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RadioReverb to partner with Brighton Festival

RadioReverb, Brighton’s not for profit radio station will be this years’ Broadcast Media Partner for Brighton Festival 2017.

The radio station, which started broadcasting in 2004 for two weeks during the Brighton Festival, and was then awarded a full community broadcasting licence from OFCOM in 2007, is making it a ten-year celebration for the team of home – grown broadcasters who produce a vibrant mix of locally relevant, advert free, speech and music programmes.

With the addition of Kate Tempest as this years’ Guest Director, everyone at RadioReverb is very keen to work with the Festival on a daily digest of Festival performances for the month of May.

Emma Robertson, Head of Press & PR at Brighton Festival, said: “We are delighted to be partnering with RadioReverb this year. Our Guest Director Kate Tempest is passionate about the power of the arts to bring communities together so it is extremely fitting that we are working with a radio station that provides a platform for such a diverse spectrum of voices. With RadioReverb’s support, we hope that Brighton Festival 2017 will encourage the whole city to come together to celebrate the creativity in their communities and try something new.”

Director Tracey Allen, said: “As we celebrate our tenth year of having a broadcast license, it is very apt that we once again work with Brighton Festival, which was the catalyst for RadioReverb becoming an official station in the city. Having Kate Tempest curate the festival fits in perfectly with our values of community, diversity and using communication for social good and entertainment. We can’t wait for Brighton Festival to start.”

Listeners can hear the Brighton Festival hour-long shows each weekday from 5pm on RadioReverb at 97.2FM, on DAB and on-line at www.radioreverb.com from May 6.

The same show will be repeated 10pm each evening and at 8am the following morning.

Podcasts of all the show can also be found behind Listen Again button on RadioReverb’s website.

Have you considered fostering or adopting with Brighton and Hove City Council

To celebrate LGBT fostering and adoption week from March 6-12, we chat to Brighton residents, Chris and Kieran about their experiences as foster parents for over 20 years.

Chris and Kieran foster with Brighton and Hove City Council and have fostered 11 young people long-term as well as supported children in numerous short-term, emergency and respite placements. They went onto adopt one of their foster children who has since got married and had a baby. They have seen difficult children transform before their eyes and have had bucketful’s of tears and laughter over the years.

Wow, 22 years is a long time fostering! What made you want to foster in the first place?

KieranI was lucky to grow up in a house that was always busy and always supportive to friends and family going through difficult times. Fostering seemed like a natural fit for Chris and I.

ChrisWhen we lived in London, we both had good jobs, a big house and a great lifestyle. It got to the point where we felt we’d done everything we wanted to for ourselves and we both felt it was time to give something back. We were ready to be less selfish. I was a teacher and also had experience of working with difficult and troubled teenagers so fostering just seemed like a natural extension of this.

What was it like being assessed?

We initially fostered with Lambeth council. 22 years ago. We were one of the first gay couples to foster so it took a long time to get through the process, I imagine it is much more straightforward for gay couples now.

What qualities do you need to be a foster carer?

ChrisYou need to be tolerant, patient, have a sense of humour and be consistent in the boundaries you set for your foster children.

KieranYou need to be able to offer emotional and practical support which they’ve often never had before. Sometimes the simplest things like buying new clothes that fit them and having an evening meal every night together at the same time will provide such pleasure for the children.

What is the best thing about being a foster parent?

KieranSeeing the children develop and mature and then move onto independent living.

ChrisWhen you see them get jobs or go to college or university, it’s great to have been part of this development. Seeing them create bonds with the other children we foster. We have such a large  extended family now and are in touch with all of the children we’ve fostered. We love meal times when we get together and have the chance to catch up and enjoy each other’s company.

KieranAt our adopted son’s wedding, the best man was one of our other foster children as were two of the ushers. It’s wonderful to see how our foster children are so close, they may have nothing in common to begin with except us but then they share this bond and look out for each other.

What have you learnt about yourselves through fostering?

ChrisTo recognise our own limitations and to seek support if we need it.

What advice would you give to other couples thinking about fostering?

ChrisYou’re not going to be able to change things overnight. Be patient, stick with it, recognise you’re in it for the long haul and establish boundaries and expectations at the beginning.  The aim of fostering is to facilitate the children becoming independent and creating a stable and safe environment for them to flourish.

