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Peter Lindars – funeral arrangements

Peter Lindars passed away on April 20, 2015 aged 44 years.

Peter Lindars

PETER the popular hotelier and landlord of the Iron Duke, Waterloo Street, Hove, was the much loved partner of Greg, son of Maeve and brother to Emma and Mike.

Peter will be greatly missed by all his family, friends and everyone who knew him through the pub.

A Celebration of his Life will be held at St Andrew’s Church, Waterloo Street, Hove on Tuesday, May 12 at 2.00pm, followed by a reception at The Iron Duke opposite.

Please dress however you feel most comfortable, black not obligatory. Family flowers only please.

If desired, donations made payable to Epilepsy Research UK or Mind may be sent to Christopher Stringer Funeral Service, 67 High Street, Rottingdean, BN2 7HE. Tel. 01273 306000.

Simon Kirby: Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

Sussex born Simon, lives with his wife and his six children in East Brighton.

Simon Kirby: Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Simon Kirby: Conservative Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

HE was elected as the Conservative MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the last general election in May, 2010.

Simon was first elected to represent the people of Kemptown in 1992, as a Councillor on East Sussex County Council. Following this, he was a representative for Ovingdean, Rottingdean and Saltdean on both Brighton Borough and Brighton and Hove City Councils, and has been a School Governor at a number of schools during the past 20 years.

Simon says: “It has been an honour to be MP for the past five years for the Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven constituency. It is a special, distinctive place and I have worked hard to represent people from all walks of life.

“Alongside securing the funding for the £480m redevelopment of the Sussex County Hospital and supporting the fund-raising efforts for the Saltdean Lido, I am proud of the role I played in ensuring that the Equal Marriage Act became law. Attending one of the first ever same-sex marriages in the UK, here in Brighton, was an incredible moment during my first term. I have also helped those facing persecution in their home countries because of their sexual orientation and who seek asylum in Britain.

“I intend to continue with this hard work and constituency support in the next five years if I am returned to serve in the next Parliament.”


Simon’s position on the Stonewall Equality Manifesto: To download Manifesto, click here:

Statutory PSHE and Sex and Relationships Education for primary and secondary schools in England: I believe that personal, social, health and education (PSHE) is very important at all levels of a child’s development. All Local Authority secondary schools are legally required to teach sex and relationship education. I am clear that sex and relationship education is a significant part of PSHE. Schools should ensure young people develop positive values and a moral framework that will guide their behaviour.

The guidance covers a range of issues within PSHE:

•   How to avoid exploitation and abuse;

•   How the law applies to sexual relationships;

•   It also ensures that pupils receive appropriate teaching, having regard to’ age and religious or cultural background.

•   It is important to me that the issues facing LGBT young people are included in PSHE.

Combatting homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime: I absolutely agree with the need to combat homophobic, biphobic and transphobic crime and make it an aggravated offence. I am particularly keen to see awareness raised of these issues and to ensure that anyone affected will feel able to make known to the authorities their own experiences and be received in a sympathetic and constructive way. Reporting is key to ensuring that. I brought the Home Secretary to St James’s Street to show her how policing takes place in the ‘gay village’ and so she could take back to Whitehall findings and suggestions. People have a right to live in dignity and tackling hate crime is a vital part of that.

International Aid: International Aid has been an important part of the Coalition’s programme for government over the last five years. The 0.7% target has been reached now and that important milestone will bring support to many people around the World. Aid money should be used to improve the well-being of all the citizens of a country not just a limited section or group. Therefore by definition, LGBT people should also be part of the ongoing decisions about aid spending in those countries. It will be part of my work in the next House of Commons to ensure that aid is working in the right way for LGBT people.

Reviewing the law affecting trans people: Trans people form a very important part of the community and their needs and contribution should be acknowledged. I have publicly supported the trans manifestos published in the election and I look forward to working with trans people if I am returned to serve in the House of Commons.


Simon’s position on the future Commissioning of Health Services and how that affects the Sussex Beacon:

“The National Health Service is and always will be the cornerstone of this country’s health care. Its basic principles, being free at the point of use, paid for out of general taxation and care based on need. There is room though for third party services like the wonderful work done by the Sussex Beacon. I would support continued funding over the next five years and will campaign to keep resources flowing. My concern is those who want a public-only NHS. What place does it leave for voluntary organisations like the Beacon that don’t fit into that rigid structure?”

