Hundreds of Bears roared into Dorset Gardens in Kemp Town on Saturday, June 18 for the annual Bear’s Picnic at Brighton Bear Weekend.
Volunteers from Lunch Positive, the HIV lunch club prepared a delicious hot BBQ for the hungry bears, Gin and Bear It! served cocktails and drinks from the boot of their classic 1968 Morris Minor and Brighton Bear Weekend organisers manned the tombola stall, all to raise money for the Rainbow Fund, who give grants to LGBT/HIV organisations delivering effective front line services to LGBT people in Brighton and Hove.
Honorary bear and star of Britain’s Got Talent, Lorraine Bowen dropped by to taste one of the delicious cakes baked by the Lunch Positive team while players from the Brighton and Hove Sea Serpents Rugby Team resplendent in their tight rugby shorts gave an exhibition of their throwing skills and helped sell raffle tickets.
Organiser are still doing the sums of money raised for the Rainbow Fund and the final total will be announced shortly.
For more information about Brighton Bear Weekend, click here:
Community activist Christopher Martyn Cooke was remembered by friends, colleagues and local residents at a memorial service in St Mary Church, Kemptown on Sunday, June 19.
Chris a dedicated campaigner for all the communities of Kemp Town where he lived, died in February following a fire in the flat he shared at Essex Place.
Simon Burgess, the former Leader of Brighton & Hove City Council and James Ledward commissioning editor at Gscene Magazine both spoke about the range and scope of work that Chris had done in making St James Street a better and safer place to live. Father Andrew Woodward read a personal message from Mark Andrew Woolford a friend and flatmate of Chris for the last ten years and also delivered the main address.
Deputy Mayor of Brighton and Hove Councillor Mo Marsh, a friend of Chris for many years read the reading from Romans; community activist Steve Parry read a traditional Indian Prayer; Billie Lewis chair of the LGBT Community Safety Forum read the poem Love is this and friend and fellow community activist Muhammad Asaduzzaman read Loving each other, a passage from the Koran.
The superb Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus sang Rule the World, Everlasting Love and The Rose during which members of the congregation and choir placed rainbow carnations in vases at the front of the church. In particular, their spine tingling performance of One Moment in Time, brought tears to many eyes.
The congregation joined with the chorus in a rousing rendition of Parry’s Jerusalem followed by a fine performance of Widor’s Toccata from Symphony no. 5 from organist Andrew Beaizley.
A collection was taken at the end of the service for the Rainbow Fund where, before his untimely death, Chris chaired the community fundraising committee for a short while.
Brighton Bear Weekend gets off to a great start with a quiz at the Camelford Arms raising £320 for the Rainbow Fund.
The winning team ‘Sent to Coventry’
Two teams tied for first place and after a tie break Sent to Coventry the team from Gscene magazine were declared the winners on the night.
The main £300 cash star prize was not won but the Gscene captain Lady Alice Coventry chose the envelope with £25 in which was donated to the nights fundraising total.
A showcase of micro-commissions, promoting the trans community’s wealth of creative talent, presented by Pink Fringe and Trans Pride, supported by Arts Council England.
A £5 ticket will give you entry to all of the evening’s events, including two performances in the Marlborough Theatre, and a playful workshop in the Marlborough Pub between shows.
♦ BRAND NEW BOY – Elijah W Harris
I have one friend from Uni who would always accidentally touch my chest, as though I were a boy, as though I wasn’t a girl, as though I didn’t have boobs, as though I was binding my breasts.
Beneath the surface of my laughter were the first sparks of what would become a bonfire, a rapidly spreading forest fire, a burning world of molten rock.
BRAND NEW BOY sees Elijah W Harris processing the personal and social politics of transitioning and his recent surgery.
♦ INTERCHANGEABLE BODIES – Louisa Claughton
You’re invited to come and play for a while, to retrace our steps and try to work out how we got here. Is it as simple as pink and blue? And if it isn’t then where did that come from? This piece isn’t about finding the answers. It’s about exploring what we personally think the answers could be. Exploration with curiosity, openness and playfulness.
