06/06/2026
Here at RISE, we are incredibly proud to have the support of a wide range of incredible partners including businesses, and community and charity organisations. We recently spoke to Linda Hodsgon, Chair of the Brighton and Hove Soiree Rotary Club Community Service team, who have supported RISE for a number of years.
For over 40 years, the Soirée Rotary Club- so called because they originally met in the evenings, after work - has brought together people who want to give back—locally, nationally, and globally. Today, the club has over 40 active members, with teams dedicated to community service, international outreach, and fundraising.
Linda says, “We’re very keen to support local charities. There are so many important organisations doing good work in Brighton. I think it was Robert Griffith—who used to be with Martlets—who first suggested we look into supporting RISE. When I started talking to people there, I realised the breadth of what RISE offered—especially the support on the phone lines, which really struck me.
Then, when the pandemic hit, it was clear RISE’s services would be in higher demand than ever. People were trapped at home with their abusers. We couldn’t fundraise in the usual ways, but we wanted to do something.
So the club launched the 28-Day Challenge in February 2021. Everyone picked their own challenge—running, knitting, painting—and raised money through sponsorship. One member even ran the distance from London to Paris over the course of the month! In the end, the Soirée Rotary Club raised around £4,000 for RISE that year.”
We asked Linda why the Club continues to support RISE - read here 👉 https://ow.ly/tm7E50WK7fw
