10 incredible charities took to the stage at Focus Foundation’s inaugural Angels’ Den Sussex, each given an opportunity to present their project or plan to our panel of Angels, who had the crucial task of directing significant funding to the charities that impressed them the most, and where it would create the greatest impact.

Selected from more than 120 applicants - a powerful reflection of both the scale of need and the strength of innovation across the county - our finalists were chosen to pitch to our Angels, based on their impact, vision, sustainability, and innovative approaches to addressing social challenges.

These charities demonstrated clear objectives, measurable outcomes, strong leadership, and community engagement, as well as the ability to showcase how the funding will directly benefit service users and create long-term positive change.

To ensure they stepped onto the stage with confidence and clarity, each finalist received expert storytelling and public speaking coaching from Marcus Thomlinson, a Motivational Speaker, Leadership Coach, and Business Mentor: https://marcusthomlinson.com/.

Over 200 guests, including civic leaders, business owners, patrons and community champions, gathered for an evening of connection, high-energy pitches and live funding decisions. On the night, five Angels each pledged £10,000, with Focus Foundation matching their commitments pound for pound to create a £100,000 community fund. The funding was allocated live in the room, transforming generosity into immediate, tangible impact for communities across Sussex.