For a full list of candidates standing in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, click here:

Davy Jones: Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

Davy Jones is standing for the Green Party in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven and says it is important for him to stand up for what matters in the place where he and his two daughters grew up – a place whose radicalism has inspired his politics for decades.

Davy Jones: Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Davy Jones: Green Party Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

THIS is his first foray into actually being a politician. Davy is a yoga teacher – the first to stand for parliament! – and he also helps organisations involve the people who benefit from their services in their decision-making.

He says: “There is only one party I would consider standing for – The Green Party is the only party which rejects austerity, stands up for the most vulnerable in our society, protects the planet, and is uncompromising on promoting and protecting rights for LGBTIQ people.”


Davy’s position on the Stonewall Equality Manifesto: To download Manifesto, click here:

“I strongly support all four pillars of Stonewall’s Equality Manifesto, and view them as an essential contribution to the overall improvement in respecting the rights of LGBTIQ people and removing discrimination completely.

Statutory PSHE and Sex and Relationships Education for primary and secondary schools in England: This is perhaps the most important tool in reducing and ultimately removing discrimination against LGBTIQ people. We need to teach our children from primary age about sexuality and how diverse the population really is. Brighton and Hove City Council was named most LGB-friendly in the country by Stonewall in January, and top in Stonewall’s 2014 Education Equality Index. We would require all schools to have an anti-bullying programme that explicitly combats homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying.

Combatting homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime: It’s a sad truth that many in the LGBTIQ community still experience hate crime. We as the Green Party commit to combating homophobic, biphobic and transphobic violence by ensuring uniform legislation against all forms of hate crime. I also view past “legal” hate crime as a stain on our history, and strongly support Green Party plans to apologise to and pardon the 50,000-100,000 men prosecuted unjustly under anti-gay laws.

International aid: We in the UK must support LGBTIQ rights throughout the world, and we commit to working in solidarity with campaigners challenging the criminalisation, discrimination and violence against LGBTIQ people globally. Concretely, we will also end the detention of LGBTIQ (and other) asylum seekers and the culture of disbelief that often denies them refugee status.

Reviewing the laws affecting trans people: I am proud to live in a city which has championed the rights of trans people, proud to be standing in the constituency next to Green MP Caroline Lucas’, who marched on the first ever Trans Pride in Kemptown last year. The Green-led council’s pioneering Trans Scrutiny Panel has already seen 25 of its 37 initial recommendations begin implementation. And its influence is spreading. For example, its recommendation to provide closed swimming sessions for trans people is now being taken up by other local authorities. I wholeheartedly commit to reviewing any laws affecting trans people to ensure their treatment as equal citizens with equal rights. But I go further: Inter-sex and queer people must enjoy the same protection against discrimination as trans people, and if I am elected to Parliament in May, I will be promoting this strongly.”


Davy’s position on the future Commissioning of Health Services and how that affects the Sussex Beacon: 

“My position and that of the Green Party on the NHS are crystal clear: No privatisation of any part of the NHS, no place for profit in public healthcare, and return to public hands those parts which have already been sold off.

“Voluntary organisations such as the Sussex Beacon are vital to our community healthcare, and experts driven by a desire to help and to heal are infinitely better placed to offer appropriate health services than private companies answering to shareholders.

“Support to such local experts is very important. And if Sussex Beacon needs statutory financial support in the next five years, I consider it important that it gets what it needs.”

For a full list of candidates standing in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, click here:

Paul Chandler, Liberal Democrat Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

Paul Chandler has lived in Kemptown for over ten years and, in that time, has been an active member of his community.

Paul Chandler: Liberal Democrat Parliamentry Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Paul Chandler: Liberal Democrat Parliamentry Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

HE has helped shape the plans for the new hospital that Brighton so badly needs as a member of the local resident’s consultative committee. For the last three years Paul has given time to the voluntary advice sector in Brighton and Hove and also helps out at a weekly soup kitchen.

He has run several successful businesses including a pottery manufacturer, a typesetting company and, most recently, a travel company specialising in trips to Portugal.