KieranYou get to understand why children behave a certain way, there’s always a reason behind it so don’t take things personally. Enjoy the experience moment to moment. Have fun and laugh lots.

How has your experience been with Brighton and Hove City Council?

ChrisWe’ve had a fantastic experience with Brighton and Hove City Council and have felt supported throughout. We’ve had some brilliant social workers and there has been a wide range of training available which has been great so we’d always recommend them to people considering fostering.

If you’re interested in fostering with Brighton and Hove City Council, Chris and Kieran will be running a drop in session at the end of March where you’ll be able to ask them questions.

Keep a look out on the Fostering Teams Facebook Page for dates.

There will be an information session on March 7 at Rottingdean Whiteway Centre at 7pm.

To find out more about fostering with Brighton and Hove County Council, click here:

Or telephone: 01273 295444

Brighton & Hove Community Fund proposal

A new Brighton & Hove Community Fund could be set up to help voluntary and community groups in the city.

Brighton & Hove City Council is considering moving money from a number of trust funds, set up over the years as result of legacies and endowments, into the proposed new fund.

If the idea gets the go ahead, grants from the fund will initially benefit children and young people in the city, and libraries – in line with the wishes of donors who made the original bequests. The aim is for the fund to also raise more money and attract new endowments to support other local community causes.

Councillors will consider the proposal at a meeting of the Neighbourhoods, Communities and Equalities Committee on March 13, before a final decision is made at the Policy, Growth and Resources Committee on March 23.

Cllr Emma Daniel

Councillor Emma Daniel, chair of the  Neighbourhoods, Communities and Equalities Committee, said: “Many of the trust funds the council administers date back for decades. We want to modernise the way grants are allocated, and create opportunities for any organisations, businesses or individuals who want to set up their own funds to benefit local community and voluntary groups, so that we can expand the support available.”

The proposal involves 11 trust funds, worth a total of £945,114, which are currently administered by the council’s grants team. The idea is that this money could move into a Brighton & Hove Community Fund, managed by the Sussex Community Foundation on behalf of the council.

For more information about Sussex Community Foundation, click here:

To read the Neighbourhoods, Communities and Equalities Committee report (agenda item 62), click here:

 

 

Brighton & Hove’s oldest cooperative artist studios seeks new premises

Red Herring Studios, one of Brighton & Hove’s longest-established and successful artist cooperatives, is seeking new premises after 18 years of productivity in its current location in Hove.

The buildings at Unit C, Westerman Complex, School Road, Hove, BN3 5HX – also home to Westows indoor play centre, Cliffords car parts shop and Written Word church – have been earmarked for redevelopment as houses.

Red Herring is the longest-residing tenant of the School Road site. Its current lease ends in June 2017, which could force all of its 23 artists to find a new home in the next few months. It is testimony to its professional members that Red Herring has been a reliable and responsible tenant for 32 years.

With property prices rising, and suitable industrial sites getting scarcer, it will be a challenge to find an affordable new home for this well-established and vital artistic community.

While this is an imminent concern for Red Herring, it also raises questions for the wider community of Brighton & Hove. Gentrification has made living and working in the city beyond reach for much of the creative community that defines its culture.

Chris McHugh, co-founder of Red Herring (in 1985) and still an active studio member, said: “How do we value art and creativity in our community? How can we expect artists to produce the work that is enjoyed in galleries, private homes, schools and public spaces without affordable studios in which to make it?”

The studios have a rich and successful history in the city. Although their current tenancy has been their longest, they have moved between six different venues over the years, including Phoenix Studios in Brighton. They have transformed each of their new homes – often large, vacant buildings – into hives of creative industry.

Current artists include painters, ceramicists, sculptors and illustrators, reflecting its commitment to a wide range of artistic practices.

artists have exhibited and delivered projects locally, nationally and internationally. Previous members set up Fabrica Gallery in central Brighton, and Turner Prize shortlisted artist Vong Phaophanit numbers amongst its alumni.

This thriving arts collective now seeks another large, sustainable space that can accommodate a diverse range of artists and makers, within commuting distance of Brighton & Hove. Current premises stand at nearly 8,000 square feet (740 square metres), but any suitable buildings – larger or smaller – will be considered.

