menu

Council supports Greens’ call for PSHE – ‘life skills education’ – to be elevated to statutory status

 

Cllr Amanda KnightYesterday’s Full Council meeting at Brighton Town Hall voted in favour of a Green Group motion calling for the government to strengthen PSHE education, which teaches skills for life, to be given statutory status.

The motion was proposed by Amanda Knight, the Green Councillor for Goldsmid Ward.

She said: “I’m delighted that councillors across all parties voted unanimously to call for PSHE education to be made a statutory subject and funded in all primary and secondary schools.”

In her maiden speech to the council Cllr. Knight, said: “’Personal, Social, Health & Economic Education’ may be a cumbersome name, but it is as vital a part of any child’s education as Math’s or English. It teaches young people the skills they need to make good choices and to navigate the world around them with knowledge and confidence. Whether it’s in relation to health and nutrition, drugs and alcohol, relationships and sex or managing personal finances, PSHE provides our young people with tools for life. Tools which help to strengthen and  protect them in relation to the many, and at times confusing,  opportunities, challenges and threats which are around them.”

More than 100 organisations have joined a national PSHE Association campaign for statutory PSHE education, including Mumsnet, Stonewall, Girlguiding and the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners.

Recent reports into child sexual exploitation in Birmingham, Rochdale, Rotherham and Manchester have echoed the important role of PSHE in preventing child sexual exploitation.

The NSPCC, Barnardo’s and six royal medical colleges have also called for the subject to be made statutory, with this issue in mind.

Cllr Knight, added: “PSHE is a vital part of supporting young people to protect themselves. In Brighton & Hove we have a fantastic record for delivering excellent PSHE teaching in our schools and I want to highlight and celebrate that.  I so wish that I had had access to this when I was at school and I’m delighted that my daughter does. If PSHE is given the status of a statutory subject it will secure a stronger place for it in the wider curriculum with better access to teacher training resources and funding into the future.”  

During the debate, Alex Phillips Green councillor for Regency drew attention to the work on the issue by Caroline Lucas MP who, on Wednesday, raised it in Parliament in a ten-minute rule motion.  A second reading is scheduled for January 22, 2016.

 

Dannii Minoque completes Manchester Pride line-up

Dannii Minoque will join Alesha Dixon and La Voix, on the main stage at the Big Weekend in Manchester, starting Friday, August 28.

Dannii Minoque
Dannii Minoque: Photo Ann-Marie Calilhanna for Sydney Gay and Lesbian Mardi Gras (SGLMG)

With just six weeks until Manchester Pride, organisers have added pop queen Dannii Minogue to the line-up. She will perform a headline set, presented by G-A-Y, on the main stage.

Dannii, hasn’t performed live in the UK for over nine years, and she will join a host of big names including Alesha Dixon and drag artist and Britons Got Talent finalist, La Voix.

Dannii’s performance will be one of only two currently planned performances she will be making in the UK this year.  She recently announced a return to music with Summer of Love, a taster track released to co-incide with her acclaimed performance at Sydney’s Mardi Gras festival. The track was an instant club hit, becoming her NINTH consecutive club No.1, and giving her the record for the most amount of consecutive No.1’s in the UK Upfront Club Charts. In total Dannii has achieved 14 No.1 UK Club Chart hits.

Dannii is currently a judge on The X Factor Australia, her third year working on the hit show after four hugely successful years as a judge on The X Factor UK.

Alesha Dixon has worn many hats over her 16 year career. She opened her musical hand as a finger-snapping Rude Girl, one-third of the brilliant Mis-Teeq, part of the original bedrock UKG scene that went on to the take the world (nobody brrrrrapped better than Alesha). Next was the sleek millennial solo proposition which transitioned, in an unexpected career diversion, into Saturday tea time TV royalty, first at Strictly Come Dancing, then Britain’s Got Talent.

She returns to pop’s top sphere in 2015 on the Manchester Pride Big Weekend main stage.

La Voix
La Voix

La Voix is a woman with one mission: to bring back glamour, class and sophistication, not to mention humour, to the UK stage and screen. Her many prestigious achievements include second place in Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK ambassador search and finalist on Britain’s Got Talent.  She is a vivacious performer with an ability to switch between the vocal styles of Tina Turner, Shirley Bassey, Liza Minnelli, Judy Garland or Cher with the click of a finger.

Mark Fletcher
Mark Fletcher

Mark Fletcher, Chief Executive of Manchester Pride, said: “We’re hugely excited that Dannii will be appearing at The Big Weekend. We’ve been working hard with our friends at G-A-Y to make this happen and we know the show will be a huge hit with our audience”

“Our full line up has now been revealed and it’s easily the strongest line up of performances that we’ve had at The Big Weekend. There will be performances to cater for many tastes as we mark this special anniversary year.

“It’s great that Manchester’s annual LGBT pride celebration is just as important to the many successful artists performing as it is to the communities of our brilliant city.

The Big Weekend tickets are currently priced at £25 for a weekend ticket, £15 for day tickets and children’s tickets are also available from £5.

Tickets provide guests with access to the event site, including the Main Arena, Sackville Gardens, the Gaydio Dance Arena and the Expo and help Manchester Pride raise money for LGBT and HIV charities and organisations in Greater Manchester.

For more information on The Big Weekend, click here:

There’s much more to Manchester Pride festival than the Big Weekend. Events take place throughout the month of August and this year has seen the launch of Superbia, an all year round calendar of events that showcases, supports and celebrates LGBT and relevant arts, comedy, debate, film, literature, music, sport, theatre, family and community led projects within Greater Manchester with the aim to encourage engagement, wellbeing and culturally enhance the LGBT communities.

