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Trans Pride make shortlist in National Diversity awards, LGBT Community Category

On the eve of Trans Pride 2016, National Diversity Awards announce Trans Pride make the short list in the LGBT Community Organisation category.

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Parade starts from Marlborough Pub at noon

The winners will be announced on September 16, when the best of British diversity will gather at the breathtakingly beautiful Anglican Cathedral in Liverpool, to celebrate the outstanding achievements of those who have demonstrated their devotion to enhancing equality, diversity and inclusion in today’s society at the National Diversity Awards.

For more information about the awards, click here:

Saturday, July 23: The Trans Pride park event this year moves to Brunswick Square in Hove. To join the march meet outside the Marlborough Pub in Princess Street at 11.30am with a banner and whistle. The March will leave the Marlborough at noon, turn right at the Brighton Pier and progress along the seafront to Brunswick Square where there will be live acts, speeches, stalls, and places to eat and socialise till 6pm.

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Later in the evening at 7.30pm, there will be a live gig at Westhill Hall featuring four live bands: Pentacorn, Tuffragettes, Slum of Legs and Daskinsey4 at 7.30pm, £5/£6. The Traumfrau party at Envy above Charles Street will start at 9pm. £5/£6.

Sunday July 24: Take in the community BBQ at the Marlborough Pub & Theatre from noon.

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Green Councillors on Brighton and Hove City Council, will be joining the march to show their support and solidarity for this year’s event and celebrate the gender diversity, history and identity of the city’s varied Trans communities.

Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty
Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty

Cllr Phélim Mac Cafferty, Convenor of the Green Group of Councillors who will be attending the march, said: “Our trans communities are a hugely valued part of our city and we are proud to stand together with them. Greens have been enthusiastic supporters of Trans Pride from the very start and we’re proud to march in solidarity with the trans community on this, the 4th Trans Pride.

 “I’m proud that in recent years Greens stood up with our city’s Trans community. When leading the council we moved on the 37 recommendations brought forward from the Scrutiny panel I chaired, set up to help our trans community. 

“Today, for example we have the country’s very first detailed plan to reduce the health inequalities facing the trans community, a trans toolkit for teachers and improved hate crime incident reporting.

“Despite the work of the council and others, huge issues still face the trans community: according to the Trans needs assessment, one in three had self-harmed in the last five years; 64% of trans people had experienced verbal abuse; trans people are vulnerable to homelessness.  There is no question that action has helped but the needs assessment shows above all that work on trans equality must continue and deepen.

“Greens remain fully committed to making that equality a reality and with the trans community we will push together to make it happen. This march is an excellent opportunity to remind everyone that there is still much to do to stand up for trans equality. Greens will continue to work hand in hand with the trans community for a fairer future.”

For up to date information about Trans Pride, click here:

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Brighton politicians unite against hate crime

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Stone pylons on the A23 route into the city: Photo from the Brighton History Centre archive.

Brighton & Hove councillors from all political parties unite to condemn racism, xenophobia, and hate crimes at a meeting of the full council last night (Thursday, July 21).

All three political groups represented on the council submitted a joint notice reassuring people living in Brighton & Hove that they are all valued members of the community.

The notice committed Brighton & Hove City Council to ensuring local services and programmes have the support and resources they need to fight and prevent racism. Councillors declared that they were proud to live in a diverse and tolerant society, and would not allow hate to become acceptable.

Cllr Warren Morgan
Cllr Warren Morgan

Cllr Warren Morgan, Leader of the City Council and the Labour & Co-operative group said: “Hate crime and bigotry has no place in Brighton & Hove, prejudice and intolerance is not part of who we are as a city and as a community.

“Whatever your shade of skin, whatever language you speak, whatever faith you follow, whatever your place of birth, you are welcome here, you have a right to live and work in safety and free from harm or abuse, you have a right to live your life free from bigotry and intimidation.

“We say today, we say together, we will defend those rights. I am proud as leader of this council to move this motion which says we are united against hate.”

Cllr Geoffrey Theobald
Cllr Geoffrey Theobald

Cllr Geoffrey Theobald, leader of the Conservative group, added: “For many years Brighton and Hove has had a positive reputation for being an open and inclusive city that welcomes all.

We will therefore not tolerate any behaviour that causes people to feel threatened, intimidated or excluded.”

Cllr Phelim Mac Cafferty
Cllr Phelim Mac Cafferty

Cllr Phelim Mac Cafferty, leader of the Green group, concluded: “As long-standing champions of equality, Greens wholeheartedly support the cross-party commitment made here today to condemn all forms of racism, xenophobia and hate crime. At a time when the country is historically divided, Brighton & Hove stands united against hate and prejudice. We are determined to ensure Brighton & Hove remains a welcoming and fair city where diversity can flourish.”

Brighton & Hove has a long history of being a welcoming and tolerant place. The stone pylons built in 1928 to welcome visitors, located on the A23 into Brighton, bear the inscription: “Hail guest, we ask not what thou art. If friend we greet thee hand and heart. If stranger no longer be. If foe our love shall conquer thee”.

Brighton & Hove residents can report hate crime incidents to the council’s community safety team on their website safeinthecity.info or by telephoning: 01272 292735.

In an emergency people should always contact the Police directly through 999 or 101.

