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Month: July 2019

Taxi drivers receive safeguarding training from Council

Posted on by Gary Hart

Taxi drivers given free safeguarding training to prevent child sexual exploitation in the city.

BRIGHTON & Hove City Council has held eight free awareness raising sessions for the city’s licensed taxi drivers so they know how to spot the signs of Child Sexual Exploitation (CSE) & Child Criminal Exploitation (CCE) and how and where to report cases.

Most licensing authorities are now either in the process, or will be shortly, of introducing compulsory safeguarding training for licensed drivers which will be charged to the driver.

However, Brighton & Hove City Council have led the way by providing a limited period of training for free available to all licence holders. In total, 563 drivers attended voluntarily over two days.

Exploitation of children and vulnerable adults is a criminal offence and it can happen to any child, young person or vulnerable adult from any background. The process means victims often do not realise that they are being exploited and so it is vital that everyone takes responsibility for identifying people at risk. Reporting can help victims get support and be safeguarded and help bring the perpetrators to justice.

Cllr Jackie O’Quinn
Cllr Jackie O’Quinn

Chair of the council’s Licensing Committee, Councillor Jackie O’Quinn, said: “Taxi drivers are the eyes and ears of what is happening within our city. Exploitation can be hard to identify and therefore being aware of the signs and acting upon them early can prevent abuse happening or escalating. 

“This course aims to equip the city’s drivers with the necessary skills so they can spot the signs and act quickly to report them. We are pleased to be able to offer this training for free so that all of the city’s licensed taxi drivers have the opportunity to attend.”

The council worked with the local taxi trade and community organisation YMCA Downslink Group, on the content for the CSE training course.

REVIEW: Gigi’s Hoxton

Posted on by Besi

The launch of Gigi’s Hoxton was a triumphant night of live music and delicious cocktails.

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TAKING over from a similar space in the same location, Gigi’s is hoping to provide an all day-restaurant coupled with a late-night music venue.

During the launch evening, I was treated to tasters of food, drinks, DJ sets and a live band. From here on out, Gigi’s will feature both DJ sets and live music regularly in the evenings. If the future live acts and DJs that are booked are similar in quality to the ones featured at the launch evening, then this will be a venue to keep an eye on. Every song played and performed had people grooving in their seats or getting up and going for it, and all on a Wednesday.

While the entertainment on offer was first class, half of Gigi’s is planned out as a restaurant and it’s clearly a focus. The canapés on offer were absolutely delicious, and although it’s not a dedicated vegetarian restaurant, the veggie and vegan options were plentiful. It is based in Hoxton after all.

The drinks and cocktails are your typical fare at a London bar. Price-wise it is completely in line with the prices of Hoxton. That’s to say it’s not the cheapest night you could have out but it’s also not ridiculous. I also haven’t seen espresso martinis on tap anywhere but here (yet).

Other than that, the atmosphere is friendly and relaxed. However, Gigi’s Hoxton is not a dedicated LGBT+ focused venue so if you’re looking for a queer night out this might not be the venue for you. But, if you are looking for a chilled hybrid of restaurant and music venue, Gigi’s Hoxton will more than hit the mark.

Gigi’s can be found at 11 Hoxton Square, N1 6NU, 020 7613 1988 usually open 12pm till late. For reservations call: 020 7613 1988

‘Meet the police’ at the Rainbow Hub today at 2pm

Posted on by Besi

There is an open invitation to meet the local LGBT+ Sussex Police team at the Rainbow Hub, on Tuesday, July 2, along with volunteers from the Rainbow Hub and Brighton & Hove’s LGBT Community Safety Forum.

Sargent Karen Osborne, Trans Liaison Officer PC Lee Colgate, LGBT PSCO Liaison Officer Marlena Duleba and Chief Inspector Rachel Swinney will be present from Sussex Police along with Alex Hyatt from the Restorative Justice team.

The event, hosted by the LGBT Community Safety Forum is from 2pm-4pm, There will be an informal drop in, with nibbles, to network and meet the local LGBTQ policing team, discuss community concerns, report hate incidents and crime, and effective community responses to hate crime and how to contact Sussex Police if you have concerns about LGBTQ hate crime.

For more info contact email the LGBT Community Safety Forum at admin@lgbt-help.com

Everyone is welcome to attend.

Event: An invitation to meet the local LGBTQ Sussex Police team

Where: Rainbow Hub, 93 St James Street, Brighton

When: Tuesday July 2

Time: 2-4pm

REVIEW: Dragony Aunts on Comedy Central UK Youtube and Facebook channels

Posted on by James Cunningham-Curry

Have you ever had a problem and thought “if only I could get two drag queens to give me some semi-useful advice, I could sort this out immediately?”