He has over a decade’s worth of experience as a local councillor and helped deliver a much needed swimming pool to his area. He has been a school governor and away from politics, he is learning Portuguese and is a keen crossword solver and setter.


Paul’s position on the Stonewall Equality Manifesto: To download Manifesto, click here:

Statutory PSHE and Sex and Relationships Education for primary and secondary schools in England: I support making sex and relationship education compulsory in all schools and enshrining this in law. Liberal Democrats believe all state schools should teach Personal Social and Health Education (PSHE) from key stage 2. This could include age appropriate information about growing up including healthy relationships, sexual health, transgender issues, sexual orientation and domestic violence. SRE needs to be available to all young people, regardless of orientation, and taught in a safe and non-judgemental environment by a confident and qualified teacher. I was proud that the Liberal Democrats introduced the Equal Marriage Act and I think it is important that SRE reflects the full range of relationships. We also need to do more to stop homophobic, biphobic and transphobic bullying and I am pleased that we made £2 million available this year to help stamp it out.

Combatting homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime: I am surprised to discover that homophobic hate crime is not included as an ‘aggravated’ offence. I would support a campaign to encourage all LGBT people to report incidences of hate crime – which should always be treated seriously by the police.

International Aid: We have all been shocked and horrified by tales of attacks on LGBT people in Africa and elsewhere in the world. I would support audit of all UK aid projects to see proper attention being given to addressing the problems of LGBT population in the areas where they are undertaken. Positive efforts should be made to involve local groups or individuals where possible.

Reviewing the law affecting trans people: I support a review of the Gender Recognition Act 2004 which has had some perverse effects.”


Paul’s position on the future Commissioning of Health Services and how that affects the Sussex Beacon: 

“Due to the high cluster of people living with HIV in the area, Brighton needs to be viewed as a special case for higher than average health HIV funding. Agencies such as the Sussex Beacon have a strong record of delivery but alongside this more community-based support should be developed. The exceptional local HIV voluntary sector has a major role to play in this, such as groups like Lunch Positive. These groups need secure long term funding to be able to deliver this and provide community alternatives rather than expensive NHS based care.”

For a full list of candidates standing in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, click here:

Nancy Platts: Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

Nancy says she came to politics quite recently because,“my passion is making things happen”.

Nancy Platts: Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Nancy Platts: Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

SHE is not a career politician, has not worked for an MP, as a special advisor or a think tank, has not been part of the ‘Westminster bubble’ and she hopes this will make a refreshing change!

Nancy didn’t go to university because her parents thought they couldn’t afford it. She left school at 18 and has worked ever since. She got her first Saturday job at 15 and worked in a newsagent which she says she “absolutely loved!”

Her career has been varied: the Fire Brigade for 12 years’ and jobs with Diabetes UK, Breakthrough Breast Cancer, Asthma UK and Child Poverty Action Group to name a few.

If elected as your MP, Nancy says she wants to be a catalyst for change, working with people to get things done and listening to their concerns every day so she can ensure that Whitehall and Parliament realises what matters to the people who live here.

She lives close to St James’s Street in Kemp Town and loves the vibrancy of the local area. She goes for a run by the sea three or four times a week and completed her first 10k race in Brighton last month. At weekends, she can often be found with her partner on the South Downs; her favourite walk is from Ditchling Beacon across the Downs to either Lewes or Devil’s Dyke finishing up at one of the lovely country pubs.


Nancy’s position on the Stonewall Equality Manifesto: To download Manifesto, click here:

“I support the Stonewall Equality Manifesto wholeheartedly. Throughout my life, both professionally and personally, I’ve always been passionate about equality.

“Whether it was marching at Pride, being a feminist, equalising the age of consent, supporting equal marriage or my work as an anti-poverty campaigner successfully lobbying for a children’s centre in every community, I believe that equality should be at the heart of everything we do as a society. And equality means more than just acceptance.

“An equal society is at ease with itself, celebrates the differences and becomes richer as a result. We’ve made progress but there’s still more to do.

Combatting homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime: When it comes to homophobic, biphobic or transphobic hate crimes, a hate crime is a hate crime regardless of the motive and we must have zero tolerance. Everyone has the right to feel safe at home and on our streets. I have spoken at our vigils in Brighton and will also publicly show my support for our LGBT community.

