Poet and comedian, John Hegley, heads up a cabaret of musical and lyrical mischief in support of Bring Back British Rail, a campaign group seeking to bring the railways back into public ownership.
The benefit will take place at the Green Door Store in Brighton on Sunday, December 20 from 7.30pm.
John, a performance poet, comedian and musician well-known to audiences of BBC Radio 4 and Edinburgh Festival, will be joined by Blyth Power, a folk rock band who emerged from the early 80s punk scene and have gone on to release a dozen albums of powerful anthemic songs.
Opening the night are The Lovely Brothers, a Brighton-based cabaret punk band who blend the vaudeville music of The Tiger Lillies with satirical lyrics and ridiculous costumes.
Event: Bring Back British Rail Benefit Gig with John Hegley, Blyth Power & The Lovely Brothers
When: Sunday December 20 from 7.30pm
Where: The Green Door Store, Lower Goods Yard, Brighton Railway Station, Brighton BN1 4FQ
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven, took an HIV test this morning at Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) in Brighton as part of National HIV testing week.
Simon Kirby MP
Mr Kirby said:“I am delighted, as always, to support National HIV testing week and THT in their efforts to increase HIV testing in Brighton. There are still far too many people undiagnosed with the virus, meaning they are not able to access effective treatment to live as long as anyone else.
“Having been the Vice Chair of the HIV/AIDS All Party Parliamentary Group I have long taken an interest in HIV/AIDS related issues and the importance of raising awareness of these.”
Mr Kirby also took an HIV test earlier in the week in Parliament as part of the Halve It campaign.
The Bristol Pride Gala Ball which took place in the Marriott Royal Hotel at the end of October brought Bristol Businesses and members of the community together to celebrate LGBT Bristol.
atBristol: Most Friendly LGBT+ Visitor Attraction
The event, hosted by Bristol Pride, aimed to bring those businesses doing great work in the city for their LGBT+ staff, clients, visitors and the wider community and celebrate their successes through the first ever Bristol Pride Awards.
Both Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson and The Right Hon Lord Mayor of Bristol, Clare Campion-Smith attended the event and presented awards.
Businesses present on the night including Bristol based law firms Burges Salmon, Irwin Mitchell and DAC Beachcroft as well as the University of West of England, The Labour Party including 2016 mayoral candidate Marvin Rees, atBristol, SS Great Britain, representatives from the music industry and staff from the MOD and Environment Agency.
The night was a Halloween themed spectacle with jugglers, acrobatic performances and magicians ahead of a three 3 course dinner and masquerade after party.
The highlight of the night however were the Pride Awards which had been nominated by members of the public.
Best Employer: Watershed
Mayor of Bristol, George Ferguson praised the hard work being done in the city for the LGBT community whilst presenting the award for Best Employer which was won by The Watershed, whilst The Lord Mayor, Clare Campion-Smith presented the award for Most Friendly LGBT+ Visitor Attraction which was awarded to the science centre atBristol.
The University of the West of England at Bristol picked up a special recognition award for the overwhelming support they have given Bristol Pride over the past six years as well as achieving the highest ranking educational institute in the Stonewall Workplace Equality index in 2015 coming 11th in the Top100 overall.
Their support to Bristol Pride both financially and with awareness of their events and activities amongst staff, students and Bristol as a whole has meant a great deal to staff and to students and in some cases have been one of the reasons LGBT students have chosen to come to live and study in Bristol.
Pride volunteer John Paul Bradbury was recognised for his work with the team and awarded the Outstanding Volunteer Contribution award for his dedication and hard work. John signed up to work as this year’s Volunteer Parade Manager after only being in Bristol a few short weeks.
His hard work meant that Bristol Pride’s largest parade to date, with over 5000 people, was a great success and was safely managed and coordinated as people marched through the busy city streets.
Daryn Carter
Director Daryn Carter, said:“It was a fantastic night and with great support from big local businesses, members of the public and both the Mayor and Lord Mayor of the city attended the event. I am really pleased we have been able to recognise the great work being done in the city by businesses who are visibly showcasing their support to staff and commitment to the community, be that through great equalities training, staff networks or just supporting community events like Pride.
“It was heartwarming to read some of the reasons why organisations were nominated for awards and it’s clear the work they are doing clearly means a great deal to staff and the community. In the case of UWE this extends to students who for some have been one of the reasons they have chosen to come tolive and study in Bristol.”
On winning Best Law Firm Jonathan Peacock, Partner at Irwin Mitchell LLP said: “We are absolutely delighted to have received this award, with the prize being a great tribute to the fantastic range of work undertaken by many people within our office. As well as sponsoring the Pride annual event, our caseworkers have consistently acted with empathy and understanding of the issues faced in the LGBT community and are a major credit to the firm.
