The Martlets Hospice appeals for volunteers to join their new Community Home Visiting Service, launching soon to help support isolated patients.
Judith Williams and Stuart Carter
Together two groups of volunteers will form a new service called the Community Home Visiting Service. Community volunteers will provide vital care to patients who are housebound, and struggling alone. Discharge buddies will support patients who are leaving the hospice inpatient unit, by helping them adjust to life at home on their own, and making sure that they feel safe.
Judith Williams, Discharge Coordinator at Martlets Hospice said: “When people leave the hospice they are often scared and feeling vulnerable, they’re leaving the InPatient Unit where they’ve had 24 hour care. This scheme will help to bridge the gap between the hospice and home. Our discharge buddies will help patients feel secure, they’ll see them through the door safely, unpack the suitcase and make sure there’s food in the fridge. Not only that, they’ll be around to help out for two to three weeks. Both these volunteer roles are really practical, offering hands on support – we’d love to hear from anyone who thinks this sounds like them!”
The Martlets has been successfully running a small-scale home visiting service since 2011 so the staff at the hospice know from experience what their patients need.
Volunteers visit once a week for a few hours, and will help with practical jobs like learning how to use a mobile phone, or sorting paperwork. Perhaps more importantly they also provide patients with time to talk about themselves; it’s a chance to forget about their illness for once.
If you’d like to find out more about becoming a part of the Community Home Visiting Service, contact Judith Williams or Stuart Carter on 01273 273400.
For more information about the Martlets, click here:
Everyone associates Bordeaux with just wine, and yes they do produce some 700 million bottles of red wine a year, which English wine snobs call claret. But what of the actual place, being quite fond of a glass or two we thought it may be worth a visit, it was.
Bordeaux: Place de la Bourse
Just an hour’s flight from Gatwick takes you to one of the loveliest cities in South West France, situated on the river Garonne.
We booked a BA Fly/Drive trip, surprisingly the same price as our usual orange aircraft but with the benefit of free luggage and free drinks, and booked into the Mercure Cite Mondial. This is a smart modern hotel in the Chartrons area, a very trendy location, almost on the river. The breakfast on their seventh floor restaurant was one of the best we have had in a long time and has a great view of the river and the city.
Bordeaux: Old Town
The old town is a UNESCO World Heritage site and much to our surprise the all the city is quite lovely. Just 20 years ago the whole place was rundown; the river was hidden by dingy warehouses, as it was once a major port. Today it has been totally regenerated with wide open boulevards, the honey coloured 19th century buildings have been cleaned and the riverside opened up.
One of the first areas to be renovated and pedestrianised and still the place to go on a Friday and Saturday evening, is the St Pierre district in the heart of Old Bordeaux. The star of the Bordeaux show is the river which winds round the city in a great arc. They have built a fabulous quay with cafes, restaurants and very trendy bars, it’s where the smart set eat, drink and stroll.
We had dinner in the excellent gay run La Cigale restaurant, run by two very friendly, good-looking guys, cosy and very reasonable. The new hi-tech tram system is very cheap and the best way to see the city. There are apparently 376 listed historic monuments; we saw a few, all the famous shops are there, lovely squares and parks and being there during the June heat wave certainly added to the overall experience.
Bordeaux: Le Quai des Marques
Bordeaux is still being developed, but today it is a well-groomed and good mannered French city which compares itself with Paris, that may be a step too far but it is certainly worth a visit.
From there we drove to Biarritz just two hours down one of the most boring roads in France, and there are plenty of them. The A63 is a long, straight, utterly featureless road but gets you where you’re going quite quickly.
Biarritz, is a 20 century town made fashionable in the 1930’s by frequent visits by the Duke and Duchess of Windsor is now a relatively quiet seaside resort on the Basque coast. They opened the first casino in 1901 and for some time the town became very popular with the beau monde, film stars and minor European royalty. Today it has a sense of faded gentility. It became known as the Queen of Seaside Resorts, today it’s more the Queen Mother.
To be honest it was a disappointment, yes it has several large lovely surfing beaches, some very grand buildings and hotels and lots of shops but not a lot else. There is however a lot of great restaurants in the buzzy, trendy Halles district. Being in the Basque country the food is based on the famous pintxos. Fantastic and great fun.
The receptionist at the very uninspiring Mercure President Hotel we stayed in was disarmingly honest and said we should go to Bayonne, a short drive away, so we did. Google Biarritz and you will get dozens of references to Bayonne and there’s a good reason.
Bayonne
Bayonne is a truly magnificent medieval city and well worth a visit. The narrow streets and squares of the perfectly preserved old town are mainly pedestrianised and great to wander around. The city is famous for cured ham, expensive but delicious we even brought some home. Bayonne is also known as the chocolate capital of France. It is also the capital of the Pays Basque, the signs are confusing as the Basque language is almost impossible to understand but most are also in French. In Basque welcome becomes ongietorri Baiona or in French Bienvenue à Bayonne, it does get a bit baffling.
Biarritz and Bayonne are just ten minutes and many centuries apart, and quite fascinating in their own ways.
Green Councillors to join thousands of revellers for the ‘Carnival of Diversity’ Pride Community Parade, celebrating 25 years of Pride in Brighton & Hove.
Cllr Alex Phillips: Deputy Convenor of Green Group
Green councillors, including Phélim Mac Cafferty, Alex Phillips, Louisa Greenbaum and Leo Littman will accompany the Green Party float which will be driven by their busman colleague Cllr Tom Druitt.