♦ HAYLEY AND ME – Kate O’Donnell
Hayley Cropper appeared in our living room three times a week. Although well-loved she was slightly over looked. Bringing Hayley back into the limelight, this cabaret explores Hayley’s Coronation Street storylines and how they relate to Kate’s own journey. Taking a nostalgic look back at this piece of trans history, expect a splash of music from the era, visuals, interaction and a very iconic anorak
London boroughs launch a new phase of their pioneering Do it London campaign to raise awareness of the importance of getting tested for HIV.
The new summer phase of this unique regional campaign focuses on informing people how quick and easy it is to get tested for HIV – as people can request self-sampling kits to use at home and receive the results by post.
During London Pride weekend (Saturday, June 25 and Sunday, June 26), prominent adverts will appear at Oxford Circus and Baker Street tube stations. Campaign advertising will also be displayed across the London transport network, on screens in GP surgeries and phone kiosks across the capital. Female changing rooms will also be used to deliver positive messages about getting tested for HIV.
Do it London also uses social media on mobiles, apps and websites, digital adverts and radio adverts, as these have been shown to be the most effective ways to reach people and encourage them to take action.
Recent evaluation of the Do It London campaign showed that 67 per cent of Londoners surveyed agreed that it had influenced their behaviour positively towards HIV testing.
Do It London is part of the £3.4 million London HIV Prevention Programme (LHPP), which is funded by the 32 London boroughs and the City of London.
The programme is managed by Lambeth Council and is a direct response to the fact that London continues to have the highest prevalence of HIV in England.
Cllr Teresa O’Neill OBE
Cllr Teresa O’Neill OBE, London Councils’ Executive member for health, said: “It’s been one year since Do It London first hit the streets of London and all boroughs remain determined to work together to reduce HIV infection rates in the capital and raise awareness of the importance of getting tested.
“Transmission rates remain relatively high and there are also a significant number of people living with undiagnosed HIV in the capital. We are keen to continue our efforts to promote the importance of regular HIV testing, particularly for people in at-risk groups.”
Paul Steinberg
Paul Steinberg, LHPP Programme Commissioner, added: “This new campaign builds on the tried and tested approach pioneered last summer, with a fresh new visual twist. The campaign is deliberately targeted at Londoners during social times and also, more privately, using digital media. It uses up-to-date consumer insight to make sure we reach those most at risk of HIV.”
Latest figures suggest 35,363 Londoners are living with diagnosed HIV and 2,516 of the 6,151 new HIV diagnoses in 2014 were in London.
Crucially, an average of 37 per cent of diagnoses are late, which has a direct effect on the health of the individual and onward transmission.
There’s not just one golf tournament at the Pride Diversity Games in July but two!
The Pride Shield and Rainbow Challenge tournaments will take place on Saturday, July 23 at the Hollingbury Golf Course at Ditchling Road in Brighton.
Located at the top of the South Downs with stunning views, Hollingbury Golf Course is a challenging course, but even if you haven’t played it before you’ll soon get into the swing of things.
Both tournaments are being played under the Stableford rules and are open to men and women who have a club or society handicap of 36 or lower.
The Pride Shield is open to all golfers with an official CONGU handicap and the Rainbow Challenge is open to all golfers with a society handicap. Both have a men’s and women’s section.
Speaking about the upcoming tournament Helen Woodcock-Downey from BLAGSS golf, said:“This golf tournament is a great time to get together with like-minded people.” It’s not all about playing golf though, Helen added that it’s important to “enjoy the sport with fairness and equality, respect and dignity” with the aim of “bringing together those with a common goal” and “making these values a reality for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people.”
Registration is open from 8.30am with tee times beginning at 9.30am. You can have some more tea time or perhaps a coffee or bacon and egg roll to get you ready for the day’s action. Other snacks and refreshments are also available from the nineteenth hole or club house. Male and female locker room facilities are available for use.
The tournament winners will receive their awards the following day, Sunday 24, at the FunDay being held at Preston Park.
If you’re going by car there’s plenty of parking. Those going by bus should get the 26, 46, 56 or 79 buses.
There’s room for 52 participants and placed will be allocated on a first-come-first-served basis.
The cost of the event is £35 per person, which includes those very welcome pre-tournament refreshments and course fees.
The closing date for registration is June 30, 2016 or when all spaces have been filled. Late entries may be considered but cannot be guaranteed.
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