December 2013 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

Signed Morrissey autobiography raises thousands of pounds to help abused animals

Posted on 31/12/2013 by Besi

A one-of-a-kind signed hardback copy of Autobiography by Morrissey, the only copy of the full-colour hardback signed by the author, has sold on eBay for £8,300.

All proceeds are going to People for the ethical treament of animals (PETA) as a New Year’s present to help prevent the slaughtering of animals for meat. Morrissey signed only one copy of the book – the cover of which pictures the singer-songwriter bare-chested in a swimming pool.

PETA’s Mimi Bekhechi, said: “Animals in dire need of help have no better friend than Morrissey”.

“Whether it’s cruelty to cows, chickens and pigs headed for the table, animals being made into boots and coats or other abuse, Morrissey speaks out forcefully. The proceeds from his signed autobiography add to the work of this true hero to animals.”

Morrissey has been a solo artist for 26 years, during which time he has had three number one albums in England in three different decades. He has had 11 top 10 albums (plus nine with The Smiths), and his songs have been recorded by David Bowie, Nancy Sinatra, Marianne Faithfull, Chrissie Hynde, Thelma Houston, My Chemical Romance and Christy Moore, amongst others.

In 2006, Morrissey was voted the second-greatest living British Icon by viewers of the BBC, losing out to Sir David Attenborough.

In 2007, Morrissey was voted the greatest ‘northern’ male, past or present, in a nationwide newspaper poll.

In 2012, he was awarded the keys to the city of Tel Aviv.

Morrissey’s efforts to help stop animal abuse date back nearly three decades. He has teamed up with PETA and its overseas affiliates to encourage people to adopt healthy and compassionate plant-based diets and always have their companion animals spayed and neutered. Morrissey has starred in a number of PETA’s head-turning ad campaigns, and the vegetarian icon recently joined PETA’s fight to pressure department store Fortnum & Mason to stop selling foie gras, which is made from the enlarged and diseased livers of force-fed geese and ducks.

In 2009, Morrissey made international headlines when he walked off stage at a US music festival stating that he hoped the burning flesh he smelled was human. And as he performs The Smiths’ Meat is Murder, he regularly screens footage of PETA US’ hard-hitting “Meet Your Meat” exposé.

Morrissey was named PETA’s Person of the Year in 2011.

For more information about PETA, CLICK HERE:

Wisley – A great day out!

Posted on 30/12/201310/01/2014 by Roger Wheeler

Roger Wheeler visits one of Englands finest horticultural attractions.

It’s a new year, no one has any money and its mid-winter, but we still need an occasional break. Some years ago we got an allotment, there’s a lot to discover about growing veg so, hoping to learn something we joined The Royal Horticultural Society. Included in the membership is free entry to lots of gardens and estates throughout the country. I had heard of their main site at Wisley in Surrey but had never been. I thought that it was just a glorified garden centre, I was so wrong.

This beautiful 240 acre garden is worth a visit at any time, even if you don’t particularly like gardens. It was founded in 1878 and after Kew Gardens it is the most visited garden in the country. It attracts nearly one million visitors a year and even if the huge car park appears to be full you can wander around the grounds without seeing any crowds.

The garden lies between Cobham and Ripley in Surrey, off the main London to Portsmouth road (A3) south of Junction 10 of the M25. Follow the brown tourist flower signs on the A3 and M25 to RHS Garden. Car parking is free. They charge £10.75 to non members, which may seem steep but once you’re in you quickly realise that its good value, you can easily spend a day there. There are several restaurants from fine dining to a very simple ‘Honest Sausage’ cafe and cute little coffee shops serving great sandwiches and cakes. We were there in late September and expected not to see much, wrong again, the gardens were full of flowers and fascinating plants and an amazing collection of apple trees in full fruit, we tried a few. There are lakes and a huge glass house, the whole place is just a big surprise.

The glasshouse has desert, tropical and temperate climates, they even have model gardens, each the size of a standard back garden, demonstrating what you can do even with a small patch. They have a vegetable garden, a rock garden and alpine meadow, a wild garden, a walled garden, there is a canal with water lilies and an arboretum. The various areas are all quite interesting and on a decent day many people take picnics.