Statutory PSHE and Sex and Relationships Education for primary and secondary schools in England: Tackling hate crime starts with promoting understanding through education and good communication and this must start at school. We all remember Section 28 and must move forward to ensure that proper inclusive PHSE sessions consider the broad range of LGBT issues. In particular, schools need to tackle bullying based on sexuality. Many local schools are already doing good work and they have my full support.

Reviewing the law affecting trans people: Brighton has a significant trans community who deserve better. Trans people are equal citizens and I support a review of the laws, especially the Gender Recognition Act, to ensure they truly have equal rights.

International Aid: As a progressive nation we have a responsibility to not just put our own house in order but also lead the way internationally. That means standing up for LGBT equality here in the UK and abroad. It’s an affront to all our rights that being gay is still illegal in so many countries across the world and also still punishable by death in some places. Britain can take a stand on that by supporting relevant organisations on the ground overseas.”


Nancy’s position on the future Commissioning of Health Services and how that affects the Sussex Beacon:

“We need good health care too and third sector organisations such as the Sussex Beacon have a vital role to play working with the NHS to provide specialist services. It’s been a successful collaboration and I have no hesitation in saying I’ll support such an ongoing partnership for the next five years.

“There are considerable skills and expertise being offered by the third sector workers to complement and enhance NHS services which should continue and developed. Crucially such partnerships mean that communities of patients with distinct needs can be both better served and listened to.

“The MP for Brighton Kemptown has a particular responsibility to be a champion for LGBT equality in the House of Commons. I’ll always speak up and I pledge to continue working with local groups to that end.”

For a full list of candidates standing in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, click here:

Council extend free wifi in council buildings

Free wifi is now available in the public areas of most council buildings in Brighton and Hove.

Brighton CouncilPUBLIC areas in Brighton, Hove and Portslade Town Halls now have free wifi, as well as Kings House, Bartholomew House, Hove Museum and Art Gallery and the Booth Museum of Natural History.

Other buildings free wifi has been extended to include the seafront office, Moulescoomb and Lavender Street housing offices, children’s centres and leisure centres including the King Alfred and the Prince Regent.

The wifi public buildings rollout has been funded under the Super Connected Cities Programme, is managed by Easynet, and provided by CloudConnX through an existing council contract.

Project manager Alan Buck said: “Brighton & Hove City Council won government investment to provide improved digital connections. We are one of only 17 places across the UK to be selected for the super connected cities programme and it will mean that people can keep in touch at a variety of locations supplied by over 40 of our public buildings and offices.”

Wifi will also be coming to Roundabout Children’s Centre and Preston Manor from late April and the Royal Pavilion, Brighton Museum and Old Court House from late May.

Free public wifi is already available in the cities’ libraries and the Brighton Centre.

 

 

Nancy Platts backs local NHS campaigners

NHS campaigners from the 38 Degrees campaigning website receive support from Parliamentary election candidates, including Nancy Platts, Labour’s candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, last Saturday, April 25.

Nancy Platts: Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Nancy Platts: Labour Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

THE campaigners from across the city have been collecting thousands of signatures for a petition demanding “better investment” in the NHS and for it to be kept out of the hands of “profit making” companies.

Nancy Platts, Labour’s Parliamentary candidate for Kemptown and Peacehaven spoke alongside other election candidates at a rally following the day of action and congratulated campaigners on raising a vital issue during the election.

She said: “It’s heartening to see so many 38 Degrees campaigners out defending the NHS in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven.

“Our NHS is precious. I pledge to do everything I can to protect it.

“If elected I will campaign to stop privatisation, making sure the NHS has the funding it needs to provide high quality healthcare to everyone and protecting it from US health corporations by opposing the planned trade deal between the EU and the USA (TTIP).

“Given we’re seeing A&E waits topping four hours already in Brighton, the election and a change of government committed to the NHS cannot come soon enough.”

The petition claimed that over the past few years, NHS funding has been squeezed so much that services are suffering and most hospitals are warning that their budget for next year has reached the point where patient care is at risk.

Campaigners expressed concerns that TTIP, the planned trade deal between the EU and the USA, could threaten the NHS further. If TTIP opens the NHS to American private healthcare companies, there could be more privatisation and a slide into more US-style healthcare.