The parade will set off from its new starting point at the Peace Statue on Hove Lawns at 11am on Saturday, August 1, progressing along the seafront past the West Pier, turning left up West Street, right at the clock tower, left at the Old Steine and out on the London Road to Preston Park and the main event.
Cllr Alex Phillips, Deputy Convenor of the Green Group, said: “I’m proud to say that, alongside Pride’s achievements and those of many lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGBT) groups across Brighton & Hove, our City Council has become an award-winning and pro-active advocate of LGBT rights, promoting equality and understanding while tackling homophobic discrimination and bullying in our communities and in our schools. As Greens, we have fought for the law to change so that gay men are not discriminated against when giving blood; we have fought for equal gay marriage; we have worked in schools with organisations like Stonewall and Allsorts youth project so that children learn that some people are gay and that’s fine; and we have done ground-breaking work on the needs and discrimination faced by people who identify as trans through the council’s cross-party Trans Scrutiny Panel (link).”
“In spite of all this, there are no grounds for complacency, even in cities like Brighton and Hove there is LGBT hate crime and some people still live in fear just because of their sexuality or gender identity. We have led the way on LGBT rights both here and abroad and we will continue to do so.
“In the next 25 years our vision is for a city where people are treated as equals regardless of their sexuality or gender identity and no one is ever afraid to go out because they are in fear of their safety. There is still much more work to be done and as Greens we will continue to fight for it.”
In 2014 the former Green administration controversially attempted to remove the annual £25,000 Grant to Pride from the Councils main budget putting the future of the Pride Parade at risk. A Conservative amendment in 2014 reversed the decision and a Labour amendment in 2015 secured £20,000 to help fund the parade,
Cllr. Phillips added: “Pride at 25 has become a fun, energetic celebration of human rights, diverse relationships and resistance to intolerance and bigotry on a scale that would have been unimaginable in the early days. All the Green councillors wish Pride Happy Birthday and Congratulations at reaching 25 in such style!”
Rev Martin Williams, the Archdeacon of Brighton, will march on the Pride Community Parade, on Saturday, August 1, with members of the Brighton Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement.
The theme of this years parade is Carnival of Diversity. The Parade will start from the Peace Statue on Hove Lawns at 11am progressing along the seafront past the old West Pier, turning left up West Street, turning right at the clock then left at Old Steine and out on the London Road to Preston Park for the main event.
If you intend to march please email Nigel Nash, the chair of Brighton Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, to say you are coming and he will give you instructions where to meet on Hove Lawns.
On arrival Preston Park, St John’s Church, Knoyle Road, Preston, Brighton BN1 6RB will be holding ‘Open Church’ from 1-2pm for refreshments, an opportunity to picnic and use the churches facilities.
At 2pm there will be a service of welcome with guest speaker Rev Andrew Woodward.
For more information about the Lesbian and Gay Christian Movement, click here:
Katy Bourne the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner will join police officers on the Brighton Pride Community Parade this, Saturday, August 1.
The theme of this years parade is Carnival of Diversity. It will start from the Peace Statue on Hove Lawns at 11am progressing along the seafront past the old West Pier, turning left up West Street, turning right at the clock then left at Old Steine and out on the London Road to Preston Park for the main event.
Commenting on being part of the 2015 celebrations, Mrs Bourne said:“Brighton Pride is the biggest cultural event in the city’s calendar and showcases all that is great about the city and its vibrant LGBT community.
“This is my third year attending in my role as PCC and I’m really looking forward to joining Sussex Police officers on their march to Preston Park and meeting all those who help make this an important and fun day.
“As with previous years I will have a stand in Preston Park next to the Surrey and Sussex Police Diversity Team. This is part of my Talk Sussex programme, which is an opportunity for residents to have their say in local policing and crime priorities. We will be tweeting on the day using #TalkSussex. My Youth Commission will also be in Preston Park gathering views on LGBT hate crime and the police’s response to it.
“I look forward to visiting the volunteers of the LGBT Community Safety Forum at the Access Tent. They will be providing services for disabled visitors including older, deaf and blind attendees during the parade and at Preston Park. This facility has been supported with a grant from my Safer in Sussex Fund (SiSF). A previous grant from the SiSF supported their ‘Report It!’ project, which aims to make it easier for members of the LGBT community to report a crime and get the help and support they need.
A spectacular musical revue of the illustrious leading ladies of a bygone golden era.
Miss-Leading Ladies is a whirlpool of illusion, captivating chemistry and a delightful homage to those revered leading ladies of a bygone golden era.
Ria Jones and Ceri Dupree star in this stunning celebration of some of the greatest grande dames of stage and screen, adding their own unique family twist. From Ethel Merman to Doris Day, Marlene Dietrich to Danny La Rue, to name a few.
This gene pool of rip-roaring talent will lead you astray in their dazzling revue of these illustrious leading ladies. Between them these siblings lay claim to 60 years of showbiz. Featuring the richest array of costumes scarcely seen since the heyday of La Rue, and over 20 show stopping songs and vocals that have ripped the roof off the Royal Albert Hall on more than one occasion.
Singularly sensational, but together a tour de force, when they combine their talents into a unique theatrical experience. What other actress can lay claim to having played both Evita and Mrs Overall in her career, and what other actor can lay claim to have walked in the shoes of every legendary leading lady. A celebratory evening that will long remain in the memory of those quick enough to have secured tickets.
Event:Miss Leading Ladies, starring Ria Jones and Ceri Dupree: Musical Director Edward Court: Directed by Sarah-Louise Young
Where: St James Studio, 12 Palace Street, London SW1E 5JA
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