To find out more about the Manchester Pride, click here: 

Rainbow Chorus to celebrates 18th birthday in July

The Rainbow Chorus will be celebrating their 18th birthday year in style with two concerts on July 17 and 18 at St George’s Church in Kemptown called #RC18!

Rainbow Chorus

THE chorus led by Musical Director Aneesa Chaudhry and supported by accompanist Mojca Monte will be performing an eclectic selection of music from their repertoire developed over the years.

Marco Nardi will provide BSL interpreting and the choir will also sing using some sign supported English.

To purchase tickets online, click here:

Or from members of the Rainbow Chorus.

The Rainbow Chorus is the longest running LGBT choir in Brighton and Hove and has built a reputation as a non-audition community choir striving for choral excellence with an active commitment to inclusion and diversity.

As a registered charity they raise awareness and promote cooperation in the LGBT choral movement and support local LGBT/HIV organisations, including Lunch Positive, Switchboard’s Older LGBT project and Mind Out.

Their recent performances at IDAHOBIT, Stand By Your Trans and their own Sing Out were well received and they’ll be headlining Trans Pride on July 25 as well as being very visible on the Brighton Pride Parade.

Tickets are still available for their next big venture, the Hand in Hand concert at the Brighton Dome on Saturday, June 13 at 7.30pm

The concert will be the centre piece and highlight of the biggest ever LGBT choral festival for choirs in the UK and Ireland and is being co-organised by the Rainbow Chorus and Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus.

The Rainbow Chorus has grown in confidence and numbers from their early days in 1997 and now has a membership of 80. Their motto is Strength in Harmony and their ever improving performances over the year is testament to that!


Event: #RC18! The Rainbow Chorus 18th Birthday Concerts

Where: St George Church, St George’s Road, Kemp Town, Brighton BN2 1ED

When: Friday, July 17 and Saturday, July 18

Time: 7.30pm

Tickets: £12 (£10 conc) booking/service fees apply

To purchase tickets online, click here:

To find out more information about Rainbow Chorus, click here:

Facebook: www.facebook.com/pages/Rainbowchorus

Twitter: www.twitter.com/rainbowchorus 

 

Prowler and Marlon will get you ADDICTED

Prowler to launch new range of swimwear and underwear at their Brighton store.

Prowler Addicted Launch
Marlon and customers at Prowler

Marlon Kameka may not be a name you instantly recognise, but this talented actor, dancer, choreographer, director and model wowed the crowds at Prowler Soho during Pride in London in June.

Not to be outdone, Prowler Brighton have invited Marlon to appear in the store on Saturday, August 8, from 1pm-4pm, to help launch the arrival of ADDICTED swimwear and underwear.

Marlon will be modelling the latest styles of this hot brand and, if the London launch is anything to go by, he will turn more than a few heads in St James Street in the process. He’ll most definitely shake you out of any post-Brighton Pride blues!

Prowler


Event: Brighton launch of Addicted swimwear and underwear

Where: Prowler, 112-113 St James’s Street, Brighton, BN2 1TH

When: Saturday, August 8

Time: 1pm-4pm

Telephone: 01273 683 680

For more information about Prowler, click here: 

 

‘Autumn Grants Round’ for Rainbow Fund opens

The Autumn Grants Round for The Rainbow Fund is now open, and organisations are invited to submit their grant applications.

Rainbow FundThe Autumn Grants Round is the bigger of the Fund’s two annual grant rounds. Applications are invited from local LGBT and HIV organisations in Brighton and Hove who provide effective front line services to LGBT people in the city.

These groups or organisations should be able to demonstrate that they are Volunteer and LGBT led.

It is expected eligible groups and organisations will fall into two groupings, according to their size.

Locally there are somewhere between 20 and 30 organisations and groups providing services specifically to members of the LGBT communities and/or individuals affected by HIV. Most are small, and volunteer led, they have no paid workers in administrative roles, and most have no premises and offices. They rent or use donated space, and are often run from somebody’s front room.

There are also bigger organisations, which, because of the nature of the services and support they provide, are, and should be, run like small businesses, with a mixture of paid administrators, sometimes paid fund-raisers, and volunteers.

In Brighton & Hove these organisations include THT, The Sussex Beacon, LGBT Switchboard, LGBT HIP, Mind Out and Allsorts.

Chris Gull, Chair of Rainbow Fund
Chris Gull, Chair of Rainbow Fund

Chris Gull, Chair of the Rainbow Fund, said: “We actively encourage co-operation amongst the smaller groups who are eligible to be part of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Groups Network.

“To that end we feel it is important that any small groups applying for a grant take an active part in the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Groups Network, and along with the larger LGBT groups and organisations, send representatives to the Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum.  

“In future funding rounds we will require evidence that a representative of a group has attended all quarterly meetings of the network, and all quarterly meetings of the Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum. (Doesn’t have to be the same rep for each group each time!).

“For this (Autumn Funding Round) it would be unfair to impose this, but if we have to decide between two applications, of otherwise equal merit, we will prioritise the group that has attended more meetings.”

Small groups who regularly attend the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Groups Network will be able to apply, for grants of £2500 towards their ‘core funding’ costs.

All LGBT/HIV groups and organisations whether small or large can also apply for grants for projects of up to £5,000.

As in the Spring round, the Small Groups Network itself may apply for funding, up to £5000, to cover the cost of running the Network, and shared resources that will benefit several, or all of, the groups.

To make an online application, click here:

Closing date for applications is noon on Friday, September 4. Applications received after that time will not be considered.

For more information about the LGBT Community Groups Network, click here:

For more information about the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum, click here:

For more information about the Rainbow Fund, click here:

 

 

 

 

X