We have been to Kew Gardens and Wakehust Place – they are also great for days out and we even went to the Chelsea Flower Show for the first time this year. Now that really is just a huge garden centre and if it rains as it did when we were there it really isn’t a lot of fun.

South East England is packed with country houses with glorious gardens and if that’s your thing then you can spend many a happy day just looking. At Wisley though you can actually learn something about your garden and the plants in it, they have a lot of gardeners who are very happy to chat and offer advice. Of course there is a big shop and plant centre to relieve you of any spare cash you have and in fact they are both really quite reasonable and certainly worth a look.

Wisley is said to be one of the great gardens of the world, not having been to that many I wouldn’t like to comment but it is certainly a great day out.

For more information, CLICK HERE:

Lunch Positive thanks its supporters

Posted on 30/12/2013 by Besi

Lunch Positive has posted its annual ‘Supporters Thank You’ list on its website.

The HIV charity provides a weekly lunch club for positive people to meet in a supportive social space, share a healthy meal and find peer support. The service is provided entirely by volunteers.

Gary Pargeter, volunteer project manager, said: “2013 has been our busiest year yet, and we have seen increasing numbers of people for whom living with HIV is very difficult challenge.

“We have seen more people who are newly diagnosed, those in poorer health, and many who are experiencing severe financial hardship.

“Our service is all about people being together and this year has been one during which we have seen a huge increase in public support for what we do.

“The support of local individuals, groups, businesses and other organisations has made a huge difference to the work we’ve been able to undertake, and the benefits for people who use the service.

“It’s a tough time for charities, especially smaller ones which are supporting rapidly growing numbers of people.

The support we’ve received in many diverse ways really proves what a difference community can make when it pulls together. Thank you to everyone who’s helped, and all the best for 2014″.

For more information, CLICK HERE:

How do hate crimes impact on LGBT people?

Posted on 29/12/201329/12/2013 by Besi

The University of Sussex are attempting to understand how hate crimes and hate incidents against Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Trans (LGBT) individuals have an impact on other LGBT people.To do so, they are asking participants to complete an anonymous survey which asks them for their knowledge of and reactions to hate crimes and hate incidents against LGBT people.

The survey should take no longer than 30 minutes to complete.

Your participation will help them to understand the widespread effects of hate crimes and hate incidents which will enable them to work with LGBT associations and organisations, together with the Police and Criminal Justice System, to implement initiatives that will help victims of hate crimes and hate incidents, and LGBT communities in general.

You will also be given contact details and links to organisations that can help you recognise and report a hate crime and provide support if you, or someone you know, is a victim of a hate crime or incident.

In return for your participation you – or a charity of your choosing – will be entered into a prize draw for a top prize of £100.All information collected will be kept strictly confidential. Survey respondents will remain completely anonymous.You can withdraw from the study at any point without any explanation. As the study is anonymous, however, it will be difficult to withdraw your responses once you have finished the survey and submitted your answers.The research group is from the University of Sussex and includes Professor Rupert Brown (Psychology), Dr Mark Walters (Law), and Dr Jenny Paterson (Psychology).

The research is funded by the Leverhulme Trust and has received ethical approval from the University of Sussex Sciences & Technology Cross-Schools Research Ethics Committee (c-recpsysci@sussex.ac.uk).

To complete the survey, CLICK HERE:

If you would like any further information, or would like to receive a copy of the results EMAIL: OR

Twitter: http://bit.ly/IHyu5B respondents could win £100.

‘Tis the season to recycle

Posted on 28/12/2013 by Sarah Green

Now you have opened your presents this Christmas, remember to recycle those old hairdryers, food processors and computers.

Brighton & Hove City Council has 20 recycling collection points for small electrical items across the city where old and broken kettles, hair dryers, toasters, DIY tools and irons can be recycled.

The scheme is run by the council and Veolia Environmental Services, as part of a drive to encourage residents to reduce waste, and to recycle more.

