Do you have a few hours free each week to help improve the health and well-being of someone who is isolated?
TERRY is eighty-one years old – Nick who visits Terry weekly, is a volunteer at Impetus, a Brighton & Hove charity which connects people together to reduce isolation and improve health and wellbeing.
Today Nick collected Terry’s prescription then took him to a cafe for tea and cake. They talked, laughed and shared confidences together.
Nick said:“Days spent in his flat alone can be long, boring and depressing for Terry. He has mobility issues and his vision is declining; he can’t watch TV or read.
“Providing companionship for someone who’s lonely, by volunteering with Impetus, was a way of doing something for the community. I did not expect to find a friend!”
“It’s a privilege to be able to bring some joy and happiness into Terry’s life.”
Terry says when he is with Nick he “forgets about his problems.”
If like Nick you can spare an hour a week to visit a neighbour, get in touch with the Neighbourhood Care Scheme at Impetus. No experience is necessary. Call 01273 775888 or email: ncs@bh-impetus.org
Brighton Bear’s returned to B’e’ar Broadway for another Bear-a-oke Christmas Party on December 8, hosted by the talented Jon B and Candi Rell.
THE fun-filled night saw young, old and even some bar staff take to the stage to belt out their favourite karaoke classics.
The total raised on the night was £330.94 which included a generous donation from Michael McGarrigle the joint owner of Bar Broadway.
The party continued late into the night next door at Subline at Jingle Bears where everyone tucked into mince pies and vodka jellies.
The total raised at Subline was £370 bringing the total raised by Brighton Bear Weekend for the Rainbow Fund to £701.94.
The Rainbow Fund give grants to local LGBT/HIV organisations who deliver effective front line services to LGBT+ people in the city.
Graham Munday
Graham Munday, Chair of Brighton Bear Weekend said:“It really feels like Christmas is starting when we have our Very Beary Christmas Weekend with Bear-Patrol. The Bear-a-oke had a really good atmosphere and the party continued into the wee hours in Subline. Thank you to all who came down to support us. It was good to meet so many people.
“I must thank Michael and all the staff at Bar Broadway, especially the singing ones, for all the hard work of keeping everyone’s glasses filled. Thanks to Steve Lee and the guys down at Subline who helped even Father Christmas to have a good night.
“I think it is great when the community works together. It achieves much more. With that in mind, thank you to Danny Dwyer, Bear-Patrol and the Camelford Arms for the Sunday part of the weekend which raised £808.24 bringing the total raised for The Rainbow Fund from ‘A Very Beary Christmas Weekend’ to £1,503.18.
Bear-a-oke Christmas Party at Bar Broadway
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The Rainbow Fund give grants to local LGBT/HIV groups who deliver effective front line services to LGBT+ people in Brighton and Hove.
In the most recent grants round in October, 2018, local groups received grants totalling £146,481 from the Fund.
These groups included: Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents, Rainbow Families, My Genderation, MenTalkHealth, Peer Action, Older and Out, Longhill School LGBTU group, Marlborough CIC QTIPOC project, Sussex Beacon, The Rainbow Chorus, Lunch Positive, MindOut, Clare Project, Switchboard, Allsort Youth Project, The Brighton and Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum.
December was an exceptionally busy month at Lunch Positive, the weekly lunch club for people who are HIV positive.
IT started with huge appreciation given by the members and volunteers following the empowering speech made in Parliament by Kemptown & Peacehaven MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle about being HIV-positive for the last ten years.
This was especially poignant to everyone at Lunch Positive as during the speech the MP referred to Lunch Positive founder Gary Pargeter being an inspiration for him to talk about being HIV-positive in public for the first time, and his reflections on the work of the charity.
The Mayor of Brighton & Hove Councillor Dee Simson lunched with members on Friday, November 30 to celebrate World AIDS Day on December 1.
The Mayor spoke of the need to combat HIV stigma, and reflected on the continued support many people living with the virus still need. She made a point of talking to everyone present which was much appreciated by all the sixty people present who regularly attend the lunch club each week.
Lunch Positive volunteers and members were involved in helping organise a variety of World AIDS Day activities and events. On World AIDS Day they hosted a community buffet lunch, all prepared by volunteers. Over 50 people attended, including existing friends supporters, and some new faces.
In the evening, Lunch Positive volunteers donated over 100 hours of their time to help stage the World AIDS Day Vigil and Reading of Names, followed by the annual World AIDS Day Charity Concert, which was raising funds for Lunch Positive. Local choirs performing included Brighton Gay Men’s Chorus, Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, Rainbow Chorus, Brighton and London Belles, Resound male voices, Rebelles female voices, Sweet Chilli Singers and Qukelele, the all women ukelele band.
The evening was hosted by Fox Fisher and Owl and a team of fourteen Lunch Positive and Rainbow Chorus members helped provide refreshments to everyone at the concert during the interval.
Lunch Positive also led on involvement in the production of an anti-stigma exhibition, presented at the Rainbow Hub in St James Street. Titled My Brighton, My HIV – Re-framing HIV Stigma the exhibition featured local people with HIV, empowered to be visible and challenging HIV-stigmatising views.
Gary Pargeter
Gary Pargeter, Lunch Positive Service Manager said:“We deeply appreciate everyone’s support of Lunch Positive throughout the year, and always so wonderfully expressed at World AIDS Day. The lunch club service at Lunch Positive is getting ever busier, involving, supporting, and empowering increasing numbers of people, and we are so grateful that this is recognised and valued.
“Small charities like ours, carrying out effective frontline work, make such a difference to the lives of people in our communities, and we are proudly peer-led by people with HIV in everything we do. There is no ‘typical’ person who comes to Lunch Positive, we are a diverse, accepting and inclusive community group.”
However, to demonstrate the impact Lunch Positive make to the lives of positive people, service user, Tommy said :“Before I came to Lunch Positive I was alone, I felt invisible, and I wouldn’t have seen anyone from one day to the next. It’s been a lifeline. I had at times felt like ending it all. Being here has helped me change that feeling. Thank you Lunch Positive.”
Lunch Positive volunteers at World AIDS Day fundraising concert
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