Campaigners want the NHS excluded from TTIP.

Nancy continued: “The Labour manifesto has pledged to repeal David Cameron’s Health and Social Care Act, ensure that the Secretary of State for Health has a duty to guarantee a national health service free at the point of use, remove enforced competition and ensure private patients aren’t put before NHS patients and tackle conflicts of interest.”

All Brighton Parliamentary candidates at the coming general election had been invited to the event to speak and receive the petition.

Labour, Green and Lib Dem candidates attended the event, but no representatives from the Conservative or UKIP were present and were ‘empty chaired’.

To view Nancy’s speech at the 38 Degrees rally, click here:

 

 

What has your Kemptown MP been doing for you during the last 5 years?

Simon Kirby was elected as MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven in May 2010. He looks back over the last five years and what he has been able to achieve for LGBT residents in his constituency.

Simon Kirby MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

“It is an honour to be the MP for this incredibly special place. I always do my best to stand up for our area and be a strong voice for residents and I have taken up a range of campaigns.

“To be as accessible as possible to all constituents I have held regular constituency advice surgeries at both the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church and the Kemptown Crypt as well as at 10 other locations across the constituency.

“I am particularly proud to represent a constituency with a large LGBT population and have taken a close interest in LGBT issues both local and national.

“I was delighted to be able to play a significant role in getting the Equal Marriage Act through parliament and made a passionate defence of equal marriage at a debate organised by Changing Attitude Sussex. I was honoured to attend one of the first same-sex marriages here in Brighton and I auctioned a signed copy of the Equal Marriage Act, signed by David Cameron, Nick Clegg and Ed Miliband, to raise funds for the Sussex Beacon.

“I am a strong supporter of Brighton Pride, it is always one of the highlights of my calendar and I always enjoy taking part in the parade. I have also backed local LGBT groups and events, such as the Stonewall equality walk, and have been honoured to attend IDAHOBIT Day and Hate Crime Vigil events organised by the Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum. I have also attended Lunch Positive events and helped raise the profile of the need for regular HIV testing.

“As the Vice Chairman of the all-party parliamentary group on HIV/AIDS I fought hard to safeguard funding for HIV prevention. Whilst welcome progress has been made in the fight against HIV and AIDS, it is clear that more still needs to be done, both at home and abroad, and that is why I was determined to see this funding protected.

“When it became apparent that the financial support for these schemes were under threat I immediately contacted officials within the Department of Health and the Treasury to stress the importance of this funding. As a result of this the Public Health Minister confirmed that the Government investment in HIV prevention would be saved.

“Too often it can feel like the Trans community is overlooked when people talk about the LGBT population. That is why I called for Stonewall to include Trans people when compiling their list of Top 100 employers for LGB people. Stonewall announced in March that in future they will also be campaigning on behalf of trans people.

“As the MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, I have been pleased to have been able to achieve a number of successes: for instance, my campaign to secure £420 million in funding for the new Royal Sussex County Hospital, plus a further £68 million announced last month to cover inflationary rises in the building cost, helping the Saltdean Lido CIC obtain investment from the Government of over £2 million to restore the Lido, and obtaining improvements to local roads.

“Looking to the future there are a number of issues I would like to see more action on, including progress on tackling homophobic bullying in schools, the promotion of LGBT equality in other countries around the world that are not as inclusive or tolerant as the UK and pension equality for LGBT couples.

“I am not one of those politicians that only shows up at election time; I work hard on behalf of all residents and will always be a strong voice for the LGBT community. I will continue to do my best for everyone going forward.”

 

Simon Kirby MP

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

 

Matthew Taylor: Independent Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

Matthew Taylor: Independent Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven
Matthew Taylor: Independent Parliamentary Candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven

Brighton born and bred, Matthew grew up with his mother and sister in a council house in Portslade.

HE says he was discriminated against because he didn’t have a dad, so he escaped into the pages of 2000 AD and pretended Judge Dredd was his dad instead.

He left home and travelled to France aged 17; only to be called back months later because his sister had got pregnant aged 15 years old. He has since travelled the world and lived and worked in America, Hong Kong and Europe.