Councillor Pete West, chair of the council’s Environment, Sustainability and Transport Committee said: “The average resident accumulates three new electrical items each year, and many of these are Christmas presents.

“However, only one in five small electrical items gets recycled.

“With 20 bring sites across the city, residents can easily recycle their unwanted items and we hope to see the banks filling up by the new year.”

All small items, broken or usable, are accepted including toys, shavers, phones, DIY tools, mobile phones and kitchen appliances. They just need to be small enough to fit through the chute.

The recycling sites can be found at:

• Marine Cliffs Car Park, Rottingdean

• Asda Marina

• Whitehawk Family Centre

• Leybourne Parade, Lower Bevendean

• Withdean Stadium

• Outside Hikers Rest P.H., Coldean Lane

• Opposite 57 Ladies Mile Road, Patcham

• Montpelier Crescent

• Opposite The Glass Centre, 224-226 Portland Road

• Goldstone Retail Park

• Kingswood Street

• Little East Street (east of Brighton Town Hall)

• Whitecross Street

• Regent Street

• The Level, Union Road

• Tisbury Road – outside Hove Town Hall

• Upper Rock Gardens

• Wickes DIY, Davigdor Road (Lyon Close)

• King Alfred Leisure Centre Car Park

• Norfolk Square, Western Road.

Electrical items can contain hazardous and toxic metals which can be damaging to the environment when thrown away.

Recycling these items helps preserve natural resources and protect the environment. Some electrical items also contain valuable raw materials such as silver while others can be used to make other items. For example – one iron contains enough steel to produce 13 steel cans!

Larger items can be taken to the council’s household waste recycling centres or collected using the bulky waste service featured on the council’s website.

For more information on recycling and reusing electrical items, CLICK HERE:

Brighton Half Marathon unveils Charity Ambassadors for 2014

Posted on 28/12/2013 by Besi

Danny Dwyer, a 38 year old legal agent from Brighton is to be an Ambassador representing the Sussex Beacon at the Brighton Half Marathon on February 16, 2014.

Danny is a long standing supporter of The Sussex Beacon and has been a volunteer fundraiser with the charity for three years. He will be running the Brighton Half Marathon for the third time in 2014.

Danny runs to keep fit and taking part in the Brighton Half Marathon gives him the motivation to train whilst allowing him to support his local charity and community.

He said: ”‘HIV has been part of my life for many years. I often sit back and look over the volunteering work I have done and what I’m involved with currently in the community. When I see photos like this it only encourages me to keep motivated. Volunteering with the HIV Sector is a wonderful thing yet a rollercoaster of emotions. My support and commitment to The Sussex Beacon couldn’t be any stronger. I do what I do to help people smile, to keep them motivated and to believe in themselves. I have met so many inspirational people through volunteering that have encouraged me to keep smiling myself and I NEVER want this journey to end!”

If you want to sponsor Danny, CLICK HERE:

Other Charity Ambassadors for the race include; Luisa Gretton from Brighton who represents RISE, Judy Foote from Bromley who runs for WaterAid and Aoife McCauley from Eastbourne who supports Scope.

Public places for the Brighton Half Marathon on Sunday, February 16 are sold out but runners can still sign up to run for one of the races official charities, including The Sussex Beacon.

To register to run for the Sussex Beacon, CLICK HERE:

For more information about the Sussex Beacon, CLICK HERE:

Council staff and councillors support Eastern European communities at Christmas

Posted on 28/12/201330/12/2013 by Sarah Green

A charity project helping people in Eastern Europe has been supported by staff and councillors at Brighton & Hove City Council.

The Link to Hope Christmas Shoebox Appeal asked for contributions of simple gifts to make a big difference to those in need. Donated items were placed in shoeboxes ready for distribution to families, individuals and projects (such as orphanages and soup kitchens) throughout Romania, Bulgaria, Moldova, Albania and Ukraine.

Gifts include pens, pencils, gloves, socks, soap, shampoo, toothbrushes and other household basics that many people in the UK take for granted.

