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Day: March 26, 2019

Mobile digital vending machine distributing HIV self-tests launches at B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival

Posted on by Besi

A world first for the B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival – Brighton & Hove become the first city in the world to have a mobile Digital Vending Machine distributing HIV self-tests.

THE machine will be launched by the Martin Fisher Foundation at the third annual B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival when it opens on Thursday, March 28 in the Phil Starr Pavilion on Victoria Gardens.

The touch-screen machine won the British Medical Journal (BMJ) Innovations Award in 2018 and has been distributing free HIV self-tests in Brighton since 2017, making HIV testing across the city easier than ever.

The Martin Fisher Foundation, as part of the Brighton & Hove Fast Track City Initiative, aims to move towards ZERO new HIV infections by 2025. In order to achieve this it is important that all people living with HIV know their status and are able to start early effective treatment. Treatment results in undetectable levels of HIV in the bloodstream and therefore the virus can’t be passed on.

The HIV self-tests available through the machine use a single drop of blood and are 99.7% accurate. Reactive test results always need confirming at a sexual health clinic; negative results are reassuring, but it’s important to understand that very recent HIV infection (within the last 3 months) may not be detected and people should re-test every 3 months if at ongoing risk of acquiring HIV.

Testing at home isn’t for everyone, and for those who would still like to go to the Sexual Health & Contraception (SHAC) clinic, they’d still love to see you.

To book an appointments on line, click here:

Everybody’s Talking About Jamie – Faye Tozer steps into role for a strictly limited season

Posted on by Besi

Steps star and Strictly Come Dancing finalist, Faye Tozer, will take on the role of Miss Hedge in the award-winning feel good musical sensation Everybody’s Talking About Jamie from Saturday May 6 2019 to Saturday, August 3 2019.

Faye Tozer: Photo Chris Davis
Faye Tozer: Photo Chris Davis

FAYE is a singer-songwriter, dancer and stage actress who is best known for being a member of the Brit Award winning pop band Steps. Steps have sold over 20 million records worldwide and performed sold out arena tours. Their most recent album, Tears on the Dancefloor, which saw the band reform to celebrate their 20th anniversary, went to #1 in the UK album charts in 2017.

Faye was most recently seen on television in the BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing, where she made it to the 2018 finals with her dance partner Giovanni Pernice.

Faye said; “I am extremely proud to be joining this ground-breaking, award winning production which is so fresh and current on the West End scene.

Nica Burns, Producer of Everybody’s Talking About Jamie added; “Faye is a terrific talent who will bring her own special qualities to the role. We are delighted that she is joining the company.”

Faye will join current cast members: Layton Williams (Jamie New), Alex Anstey (Laika Virgin), Luke Baker (Dean Paxton), Courtney Bowman (Fatimah), Marvyn Charles (Swing), Marlon G Day (Dad), Momar Diagne, Zahra Jones (Becca), James Gillan (Tray Sophisticay), Ryan Hughes (Mickey), Daniel Jacob (Sandra Bollock), Melissa Jacques, Emily Kenwright (Vicki), Sejal Keshwala (Ray), Luke Latchman (Sayid), Jordan Laviniere (Cy), Rebecca McKinnis (Margaret New), Harriet Payne (Bex), Rachel Price (Swing), Sabrina Sandhu (Pritti Pasha), Biancha Szynal (Swing), Adam Taylor (Swing) and Ziggy Tyler Taylor (Levi).

Event: Everybody’s Talking About Jamie

Where: Apollo Theatre, Shaftesbury Avenue, London

When: Currently running – Faye Tozer takes over on May 6 – August 3

Cost: Tickets from £20

To book tickets online, click here:

 

Transworkers Photo Exhibition takes pride of place at B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival

Posted on by Besi

Positive images of trans people, by trans people, for everyone!  An exhibition by photographer Stella Michaels.

STELLA Michaels’ Transworkers photo exhibition will take Pride of Place in the Starr Bar at The Phil Starr Pavilion during the B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival from March 28 – April 14.

The Transworkers project started in June 2016. It is a collection of photographs of “TQI” people at work, and includes people who are female to male, male to female, non binary or intersex. (Some may also be L, G, or B too.)

Transgender workers are not a new phenomenon, but past media coverage has focused primarily on the curiosity of their being transgender. It has seldom been about the individual’s personal value.

This exhibition has a different perspective: it seeks to show people who happen to fall under the broad umbrella term of ‘trans’ as being a vibrant and positive part of the workforce, with a wide range of skills, rather than being social curiosities.

Historically, the intensely negative pressures put upon the trans communities have made it very hard for them to live and especially to find work. Even now, many are rejected or marginalised in the workplace because of who they are. This often results in very low self-esteem for the individual, who may carry this self-image for life; poverty is the outcome, and this serves to feed the image. It’s a vicious circle.

Trans people lose from discrimination – but so does society as a whole.  We all lose what they can offer, and employers lose skilled, talented and capable individuals whose resilience has enabled them to overcome the many difficulties presented to them. They are a very valuable resource.

The subjects in these photographs are positive role models. They show what can be gained.
Photographer, Stella Michaels, said; “If the people in the photographs can find work, so can others like them. I’d like the photographs to start us all thinking towards that – trans people, employers, and the public at large.”

If you would like to be photographed for this project, please contact Stella via their web page: www.stellapix.com using the ‘contact me’ tab. There is no charge, and the project is not for profit.