He says he joined the Army as a Royal Military Policeman aged 26 and since leaving in 2001 has gone on to run a successful business, and currently work pro-bono helping victims of child-abuse and police corruption “get the justice and compensation they deserve”. He intends to stand in the coming Sussex Police Crime Commissioner elections in 2016.


Matthew’s position on the Stonewall Equality Manifesto: To download Manifesto, click here:

Statutory PSHE and Sex and Relationships Education for primary and secondary schools in England: Echoing Tong Blair’s rally call of education, education education; I fully support the Stonewall Equality manifesto across all its pillars. The only way society can break the bad habits and prejudices of previous generations is to educate children now, to mould them into the caring sharing citizens essential for a happy society. Homophobic, biphobics and transphobics have no place in all our futures and I’m happy to promote any initiative which fights phobics of any kind.

Combatting homophobic, biphobic and transphobic hate crime: The Stonewall riots were a spontaneous and violent reaction to the victimisation, vilification, discrimination and arrest of members of the gay community by the police. Surely only by coming together in the spirit of Stonewall can we again confront hate crime and combat it with equal vigour and determination. Thankfully the tide is turning and I believe more and more people are waking up to the seriousness of hate crime and are reporting it more and more, where-as before they may not have. I pray this trend continues.

International aid: I fully support sanctions against countries who fail to support their own LGBT communities. Aid must reach all people, not just the chosen few. Only by voicing our objections at the highest levels can we ensure LGBT interests are addressed. All too often Third World regimes adopt a medieval approach to LGBT issues and this must be counter-balanced. If the threat of withdrawing British investment against countries who fail to take steps to address and resolve LGBT abuses work, then use it. Money talks, and on this we can use money to get the LGBT message heard.

Reviewing the laws affecting trans people: Over 10 years of the Gender Recognition Act is long enough. Problems have risen which taints the goal of equal rights for everyone. Clearly trans-people aren’t being treated as equal citizens with equal rights as the rest of us and this must be resolved with haste. This is a perfect opportunity to turn a negative into a positive and use this as a means to raise the LGBT voice and tell the world, trans-people are alive and kicking and deserve to be heard. LGBT equality must sit at the heart of our political establishment.


Matthew’s position on the future Commissioning of Health Services and how that affects the Sussex Beacon: 

“During this election I’ll publicly sign a pledge to defend the NHS against privatisation. While I scoff at the idea of multi national companies banging on the door, I welcome the inclusion of charities such as the Sussex Beacon and Mankind, to service the areas which the NHS cannot reach. A third way must be adopted in this instant. I want to see a more natural health service in which the doctors subscribe to a change of career rather than prescribing pharmaceutical drugs. Only independent charities and individuals can make this happen. We the People enact the change we want to see.

For a full list of candidates standing in Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, click here:

Polari secures ACE funding for UK tour

London’s leading LGBT literary salon, Polari, has this week been awarded Arts Council England (ACE) funding for a seven month series of events outside of the capital: Polari on Sea in Hastings, and a second nationwide tour.

Polari First Book PrizeSTARTING June 30, Polari on Sea, will see the award-winning movement begin a six month residency in Hastings, while a second national tour will run September to December, ending at the Southbank Centre, the salon’s London home.

This will be the second time Polari has gone on the road, following last year’s tour that included sold-out events in Brighton, Birmingham, Liverpool and Newcastle.

This year’s events will showcase local LGBT literary talent and help raise further awareness of The Polari First Book Prize, which is now in its fifth year.

Awarded for a first book that explores the LGBT experience, the prize is open to any work of poetry, prose, fiction or non-fiction published in English by a writer born or resident in the UK between February 2, 2014 and February 1, 2015. Self-published works in both print and digital formats are eligible for submission.

Deadline for submissions is May 1, 2015.

Paul BurstonHost of Polari and founder of The Polari First Book Prize, Paul Burston said: “I’m delighted that Arts Council England is continuing to support Polari. After eight successful years in London, it’s great to be taking our show on the road, encouraging new literary talent and showcasing the best LGBT writers and spoken word performers around the country.”

Full dates and event lineups will be announced soon.

For more information on Polari Literary Salon, click here:

For more information on The Polari First Book Prize, click here:

 

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