Horsham Matters gets county funding to widen support by 15%

Horsham Matters has won funding from West Sussex County Council that will grow its Outreach and Support service by 15% over the next six months. The charity says it means more people across Horsham District who are struggling can get guidance and signposting on benefits, housing, budgeting and debt, and be pointed to other local organisations, before their problems turn into a crisis.

The money has also paid for a new service, Support on the Go, which sends the charity’s Community Support Advisors to community groups, coffee mornings and local events rather than waiting for people to come to the office.

Where the advisors will be

Support on the Go works alongside Support on the Move, the advice vehicle the charity launched in 2024 to take help into towns and villages across the district. People can drop in at the van or book a one-to-one appointment with an advisor.

The charity’s own schedule (Horsham Matters, checked 9 November 2026) lists these stops for the rest of November.

Support on the Move (the van)

Support on the Go (advisors at community groups)

The advisors offer guidance and signposting on benefits, housing, budgeting and debt, and signposting to other local organisations.

Corrected 9 November: Horsham Matters offers guidance and signposting on budgeting, not budgeting advice.

What the charity and the MP said

Kelvin Glen, chief executive of Horsham Matters, said: “This funding from West Sussex County Council enables Horsham Matters to reach more people, earlier. By taking our services into communities across the district, we can provide preventative support before problems escalate into crisis, helping residents build resilience, maintain independence, and access the support they need to move forward with confidence.”

Horsham’s MP, John Milne, has visited the charity’s new vehicle. He said: “This is fantastic news for the Horsham District. Horsham Matters does vital work helping local residents access the support they need, particularly with the ongoing cost of living pressures facing many households. This funding will allow the team to reach even more people with support and advice. I would encourage anyone who is struggling or worried about their finances to get in touch to find out what help is available. Thank you to the Horsham Matters team for all the work they do to support our community.”

The charity thanked the county council for “the confidence WSCC has placed in its work” and called the funding “the result of a valued partnership”. Its announcement does not say how much the council has given.

What Horsham Matters does

The charity was founded in 2006. It runs 15 foodbank sessions a week across the district, including its Hub on the Move, which travels to surrounding villages, and two Connecting Cafés, in Roffey and Pulborough, which serve a free meal to anyone experiencing hardship. Its Love It Again shop on West Street in Horsham sells vintage and retro items to raise money, and donated furniture and bric-à-brac is either given to families in need or sold.

In October the charity’s first sponsored walk raised £10,968 for its food banks.

How to get help

Anyone who wants support can call or WhatsApp Horsham Matters on 0300 124 0204, or email support@horsham-matters.org.uk. The charity asks people who do not need help themselves to pass the details on to friends, family, neighbours or colleagues who might.

The Christmas Food Appeal

Horsham Matters is also running a Christmas Food Appeal for the Horsham District Foodbank. “This year, we’re asking you to help us make sure local people who are struggling have food on the table. Every tin, packet and pound makes a real difference,” the charity says.

The foodbank is asking for hot chocolate, savoury snacks, mince pies, Christmas pudding, Angel Delight, jelly, custard, selection boxes, Christmas biscuits, gravy granules, chocolate tubs and Christmas sweets, along with stuffing, tinned meat, tinned vegetables, long-life milk, fruit juice or squash, coffee, jam and spreads, condiments (ketchup, mayonnaise, pickle), toilet roll, shower gel and shampoo or conditioner.

Donations can be dropped off at Tesco Broadbridge Heath, Tesco Pulborough, Waitrose Horsham, Waitrose Storrington, the Co-op on Guildford Road, the Co-op on North Parade, the Co-op in Southwater, Shelley’s Budgens on Coltsfoot Drive, Lidl Horsham and Sainsbury’s Local in Henfield.

People who cannot get to the shops can give money online. “A financial donation lets us buy exactly what we’re running low on, so nothing goes to waste and nothing is missed,” the charity says.