A total of 94 festively wrapped boxes of Christmas gifts have been donated by councillors, staff and their families at Brighton & Hove City Council.

Deputy Leader of Brighton & Hove Council, Cllr Lizzie Deane, said: “The shoebox appeal is a simple and effective example of how Christmas is a time for giving. The boxes will reach vulnerable people in need of comfort in the midst of winter. This collection was supported from all areas of the council with people working together to help others.”

The craft group at Tower House Day Centre filled their boxes with hand-knitted hats, scarves and other goodies. Individuals donated boxes and teams got together to collect up donations. Staff in the Commissioning Support Unit collected 32 boxes and a joint effort in Democratic Services added a further 12 wrapped boxes packed with essential items and other gifts. A large donation of children’s clothes was also made to help the charity.

The boxes were passed to Worthing-based charity Link to Hope so the gifts could be transported in time for distribution before Christmas. The Shoebox Appeal has been running since 1992 and has delivered over 600,000 shoeboxes to hundreds of different locations in Eastern Europe over the years.

For more information on the work of Link Romania, CLICK HERE:

Poz pub crawl – Openly HIV-positive gay men to paint Soho red on January 16

Posted on 27/12/2013 by Besi

On Thursday, January 16, a group of HIV-positive gay men are going to meet up in Soho and go on a pub crawl.

In many respects this is entirely ordinary: there are hundreds of gay men living with HIV drinking in the gay bars of Soho every evening. What will be different is that they will be there as openly HIV-positive gay men. And they’ll be wearing red.

Matthew Hodson, Chief Executive of GMFA the gay men’s health charity, said: “Although about one in twelve gay men in London are living with HIV, and the numbers are continuing to rise, the visibility of HIV has decreased in recent years. That means that many gay men believe that they don’t know anyone who has HIV, and myths and misconceptions about HIV are given the opportunity to flourish. By being out there and visible, we have the opportunity to acknowledge that people with HIV are standing shoulder to shoulder with you in our bars and clubs – and we hope that by doing this we may challenge the stigma that many men living with HIV encounter. And at the same time, we hope that we’ll have a fun, sociable and supportive evening.”

All HIV-positive gay men are welcome to join in.

The organisers have asked people to wear red, so that members of the group can identify each other. Matthew explained: “I chose red because I thought it was a colour that most people would have something of in their wardrobe but not so common that we’ll struggle to identify each other. You don’t have to wear red to join us, but we will be much more visible if you do.”

The pub crawl will start off in the Kings Arms in Poland St at 7pm, wandering down to Comptons at 8pm and then onto the Manbar at 79 Charing Cross Road at 9pm. It’s a pub crawl so all timings are approximate. If it’s a success the organisers plan to set up something similar for next month.

Matthew concluded, saying: “So far we’ve just been talking about it on GMFA’s website and via Twitter, and already we’ve had people contacting us from all over the UK and even from across Europe and the US, supporting the idea. I’ve no idea how many people will show up on the night, we’ll have to see. It’s no small thing to be open about your HIV status but being open about your status in public may encourage others to think about their own attitudes and their own behaviour. The more of us there are, the bigger impact we will have, and the better opportunity to make new friends and have a fun time.”

What: Poz pub crawl

When: Thursday, January 16

Times and venues:

Kings Arms, Poland St – 7pm

Comptons, Old Compton St – 8pm

Manbar, 79 Charing Cross Road – 9pm (timings are approximate)

Dress code: Red

Winter clothing specialists donate thermals to Brighton YMCA residents

Posted on 26/12/201309/01/2014 by Besi

The Leicester based company Universal Textiles donates 300 pieces of thermal clothing from their FLOSO thermal range to Brighton YMCA to help their residents stay warm this winter.

The donation forms part of 1,500 pieces given to YMCA services across the country.

This winter is forecast to be one of the most severe to hit Britain for years and will be a particularly tough one for people at risk of homelessness as well as those living on a low income.

Forecasters expect above-average snowfall, bitter arctic gales and plunging temperatures until February, which combined with the rising fuel costs, will put increasing pressure on those already struggling to stay warm.

