4 October 2024
The Sussex Beacon has been receiving food via FareShare Sussex & Surrey for over 20 years. In March 2024 it celebrated the 30th anniversary of its official opening, having been established in 1992 as a specialist charity providing support and care for people living with HIV.
In the leafy outskirts of Brighton, The Sussex Beacon offers both a 10-bed inpatient unit and a centre offering a range of outpatient services, providing specialist support including peer mentoring, a women’s group, exercise groups and a range of positive living programmes.
The Inpatient Unit is staffed 24/7, 365 days a year, by a team of doctors, nurses and support workers, as well as occupational therapists and physiotherapists, all specially trained to care for people living with HIV. Clients can be referred by any organisation providing care and support for patients or, can indeed, refer themselves by contacting The Sussex Beacon directly. Inpatient Unit stays can generally range from a couple of nights up to several weeks at a time.
Head chef at The Sussex Beacon, Robin Parfitt, says: “Our services at the moment focus very much on mental health, drug and alcohol detox, ageing with HIV, social health challenges and peer support, alongside palliative care. We support people with a range of complex needs, but throughout everything we do food and nutrition are hugely important.”
There is no longer an emphasis on palliative and end of life care, which was the original focus of The Sussex Beacon’s work. Fast forward 30 years and major advances have been made in the development of effective HIV treatments. Much of the Beacon’s work is keeping people healthy and engaged with their HIV treatment. The number of people living longer with HIV has risen and those in need of support are ageing. The Sussex Beacon is supporting people dealing with the effects of 40 years of HIV stigma, self-stigma and the pressures that brings to people’s lives.
The Sussex Beacon currently receives two deliveries a week from FareShare and the food they receive makes a significant contribution to the menus prepared for both the inpatient unit and for the sessions available to outpatients.
The team prepare a daily changing menu and cater for two hot meals a day for all inpatients, with meat and vegetarian options and plenty of healthy choices. Alongside this they offer lunches for day service groups, who often dine with staff and benefit enormously from the opportunity to share meals.
Robin says: “The food we are able to offer here really sets us apart from other hospital or care home settings. We wouldn’t be able to afford to offer the menus we do without the variety of food we get from FareShare. Many clients who come to us are on benefits and don’t cook for themselves, so we’re able to give them healthy, comforting, home-cooked food that’s beyond their means. We try our best to create restaurant quality meals that everyone can enjoy, at the same time as addressing their specific nutritional requirements.”
When it comes to the range of produce that FareShare provides, the team of chefs at The Sussex Beacon welcome the challenge that working with such a seasonal variety presents. Robin says: “Our clients have a range of nutritional requirements, so our menus need to cater both to those who need high calorie “old fashioned” hearty meals to help put on weight, alongside those who need alternative options. A steady supply of fresh seasonal produce is very important in helping us achieve this and maintaining daily changing menus.”
Alongside fresh produce, the FareShare delivery can often include items that offer the chefs a chance to be really creative. For example, a recent batch of Bakewell slices was paired with plums to create a tasty frangipane pie that was a hit with dessert lovers, while a whole day of vegan Vietnamese food was also very popular.
For inpatients, mealtimes are hugely important as they provide structure each day and offer opportunities to chat with staff and volunteers. Day service groups, such as the women’s group and peer mentoring group, tend to be receptive to trying new foods and appreciate healthier options on the lunch menu.
Robin says: “Traditionally all the food we provided need to be high calorie – sometimes even two puddings! Over time, this has changed, and we now need to offer more healthy options, as well as catering for a wide variety of dietary needs including vegetarian, vegan, and food intolerances. Cultural considerations are important too, so we work hard to determine how we can best use the food from FareShare to meet everyone’s needs.”
Food is often a focus for groups at The Sussex Beacon. Having taken part in activities together, they can sit down and share a lunchtime meal, often also with members of staff and volunteers. The sense of community that comes from shared mealtimes is invaluable and a powerful part of the service that the charity provides.
The cost of living crisis has inevitably impacted the charity and the people it supports. The team rely heavily on volunteers to support mealtimes and are continuing to make changes, often improvising to operate in the face of challenging costs. Robin says: “Continuing to provide good quality meals is so important, even if we have to reduce the amount of meat we use and feature more vegetables. We recognise that many of our day service clients might be struggling in the face of the cost-of-living crisis and the hot meal they receive here could be the only one they get that day.”
When it comes to imagining a world without regular deliveries from FareShare, Robin says: “If we didn’t have food from FareShare, we simply wouldn’t be able to run our kitchen as it is. We would be forced to serve much more basic meals of a lower quality and that were significantly less varied and interesting. We wouldn’t have so much freedom in what we offer our clients. The quality of our food is one of the things that sets The Sussex Beacon apart and we take great pride in it.”
Further developments in the treatment of HIV will continue to influence the services the charity offers. In the coming years it is likely that The Sussex Beacon will extend its offering to provide greater support within the community, with even more focus on groups and services for outpatients. Robin says: “Food will continue to play a huge part in the support we offer to our clients. A big focus for us will be on keeping people living with HIV healthy as they age, so both providing nutritious meals and helping to educate people about healthy eating as part of their wellbeing.”
Since The Sussex Beacon was established, they have proudly supported the LGBTQ+ community, within Brighton, increasingly across Susssex and indeed much further afield. This has been through its work, supporting and caring for people living with HIV, but also by working alongside many individuals, groups and businesses from the LGBTQ+ community who in turn support the charity, enabling The Sussex Beacon to perform its vital work.
Robin continues: “Brighton & Hove Pride is of course a key opportunity each year to remind everyone who we are, what we do, and show our love and support for the vibrant, wonderfully diverse LGBTQ+ community. Two years ago, when Pride returned post-COVID, our staff and volunteers were delighted to be joined on our open-top bus by one of our patrons Jill Nalder (of “It’s A Sin” fame), leading West End Musical Director Jae Alexander and hugely popular comic Rosie Jones. Last year’s walking group was not deterred by monsoon-like weather conditions, with some of the “Beaconettes” staying on to represent The Sussex Beacon at Duke’s Lane Pride, with local businesses (including The Brighton Box art gallery) in fact supporting the Beacon.
“This year, The Sussex Beacon proudly walked in the Parade in even greater numbers, with a combination of staff, volunteers and special guests. As always, it was a celebration of joy and resilience, but also highlighted some key messages, especially the fact that HIV stigma still exists. Everyone needs to understand that people living with HIV on effective treatment can live a long, happy, healthy life and, once undetectable cannot pass on the virus. There is no shame in living with HIV.”