“The win is a great time to celebrate our commitment to this area and we are already thinking about the next steps we can take to improve our support even further.”
Full List of Awards and Winners
♦ Best Law Firm: Irwin Mitchell LLP
♦ Best LGBT+ Staff Network: The Co-operative
♦ Best LGBT+ Friendly Visitor Attraction: atBristol
♦ Best Employer: Watershed
♦ Best Act at Pride Day: NINA
♦ Outstanding Volunteer Contribution: John Paul Bradbury
♦ Best Stall at Pride Day: Labour
♦ Special Recognition: UWE Bristol
♦ Bristol Pride Achievement Award: The Environment Agency
For more information about Bristol Pride, click here:
Researchers have found secondary schools in Britain claiming to incorporate sexual diversity into their sex and relationship education (SRE) are in fact upholding heteronormativity.
Researchers at Birmingham City University and Sheffield Hallam University discovered that same-sex practices are being positioned outside of the classroom, potentially leaving young people without a comprehensive and inclusive sex and relationships education.
Interviews conducted with SRE teachers in eight secondary schools across Yorkshire, all claiming to be inclusive of young people’s sexual diversities, almost always constructed young people as heterosexual in their discussions.
“In terms of the promotion of homosexuality and lesbianism, we don’t really get into all that”, said one teacher, who has been teaching SRE for over eight years.
“If they openly want to discuss homosexuality, I don’t think the classroom is the best place to do it”, the research participant added. “It’s something that we say if you have concerns about, we have the drop-in clinic with the school nurse.”
Current legislation for SRE in UK schools advocates inclusive provision when delivered, but isn’t obligatory.
Keeley Abbott, lecturer in Social Psychology at Birmingham City University and research lead, said:“Our findings highlight a lack of understanding amongst teachers around what constitutes real inclusivity within the context of sex and relationship education.
“Lesbian, gay and bisexual students could be being left vulnerable here with a lack of any sex education provision that is relevant for them.
“We need the Government to step in and make SRE statutory with a policy, ensuring that teachers reflect on all aspects of their SRE practice and work to an inclusive curriculum that takes account of young people’s varying sexual identities, relationships and cultural backgrounds.”
Dr Sonja Ellis, lecturer in Psychology at Sheffield Hallam University, added:“Teachers also need to be aware of the various ways of imposing heteronormalizing practices through their use of terminology, and should be using words such as ‘partner’ instead of ‘boyfriend’ or ‘girlfriend’.
“Teachers currently have no restrictions when deciding both their approach to and delivery of SRE. We hope that our research encourages individuals at a policy level to see that they play a crucial role in establishing a clear curriculum framework from which teachers can gain clarity and confidence.”
Every year, the Greater London Authority (GLA) run an Annual London Survey to find out what Londoners think on everything from community safety to housing, health and transport.
Mayor of London: Boris Johnson
The results of Londoners views are directly presented to the Mayor of London and others in December to make sure future plans for the city meet their needs.
The information people provide help develop plans that are right for London and right for the people who live and work there and means the Mayor can respond quickly to public priorities.
For example, in last year survey housing and the cost of living were Londoners’ top concerns. As a result, City Hall redoubled their efforts to build the new, affordable homes London so badly needs.
The survey takes about 20 minutes to complete and there are 5 chances to win £100 just for taking part. It’s run through Talk London, a website set up by City Hall to listen to the views of citizens in the capital.
Brighton Women’s Centre (BWC) has been empowering women since 1974 and tonight (November 26) they need your support to raise funds to continue delivering their important work.
As part of Brighton’s 16 Days of Action for the Elimination of Violence against Women and Girls the Brighton Women’s Centre are staging a Variety Fundraiser to support the work of the Centre.
Artists appearing include comedian Sameena Zehra, poet Louisa Tomlinson and music from Mariella West.
The event takes place tonight, November 26 at St George’s Church, Kemptown starting at 7.30pm.
Event: A Variety Fundraiser to benefit Brighton Women’s Centre
Where: St George’s Church, St George’s Road, Kemptown
Enjoy the purest and most traditional Flamenco dance with Álvaro Guarnido accompanied by live guitar and flamenco singer at Bar Broadway in Brighton tomorrow night, November 26.
Álvaro Guarnido
The intimate performance lead by Álvaro Guarnido takes the audience on a powerful, emotional journey through a series of colourful Flamenco rhythms in a celebration of this passionate art.
Event: An evening of Flamenco Dance with Álvaro Guarnido
Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven was one of 17 legislators who took an HIV test today at a World AIDS Day event hosted by the Halve It campaign and the All-Party Parliamentary Group on HIV & AIDS.
Simon Kirby MP for Brighton & Kemptown takes HIV test at ‘Halve It’ event in Westminster
MPs and Peers took a confidential point-of-care test administered by clinicians from the Chelsea and Westminster Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, in demonstration of the UK’s policy commitment to HIV testing and in an act of solidarity with all those living with HIV across the world every day of the year.
