The Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Groups Network met for its third quarterly meeting on Saturday November 22.
THE NETWORK exists to bring smaller community groups together, share peer support, access advice and information and currently has sixteen member groups.
The meeting included member’s updates, looked at training and support needs, identified peer support activities, and provided information on funding opportunities and support.
Chris Gull the chair of The Rainbow Fund went along to talk through the fund’s work and answer questions about future grant applications.
Gary Pargeter
Gary Pargeter, Community Works LGBT Rep and Network Facilitator: “As all meetings, this was extremely positive. It’s proving very useful to us all to get to know each other, talk and understand what our groups are achieving, and discuss any challenges. Sharing experiences, information and insight is incredibly helpful. Access to new training to help with running groups is being planned for 2015, together with some that we intend to provide amongst ourselves. At one of our previous meetings a member highlighted the Network as something organic, which it is proving to be. There’s a real spirit of cooperation and supportiveness that will benefit us all and the people we involve and support “
Groups attending were BLAGSS, Clare Project, LGBT Community Safety Forum, Lunch Positive, Peer Action, Rainbow Chorus, and Trans Alliance.
For more information about the Network, click here:
Benjy will celebrate Christmas in a Norwich sanctuary after being granted reprieve from slaughter.
Bengy prepares for his close up
Benjy was previously slated for slaughter because of his sexual orientation, arrived at Hillside Animal Sanctuary today, where he will breathe fresh air, graze freely and never again face the threat of the butcher’s block.
With help from PETA the Animal Rights Action Network and donation from around the world including a £5,000 gift from The Simpsons co-creator Sam Simon, Benjy’s future has been secured to live out his life in peace at the Animal Sanctuary.
Sam SImon
Sam Simon, co-creator of the Simpson, said: “I believe in compassion and empathy for all living beings – regardless of age, gender, race, sexual orientation or species. That’s why when PETA told me about ‘Benjy, the gay bull’, I felt compelled to help.”
“All animals have a dire destiny in the meat and dairy industries, but for Benjy to have been killed because of his sexual orientation would have been a double tragedy.”
“My health won’t allow me to travel to the UK to see Benjy in his new home, but it thrills me to know that his fate is a sanctuary rather than a sandwich, and I know the folks at PETA and ARAN will keep me updated on his progress.”
Simon also hopes Benjy’s story will inspire others to help animals.
Bengy checks out the totty
He continued:“While it will be a happy holiday season for Benjy, it won’t be for the millions of other animals on farms living in their own filth, denied everything that is natural and important to them.”
“I’d encourage anyone moved by Benjy’s plight to help other animals like him by choosing to leave all animals off their plates and opt for a vegan Christmas dinner.”
Since Simon was diagnosed with terminal cancer in 2012, he has used his resources to help many animals in need, including helping to retire a lame horse used for racing and securing the transfer of a chimpanzee who had spent more than 18 years in solitary confinement at a zoo.
Last week in collaboration with PETA US – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way” – Simon helped rescue two black bears from a roadside zoo in Tennessee.
Following the successful inaugural Out and Proud Ball in 2014 organisers have confirmed the date of the next Ball will be March 7, 2015.
THE BALL will once again be staged at Field Place in Worthing, tickets will cost £45 per person and the entertainment will follow the ‘alternative’ and slightly ‘risque’ feel of the first years event.
Pride Super Early Bird and Early Bird tickets prices have been frozen for the third year running with prices starting from £9.
TICKETS for Pride 2015 will go on sale on Friday, December 19 with Super Early Bird tickets costing £9 and Early Bird tickets £12.50.
Pride 2015 will be celebrating 25 years of Pride in the City and organiser expected it to be the biggest Pride celebrations in the City to date.
2014’s Brighton Pride Festival on Preston Park and the Pride Village Party were hailed a resounding success by Sussex Police, local businesses, resident groups smashing fundraising targets and raising over £110,000.00 in the last two years for The Rainbow Fund, a grant giving organisation that makes grants to LGBT/HIV organisations who provide effective front line services to LGBT people in Brighton and Hove.
£9 community tickets will also be available to parade entries and community groups and children under 12 will be free with accompanying adult.
Other tickets prices will have a small £1 increase to keep up with inflation and operational costs such as power, security and policing costs.
People may volunteer to help Pride for as little as two hours and receive a free ticket. Free tickets are also made available for those who for health reasons are unable to volunteer and can be applied for through the Rainbow Fund.
Weekend tickets will also be available to include entry to Preston park and Village party over two days.
Paul Kemp
Pride Director Paul Kemp, said:“As a not-for profit Community Interest organisation (CIC), Brighton Pride is committed to a campaigning Pride with purpose, a community Pride with fundraising aims and a Pride that is accessible to all!
“As with the cost of living regrettably the costs of staging the biggest UK Pride festival will go up.
“In last two years we have managed to absorb increased costs for power and policing as well as extra infrastructure and security that helped us deliver a vastly improved entry onto Preston park as well as producing a world class Pride event.
“We are pleased to be able to again freeze early bird tickets due to the continued support of people purchasing Pride festival tickets and also the VIP tickets that help subsidise the discounted tickets.
“£9 community tickets will remain available to our community groups and we’ll continue to offer free tickets for volunteers and people who help us deliver Pride’s community fundraising.”
Brighton Pride Festival ticket money pays for all infrastructure and services across Preston Park to ensure a safe and enjoyable day for everyone, from entertainment and wellbeing to security and production.
Accord to Pride 2014 management accounts Pride spend £30,117 on power £51,190 on sound and lighting, £33,477 on crew costs, £25,685 on toilets and £15,685 on waste management whilst £10,057 was spent on police, £18,324 on St Johns Ambulance and £93,357 on Parade and Park security and stewarding and thats just a fraction of the overall costs of staging a world class Pride event.
Event: Brighton and Hove 25th Anniversary Pride weekend
When: August 1 & 2, 2015
Cost: Tickets will go on sale from Friday, December 19, 2014
Super early Birds £9/ Early Birds £12.50 while stocks last.
THE NETWORK exists to bring smaller community groups together, share peer support, access advice and information and currently has sixteen member groups.
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