning, programming and marketing, but that's not what this space is about. The Brighthelm Centre is first and foremost a community centre, and that's the way they like it: quiet and unobtrusive. I guess it's partly that that makes it so calming, and so inviting as a space to enjoy art. Book a ticket today!

From the owner: We are a unique city centre community and meeting space for hire…read more We have a lovely multi-purpose auditorium suitable for meetings, theatre productions, concerts and conferences. Other rooms across four floors are available for groups from 10 to 240 people. We can do catering on request. Our newly furbished cafe has fresh, home cooked food everyday from 8.30 -4.00.

What a brilliant, supportive, understanding and caring service this is. I have dealings with them…read morefor many years and have only heard good reports about them. Abandoned animals are well looked after with Graham Smith over at Old Salts Farm, where you can peruse the potential pets for re-homing. Well done, Graham.

This is now a very popular community centre that has so much going on ie art classes, yoga, short…read moremat bowls, photography and so much else. I know every room in this building as I went to school here. Upstairs are the offices, which has some painful memories as I used to get the cane here!! I go here with my friend Ray to view art/photography exhibitions now but we used to paint here with a group years ago. Still has a fond placeand it is good to see it thriving. Locals should give it a go!

A great drop in clinic for HIV testing with same day results plus many other HIV related resources…read more Whatever your concerns about the virus, THT will help and offer brilliant service at their Brighton office. Check the website for details.

Great little cafe with a real community feel to it. Bridges is a centre run solely by local people…read moreand is a worthy charity. Its a great place to pop into for a coffee, to meet friends or even have a bite to eat. There is great access for both wheelchairs and pushchairs, with a ramp outside and plenty of room to manoveur inside. Its really child friendly with a lovely play area full of books and toys for the younger ones. There is always a lovely atmosphere and you are always made to feel welcome. Food is nice and prices are really cheap - the kids love coming here and meeting with friends and play!