The B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival celebrates LGBT+ History, lives and culture is organised by the volunteers of the Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum and takes place at the Phil Starr Pavilion – a multi functional, fully accessible, heated performance, conference and community space with a licensed bar located on Victoria Gardens, Brighton, BN1 1WN.

There will be a box office open on site at Victoria Gardens from noon on Tuesday, March 26 where you can purchase tickets or sign up to free training events during the festival.

Tickets for selected shows are also available from the Rainbow Hub, 93 St James Street, Brighton, BN2 1TP.

To book tickets online for the B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival, click here:

To volunteer or take part in the festival email Colin: admin@lgbt-help.com or pop into the Rainbow Hub at 93 St James’s Street, Brighton, BN2 1TP

The B RIGHT ON LGBT+ Community Festival runs from March 28 – April 14, 2019 on Victoria Gardens, Brighton, BN1 1WN

Actually Gay Men’s Chorus help raise £2,400 for Mayor’s charities

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Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, sing at the Royal Pavilion to raise money for the Mayor’s charities, Martlets, Rockinghorse, Off the Fence and The Grace Eyre Foundation.

CHRISTMAS is always a busy time for Actually Gay Men’s Chorus, and December 2018 was no exception!

Following the privilege of being asked to sing for the switch on of Brighton’s Christmas lights, Actually Gay Men’s Chorus were thrilled to receive a request from Councillor Dee Simpson, Mayor of Brighton & Hove, to perform exclusively at her Christmas Concert in the opulent splendour of The Music Room of The Royal Pavilion.

To a packed audience, Actually GMC performed an intimate preview of their Christmas concert, It’s Actually Christmas. The concert raised £2,400 for The Mayor’s Charities, which include Martlets Hospice Care, Rockinghorse Children’s Charity, Off the Fence and The Grace Eyre Foundation.

Musical Director, Samuel Cousins, said; “It was a true honour to have been invited to perform by the Mayor in support of her chosen charities and to sing in the beautiful music room in the Royal Pavilion was an absolute pleasure. Supporting the local community in Brighton and Hove is what we are all about, and this event truly was one of the highlights for us in 2018.”

Cllr Simson recently invited the boys to a reception at the Mayor’s parlour, to acknowledge Actually Gay Men’s Chorus’ work for charity and its contribution to the city of Brighton and Hove.

Actually Chairman, Alan Baser, said; “We are a community organisation that finds fulfilment in performing together and to be able to share that with others is a real pleasure. We’re very grateful to Dee for her support of our chorus and being invited to join her in the parlour was a real pleasure and an indication that the City of Brighton & Hove values its LGBT+ community.”

 

Local business leaders urged to join Martlets Imelda Glackin at the CEO Sleepout

Posted on by Besi

The CEO of Martlets is challenging Brighton & Hove’s business leaders to join her in sleeping outside without shelter to raise money for the Mayor’s charities on April 6, 2019.

Imelda Glackin, CEO Martlets
Imelda Glackin, CEO Martlets

IMELDA Glackin and the CEOs of three other local charities will sleep outside the British Airways i360 with just a sleeping bag, pillow and a cardboard sheet to protect them from the April weather.

The CEO Spring Sleep Out is a new fundraising event and it is hoped that many of the city’s business, community and government leaders will take part.

Imelda Glackin said; “Homelessness continues to be a big issue for our city and, as business leaders, we cannot simply walk on by.  We need to proactively enable change to happen and this sleepout is a very concrete way to show your support.

“Martlets is committed to providing hospice care to those in crisis, those without a voice, those who perhaps find themselves without a roof over their heads.  It’s thanks to the generosity of the people of Brighton & Hove that the most vulnerable in our society can gain the essential support they need as they face a terminal diagnosis.

“We are asking everyone who takes part in the Sleep Out to raise £1,000, which will be shared equally between the four Mayor’s charities.  It’s a unique opportunity for you to actively improve the lives of people who live in our community.”

The four charities that will benefit from this challenge are Martlets, Grace Eyre, Rockinghorse and Off the Fence.  It will be used to care for people living through a terminal illness, support those with learning disabilities, improve the lives of sick children and to care for young people, women in crisis and those facing homelessness.

To find out more and to sign-up, click here:

Volunteering at Brighton Bear Weekend

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Brighton Bear Weekend (BBW) held its first 2019 Volunteer Party at the Black Horse pub in Church Street on March 4.

VOLUNTEERS battled the elements to meet the BBW team and sign up to help at events over the Big Bear Weekend from June 13-16.

Putting on an all-weekend event is a huge task and there is always a need for more people to get involved and be part of the event crew!

There are lots of roles to fill – everything from fundraising, visitor management, helping at club nights to building the stage in Dorset Gardens.

Volunteering is huge fun, and also a great way to meet new people, make new friends and help our communities, so do get in touch and be at the heart of the Brighton Bear party.

The BBW team want to thank all those that showed up on the night, as well as Andy Tull and his team at the Black Horse for putting on such a great spread.

There is, of course, a serious side to everything the BBW team do – and that is to raise money for Brighton’s Rainbow Fund.

BBW are proud to support this wonderful grant-giving charity, which gives grants to local LGBT+/HIV organisations across Brighton & Hove who deliver effective front line services to LGBT+ people in the city.

If you’d like to find out more about volunteering, visit their website and send them a message! brightonbearweekend.com/contact

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