For more information about the studios, or to recommend a new venue, click here:

Brighton Dome to celebrate National Disabled Access Day

Brighton Dome will celebrate National Disabled Access Day with free tours and information about the city’s iconic Grade I-listed heritage venues.

On Saturday, March 11, 10am – 3pm, in the café-bar at the Dome, the  Access Information Hub will be open with details of the facilities on offer at Brighton Dome. The Visitor Services team will be on hand to answer questions, and there will be the opportunity to look at the layout of the Concert Hall.

Information will be available on the Dome’s programme of assisted performances and events, including British Sign Language – interpretation; captioned performances; audio description; touch tours; and relaxed performances.

Other local organisations, including Carousel and Possability People, will have information stands.

The Dome’s Access Information Hub will also be open on Friday 10 March, 2pm – 4pm in the East Corridor.

Free backstage tours focusing on the venue’s rich heritage will be available throughout the weekend, and include integrated touch tours (Saturday) and BSL interpretation (Sunday).

Saturday, March 11
10am -11.15am (includes touch tour)
11.45am – 1pm (includes touch tour)

Sunday, March 12
10.30am – 11.45am (BSL-interpreted)
12.15pm – 1.30pm (BSL-interpreted)

Places on the tours are very limited so advance booking is essential.

To reserve your place, email: tickets@brightondome.org 

Or contact the Ticket Office on 01273 709709.

If you have a specific access enquiry, you can call our Visitor Services team on 01273 261525 / 541 or email: access@brightondome.org

New social network group launches in Brighton and Hove

Helpfulpeeps bring their mission of reviving community spirit to Brighton and Hove.

Simon Hills and Saf Nazeer
Simon Hills and Saf Nazeer

Helpfulpeeps is a new social network born from a collective belief that life is better when we help each other, and now it’s coming to Brighton.

Founded by Simon Hills and Saf Nazeer, Helpfulpeeps is on a mission to bring back community spirit in an increasingly disconnected world.

Since launching in Bristol last year, they have grown Helpfulpeeps into an online community of more than 20,000 members sharing their time, energy, skills and knowledge to help each other for free.

They have a simple ethos: ask for help when you want and help others when you can. All help on the site is given for free – no transaction or exchange; just good old-fashioned community help.

The website tells you who needs help with what and where, and puts you in touch directly.

Whether it’s cat sitting or learning a new language, moving a sofa or lending a hand at a charity event, simply post your request and ask for help.

Members can then respond by commenting or via private message to work out the details between you.

It’s a great way to get involved in your community, restore your faith in humanity and make new friends.

So if you need help with something or would like to do a good turn and help someone out, it’s easy to become a member.

Click here: to sign up and become a member. It’s totally free, and always will be.

 

 

Village MCC celebrates Women’s History Month

The Village Metropolitan Community Church (MCC) will celebrate Women’s History Month during March with a different woman speaking from the pulpit each Sunday, for the next five weeks.

Sophie Cook
Sophie Cook

Kickstarting the series of talks is Sophie Cook, presenter and head of Latest LGBT+TV. Sophie is also the photographer for English rock band, The Libertines and premiership football team AFC Bournemouth.

Sophie has been receiving some rather unwelcome attention recently from Christian Voice, a nasty collection of Christians headed by a rather misguided man obsessed with all things LGBT+ called Stephen Green.

Sophie, who is also a motivational speaker will be talking at 6pm on Sunday, March 5.

Other speakers during the month will include:

♦ The author of One Spirit, Interfaith minister and teacher, Rev Felice Rhiannon (Sunday 12);

Rev Heather Leake Date (Sunday 19)
Rev Heather Leake Date (Sunday 19)

♦ Methodist Presbyter, HIV Chaplain, pharmacist and trustee of Lunch Positive and The Martin Fisher Foundation, Rev Heather Leake Date (Sunday 19);

♦ Lay Minister, Safeguarding officer with the Village MCC Senior leadership team and Emergency Responder Sarah Barber (Sunday 26); and

All events will take place at the Somerset Day Centre, 62 St James’s St, BN2 1PJ Brighton starting at 6pm on each Sunday.

For more information about Village MCC, click here:

 

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