Mr Karia from Universal-Textiles said: “Something as simple as putting on a layer of thermal clothing can make a huge difference to coping with the cold.”

Suzi Browne, spokesperson for YMCA, said: “Christmas and the winter months can be particularly difficult for those who are sleeping rough or in low income homes and unable to afford the rising costs of heating. While no one should be in a position where they feel they have no choice but to sleep on the streets or choose between heating or eating, this is sadly the daily reality for a growing number of people. We are very grateful to Universal Textiles for their kind donation, which will be distributed via YMCA services and drop in centres to those who need it most.”

Brighton YMCA has been housing and supporting local men and women with support needs since 1870.

Thermal underwear works by trapping a thin layer of air between the skin and the thermal fabric. The body, which has a core temperature of 37^oC, then warms this layer of air, and due to air’s natural insulation qualities, this in turn keeps the body warm.

For more information about Brighton YMCA, CLICK HERE:

Council Leader calls on government to ‘wake up’ on welfare costs

Posted on 26/12/2013 by Sarah Green

The Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council has written to Iain Duncan Smith, calling on him to cover councils’ costs in administering government benefits in order to protect other services.

Councils administer housing benefit in their local area on behalf of the Department for Work and Pensions. In his letter, Councillor Jason Kitcat points out that government cuts to this scheme mean that the financial support from government to Brighton & Hove only covers half of what it costs to administer housing benefit.

Councillor Kitcat, Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council said: “We have to spend nearly £3m picking up the costs for administering the government’s housing benefit programme. That’s millions of pounds local taxpayers’ money that should be spent on local services.

“Not only are they cutting housing benefit for the poorest in our city, but they’re also cutting corners on running the whole scheme.

“The government needs to wake up to the real costs of their policies.”

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Month: December 2013

Signed Morrissey autobiography raises thousands of pounds to help abused animals

A one-of-a-kind signed hardback copy of Autobiography by Morrissey, the only copy of the full-colour hardback signed by the author, has sold on eBay for £8,300.

Wisley – A great day out!

Roger Wheeler visits one of Englands finest horticultural attractions.

Lunch Positive thanks its supporters

Lunch Positive has posted its annual ‘Supporters Thank You’ list on its website.

How do hate crimes impact on LGBT people?

‘Tis the season to recycle

Brighton Half Marathon unveils Charity Ambassadors for 2014

Danny Dwyer, a 38 year old legal agent from Brighton is to be an Ambassador representing the Sussex Beacon at the Brighton Half Marathon on February 16, 2014.

Council staff and councillors support Eastern European communities at Christmas

Poz pub crawl – Openly HIV-positive gay men to paint Soho red on January 16

On Thursday, January 16, a group of HIV-positive gay men are going to meet up in Soho and go on a pub crawl.

Winter clothing specialists donate thermals to Brighton YMCA residents

The Leicester based company Universal Textiles donates 300 pieces of thermal clothing from their FLOSO thermal range to Brighton YMCA to help their residents stay warm this winter.

Council Leader calls on government to ‘wake up’ on welfare costs

The Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council has written to Iain Duncan Smith, calling on him to cover councils’ costs in administering government benefits in order to protect other services.

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A one-of-a-kind signed hardback copy of Autobiography by Morrissey, the only copy of the full-colour hardback signed by the author, has sold on eBay for £8,300.

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Roger Wheeler visits one of Englands finest horticultural attractions.

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Lunch Positive has posted its annual ‘Supporters Thank You’ list on its website.

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Danny Dwyer, a 38 year old legal agent from Brighton is to be an Ambassador representing the Sussex Beacon at the Brighton Half Marathon on February 16, 2014.

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On Thursday, January 16, a group of HIV-positive gay men are going to meet up in Soho and go on a pub crawl.

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The Leicester based company Universal Textiles donates 300 pieces of thermal clothing from their FLOSO thermal range to Brighton YMCA to help their residents stay warm this winter.

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The Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council has written to Iain Duncan Smith, calling on him to cover councils’ costs in administering government benefits in order to protect other services.

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