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One Direction tell their young gay fans: “Just be yourself”

One Direction tell their young gay fans “don’t be afraid to be the person that you are”.

One Direction

THE GLOBAL boyband sounded their support to help those struggling to come to terms with their sexuality and come out as they revealed their own ‘guy crushes’.

Singer Zayn Malik told the London Lesbian & Gay Switchboard: “Just be yourself. If that’s who you are, that’s who you are and don’t be afraid to be the person that you are.”

The heartthrob also revealed his favourite male idol.“I wouldn’t necessarily say I have a crush on him but I really appreciate Jake Gyllenhaal’s acting. I’ve seen him in a film called Prisoners. He’s so sick.”

Bandmates Louis Tomlinson and Niall Horan also admitted they can appreciate it when they see a hot guy.

Louis said: “David Beckham is just a cool, cool guy but I saw Russell Brand on Jonathan Ross and he just speaks so incredibly. I look up to him he’s cool.”

Irish bandmate Niall Horan, added: “Johnny Depp is pretty sick and he’s a really nice fella too.”

A spokesperson for the London Lesbian Gay Switchboard, said: “Despite LGBT+ people being well represented in the media today the process of coming out can still be a big thing for lots of people.”

“It’s in these situations where LLGS is there to provide ‘calm words when they are needed most’ and in some cases listen as people voice their feelings about their sexuality for the very first time.”

London lesbian and gay switchboardThe London Lesbian & Gay Switchboard provides free and confidential support and information to lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgendered communities throughout the UK daily between 10am and 11pm by telephone on 0300 330 0630 and by instant messaging at www.llgs.org.uk.

Kemptown MP urges Council to rethink Christmas day swimming ban

Simon Kirby, the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, urges Brighton and Hove City Council to rethink its recent decision to cancel the traditional Christmas Day Sea Swim on “health and safety” grounds.

Brighton Christmas Day Swim

THE ANNUAL swim has taken place on Christmas day in Brighton and Hove for decades and has grown in recent years with hundreds of people taking part or watching from the breach.

Simon said: “In the past, the “Santa swim” has been called off due to particularly harsh weather conditions or high tides and this is entirely appropriate. There are clearly some genuine safety issues to be considered when entering the sea, but this blanket ban seems draconian. I would rather see the Council working with swimmers to ensure that this popular community event can take place safely, rather than penalising everyone who may want to carry on the traditional swim.”

The MP suggested a number of measures that could be considered, including:

Using another stretch of the beach for the swim, with a less steep gradient, making it easier and safer for people entering and leaving the water

Moving the event to Boxing Day or Christmas Eve if it proves too problematic to ensure safety on Christmas Day itself

Scheduling the event to always take place at low tide to reduce the dangers

Agreeing a backup date in the event of rough seas on the day

Simon continued: “It does strike me as a case of health and safety gone slightly mad. What is needed is some common sense. I am not sure how practical it is to try and enforce such a ban anyway. The cost of this would have been better spent on facilitating a safe community event for people to continue to enjoy, as they have done for over a hundred years!”

“Swimming in the sea at any time of the year poses safety issues and of course people should not swim if they have been drinking. Sadly, I suspect that the Council’s ban will not deter these people anyway and so it will only be the responsible swimmers that are penalised.”

 

Carousel needs Volunteers

Carousel is a charity who work to promote the active involvement of people with a disability in the arts.

CarouselAs a small charity with big ideas, Carousel relies on the support of volunteers to support people with learning disabilities to develop creatively.

During April to July 2015 they are looking to train five new volunteers to work with them as part of their team, working with The Carousel Singers.

If you are interested in music, working with people who have learning disabilities, and would benefit from their unique training course, get in touch. The deadline is March 2, 2015.

For an application pack telephone Carousel 01273 234 734.

Or email: 

For more information about Carousel, click here:

 

 

Pooches on the Prom – sponsored dog walk in support of the Martlets

WEB.300The Martlets Hospice in Hove, is looking for four legged friends of all kinds and their walkers to join their sponsored dog walk on Sunday, February 8, 2015.

Pooches are asked to raise as much sponsorship as they can and every penny raised will help the Martlets provide end of live care to adults who are affected by terminal and life limiting illness, as well as caring for their families and loved ones.

For many patients having their pets visit them at the Hospice makes a huge difference to their wellbeing, and it is just one of the ways the Martlets Hospice enables people to live well. All the sponsorship raised from Pooches on the Prom will go towards patient care.

Registration is now open and entry is £5 per dog. The walk starts at the Hove Lawn Café and will go to Brighton Pier and back. Or for pooches who like a longer walk, to the end of Maderia Drive and back. Both routes will set off at 11am.

At the end of the walk all the pooches taking part will be rewarded with a doggy bag and a medal.

To register your pooch online, click here:

Or you can call the Martlets Fundraising team on 01273 747455.

 

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