Community radio station to move to Open Market

Brighton based not-for-profit radio station RadioReverb, are moving to a new location this summer within the rejuvenated Brighton Open Market on London Road.

RadioReverb board directors, Ellie Dobing, Tracey Allen and Ali Rezakhani
RadioReverb board directors, Ellie Dobing, Tracey Allen and Ali Rezakhani

The move will take place over the summer months and the radio station’s first official live broadcast from their new home will be on September 1, 2016.

 The directors of RadioReverb see this move as a huge opportunity for the radio station, making it more accessible for listeners and allowing the community aspect of RadioReverb to be more visible from this acclaimed location in the city.

The radio station is famed for being involved with a number of local events and RadioReverb hope that the new relationship with the Open Market will allow for more interaction within the community space with listeners, local businesses, community groups and cultural activities.

 Tracey Allen, Director of RadioReverb, said: “RadioReverb is all about the community and we feel that the Open Market is right at the heart of that vibrant and eclectic side of the city. We cannot wait to start broadcasting from our new space in the market and being more visible to our listeners, it’s a very exciting future for RadioReverb.”

Paul Tricker, Market Manager at the Brighton Open Market, added: The Open Market is proud to welcome RadioReverb to its historic site! In addition to the great stalls and units which we have we can now boast Brighton’s brightest radio station are coming along to join the party. The management team are pleased that RadioReverb have decided that we are the right place for them to broadcast to our great city. The Open Market and RadioReverb are a match made in heaven and we look forward to a long and happy partnership.”

RadioReverb is run entirely by a team of volunteers and OFCOM have recently extend the community radio licence held by RadioReverb Limited until 2022.

 RadioReverb is the 24 hour community run radio station for Brighton and Hove and all the shows that they produce are open for sponsorship from local businesses.

If you are a local enterprise who would like support RadioReverb, click here:

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Festival brings yoga to everyone this Saturday

This coming Saturday, July 23,  sees the return of Brighton Yoga Festival, the country’s only free charity yoga festival, now in its third year.

Photo: www.renesolari.com/
Photo: www.renesolari.com/

Brighton Yoga Festival 2016 will be held at the Brighton Dome Corn Exchange from 10am to 6pm featuring 41 yoga teachers and 42 yoga classes, including 34 classes suitable for beginners, classes for children as young as three, pregnancy yoga, yoga for older people and those with mobility concerns, and a wide range of associated interests from meditation and mindfulness to complementary therapies and nutrition.

As well as free yoga classes and workshops there will also be demonstrations, talks and therapies, all spread across nine zones within the Dome complex, plus a marketplace of 40 stalls and a cafe with catering by, among others, the Real Junk Food Project.

Outside, on New Road, there will be a day-long yogathon – a continuous relay of sun salutations which anyone can join. And a festival prize draw offers a two-week yoga holiday in India.

Internationally renowned teachers present will include Naomi Absalom, Michael James Wong (Boys of Yoga) and Emily-Clare Hill, Marc Aquaviva and Abigail Peck, Julie Martin and Melanie Cooper.

The event will be opened at 10am by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, councillor Pete West.

Brighton Yoga Festival 2016 is free – there is no charge for entry or for any of the classes, workshops, demonstrations or talks. Visitors can simply go along at any time or, for a fast-track entry and other benefits, register in advance.

To register in advance, click here:

The festival is open and accessible to everyone, regardless of age, fitness or any prior experience. Complete beginners are warmly welcomed.

Davy Jones
Davy Jones

Davy Jones, festival co-founder and chair of trustees, said: “Yoga offers wonderful physical and mental health benefits, and Brighton Yoga Festival provides an unrivalled opportunity to sample yoga in its many forms entirely for free. Our goal is to spread the benefits of yoga as widely as possible across the city and beyond, and we’re expecting to see thousands of people in the Brighton Dome complex on Saturday, from very welcome beginners trying yoga for the first time to seasoned yoga practitioners trying out a new approach.”

Brighton Yoga Festival is a volunteer-run registered charity which provides not only its annual festival day but also year-round outreach activity and grant giving. Any funds raised, whether through donations or sponsorship, go to support the charity’s aims.

The festival day is run by volunteers and all teachers, workshop leaders and speakers give their time voluntarily.

The free festival is made possible by the kind generosity of these volunteers.

Police van emblazoned with colours of Pride

Sussex Police will show their support for the LGBT community once again this year with a Brighton Pride themed van on the Pride Parade.

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Sussex Police play a large role in the policing of Pride which is one of the biggest events that takes place in Brighton and Hove each year.

Last year Chief Inspector Nev Kemp, the LGBT Champion at Sussex Police agreed to a police car being decorated with the Pride livery. He said: “We received wonderful publicity from the car for very little cost so this year we are demonstrating our support for Pride on our largest vehicle to send out the strong message that Sussex Police wholeheartedly reject the views of those who appear to be critical of our support of an LGBT event.”

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A spokesperson for Sussex Police, said: “We feel it is important to promote LGBT equality within our local communities and build upon our relationship with those who come from minority groups. By taking part in the parade we hope to show that we are a supportive and open-minded organisation who the people of Sussex can trust and have confidence in.”

The cost of decorating the van and two motorbikes which will appear on the Pride Parade on Saturday, August 6 was £420 (including VAT). The artwork was completed by the company who currently hold the livery contract for Sussex Police.

 

 

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