Brighton charity is seeking architectural support to redevelop Marina Box

What do they need help with?

RISE is looking for professional architectural support to create plans for the redevelopment of Marina Box, a former Police Box on Boundary Road, Brighton, BN2 5TJ. The charity has rented the building for more than 20 years and is now in the process of a Community Asset Transfer from Brighton & Hove City Council. With confirmed financial support from a local major donor, RISE intends to redevelop the site into a dedicated, trauma-informed building for women, young people and child survivors of domestic and sexual abuse.

The existing building is single storey and in a poor state of repair. It no longer meets the needs of survivors, young people, children or staff. RISE proposes adding an additional floor while remaining within the existing footprint, effectively doubling the size of the building. Brighton & Hove City Council has indicated in the Heads of Terms that permission for this expansion will not be unreasonably withheld.

The redeveloped ground floor would include six counselling and one-to-one support rooms, two of which would be large enough for therapeutic work with parents, young people and children. It would also include a welcoming reception area, kitchen, accessible toilets and storage. The new first floor would provide a dedicated helpline room, staff back-office space and a flexible groupwork room for peer support, recovery programmes and education sessions.

The garden is central to the vision. RISE wants to create a therapeutic, trauma-informed outdoor environment, drawing inspiration from an existing shared space currently used by the charity. Potential features include a water feature, muddy play areas, herb and vegetable gardens, wildflower planting, sensory spaces, a firepit and woodland-style adventure areas. There may also be scope for garden rooms in future, enabling outdoor counselling, group work and wellbeing activities.

This redevelopment would help RISE expand its specialist services, improve safety and accessibility, and provide young survivors and families with a calm, healing space at a critical point in their lives.

Timeline

As soon as possible

About the organisation

RISE is a Brighton-based domestic abuse charity supporting women, children, young people and people identifying as LGBT who are affected by domestic and sexual abuse and violence. The charity provides trauma-informed services including refuge accommodation, housing support, a specialist helpline, group work, advocacy, counselling, therapy and targeted support in schools and colleges.

Domestic abuse is a significant driver of homelessness. In Brighton and Hove, 57% of high-risk domestic abuse cases involve children. In December 2024, there were 1,928 households living in temporary accommodation, almost half of which included children. Young people are also disproportionately affected, with 20% of people rough sleeping in Brighton and Hove aged 18 to 25.

Last year, RISE supported 956 adult survivors, including 12% aged 16 to 25 who were at risk of homelessness. It also supported 154 young people aged over 16 living with a non-abusing parent and at risk of homelessness. Through advocacy, early intervention and practical safety measures such as the Sanctuary Scheme, RISE helps survivors stay safe, maintain stability and reduce the risk of homelessness.

https://riseuk.org.uk/