This was the fourth HIV testing marathon run by the Halve It campaign. Earlier this year, a record 18 parliamentarians took an HIV test. During the event members of the Halve It Steering Group, including leading HIV clinicians and CEOs of patient and policy organisations, spoke with parliamentarians about the imperative for expanded HIV testing in a variety of settings.
After taking an HIV test, Simon said:“HIV is a significant public health issue both in Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven and across the country. I am proud to support the Halve It campaign and the critical work of its local and national members to drive awareness around HIV testing and reduce late diagnosed and undiagnosed HIV”.
National HIV Testing week started on Saturday, November 21.
First training session takes place in Queens Park for the Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents Rugby Club.
On Sunday, November 22, the first training session was held for the new inclusive Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents Rugby Club, set up primarily for gay, bisexual, and transgender men to learn and enjoy the sport of Rugby.
Over 25 men came to the session, some with either past experience of rugby, league or union, others with no experience at all.
Byron Todd who played rugby for 11 years for the Kings Cross Steelers RFC took the session.
The aim of the first session was to give new members a sense of being part of a team. The lighthearted warmup included some throwing practice to help people learn team-mates names as well as the usual jogging and stretching.
To watch a quick video clip of the guys in action here, click here:
This was followed by some passing practice, a game of Touch Rugby and finally the best of three Tugs of War. After two hours everyone went to the Setting Sun to chat through the day and get to know each other better.
The next two training sessions are at 12 noon on Sunday 6 and Sunday 13 December in Queens Park Brighton, and will be coached by Eden Hannam, who has successfully brought over 60 new players to rugby for the Kings Cross Steelers RFC.
Other social events planned for the near future include a trip to watch the Kings Cross Steelers play in the Essex League on Saturday, December 19, followed afterwards by their Christmas Party, and also to have a Club Christmas pub lunch.
If you’d like to find out more about what the Sea Serpents are up to or if your interested in taking part:
The top floor chapel at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church proved to be a perfect setting for Brighton’s annual Transgender Day of Remembrance Service, on Sunday, November 22.
The service was organised by Trans Alliance (TA), hosted by their co-chair Rory Smith and opened with a rousing rendition of the Rhythm of Life sung by the Rainbow Chorus, Brighton’s LGBT Community Choir, conducted by their musical director Aneesa Chaudhry.
Cllr Pete West, the deputy mayor of Brighton and Hove read apologies from the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, Cllr Lynda Hyde, who could not attend as she was representing the city at the Remembrance Service for the victims of the Shoreham Air Crash.
Cllr West said Brighton and Hove was seen nationally as a beacon of light for their treatment of trans people. He remembered the 271 transgender people who had died in the last twelve months and urged everyone to report all incidences of Hate Crime to the police.
Personal testimonies followed from Julia, Kate, Tyler, Charlie and Robin and Alex from the Allsorts Youth Project who spoke of the isolation suffered by many young trans people as many of the perpetrators of transphobia were often other young people.
Muriel from Croydon asked everyone not to forget trans people who were suffering from depression and Joanna Rowland-Stuart, the disabled representative on the Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum said that the death of Vicky Thompson the trans woman who committed suicide on Trans Remembrance Day after being sent to an all male prison amounted to “legal manslaughter”.
Former court recorder, Katie from Portsmouth said she had started transitioning just two years ago and had enjoyed a “fantastic journey to date”. Katie said that the community in Portsmouth had rallied round her and given her plenty of support and encouraged everyone to be positive.
Luke then read poems written by Andrea Waddell, a trans woman who was murdered in Brighton in 2009. It was an emotional moment.
The Rev Robin Selmes then invited everyone present to come forward and create a wall of remembrance to all the trans lives lost in the last year.
He said:“Don’t forget the people whose names you put on the wall. If no one speaks up, nothing changes. Things need to change. Speak up for the 271 who cannot speak up. As you put the card on the wall say “I won’t forget you”.
The Rainbow Chorus sang a selection of numbers from Les Miserables as the wall of remembrance was created.
In closing Rory Smith thanked everyone who had helped produce the event and invited everyone for a cup of tea and biscuits supplied by Lunch Positive, who provide a community and social space for people who are HIV positive and a healthy meal every Friday at Dorset Garden Methodist Church.
The service was attended by Caroline Lucas the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, Cllr Geoffrey Theobald, the Leader of the Conservative group on Brighton & Hove City Council, Cllr Phelim Mac Cafferty the Convener of the Green Group on Brighton and Hove City Council and Cllr Emma Daniel, the Labour Chair of the Neighbourhood, Communities & Equalities Committee on Brighton & Hove City Council.
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