WELL then, you’re in luck! Dragony Aunts is Comedy Central UK’s new online short centred around Candy Warhol and Crystal Rasmussen. Each episode is a bite-size portion of advice and comedy with new guests each week.

The episodes will only be available online through Comedy Central UK’s Youtube and Facebook channels and are a part of their new wave of short-form content.

With the advent of Rupaul’s Drag Race and the upcoming Drag Race UK, Comedy Central has chosen to capitalise on the current mainstream popularity of drag with this new show. The queens and hosts of the show, Candy and Crystal, offer their guests’ either genuine or nonsensical advice with whatever problems they may have.

On the preview episode I was treated to, the comedian/musician Jordan Gray asked to be made just 10% more fabulous. Of course, drag queens are terrible at math so Jordan ended up looking more like Big Bird than anything else.

The length of each episode keeps each segment moving at a brisk pace, which is perfect for both this format and the idea of the show. There is a good mixture of punchlines and advice throughout each episode, which keeps it from becoming too soppy while also providing a warm message of self-love. The queens clearly have the mission of loving yourself at the core of their advice, but it wouldn’t be a drag queen show without some cutting remarks here and there, and the balance of this is done just right.

However, Dragony Aunts isn’t all about advice for their guests. At the end of the episode I saw, Crystal performed an original song about (literally) loving what’s inside of you while Candy provided what can only be described as breathtaking choreography with a glittery streamer. For me, this was the funniest part of the episode. I don’t know if each episode will end in a song similar to this one, but the show would definitely benefit from a bite-size comedy number to cap each one off.

While drag seems to only be gaining in mainstream popularity as each year passes, it’s still a huge mark of success when drag queens get their own show.

Dragony Aunts is a fun, new format for a drag show and the short form nature of it keeps it entertaining and fresh. If you want a little giggle at the end of your work week, or maybe even a sliver of helpful advice, Dragony Aunts will premiere online on Comedy Central UK’s Youtube and Facebook channels every Friday, premiering July 5.

Win the American Dream at Bongo’s Bingo

Posted on by Besi

An array of prizes are on offer at the opening night of one of the UK’s largest, free LGBT+ festivals – including the chance to win a once-in-a-lifetime holiday.

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NORTHERN Pride Festival has teamed up with Manchester Airport – which sponsors the Los Angeles Main Stage – to offer an exclusive prize draw at its Bongo’s Bingo launch night on Friday, July 19 at Newcastle’s Town Moor.

One lucky winner will receive a £2,000 voucher to put towards a trip to LA, home to world-famous sights such as Universal Studios, the Hollywood Walk of Fame and the Griffith Observatory.

The prize is courtesy of Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays, who this year are joining Manchester Airport at Northern Pride.

Ste Dunn
Ste Dunn

Ste Dunn, chair of Northern Pride, said: “LA is such a diverse city and there is something for everyone there, no matter your interests.

“This is a fantastic prize and we are very grateful to Manchester Airport, Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays for their generosity in sponsoring the main stage for the third year running and donating such an amazing prize.

“Their support is helping us to plan an incredible festival for the whole LGBT+ community and our allies to enjoy and we couldn’t achieve this without the backing of our sponsors.”

The Northern Pride Festival takes place at Newcastle’s Town Moor and Exhibition Park from July 19 to 21, with a star-studded line-up performing over the weekend including Fleur East, Saara Aalto and Liberty X.

Last year’s prize winners, Malcolm and Elaine Carr, also travelled stateside and Malcolm said: “We couldn’t believe it when we found out we had won.

“We had a brilliant time seeing all of the sights in San Francisco and we would do it all over again if we could.

“It was an amazing prize and Manchester Airport helped us plan our dream holiday.”

Seb Thompson
Seb Thompson

Seb Thompson, press office manager at Manchester Airport, said: “It’s great to be supporting the Northern Pride Festival for another year and there are some amazing acts taking to the Manchester Airport Los Angeles stage over the weekend.

“We’re looking forward to returning to Northern Pride for our third year and bringing our friends from Virgin Atlantic and Virgin Holidays with us.

“Supporting Northern Pride is a great way to thank the half a million people from the North East who choose to fly from Manchester Airport.”

Tickets to enter the prize draw cost £3 or two for £5 and are only available to purchase at the Bongo’s Bingo event, where players will enjoy performances from MOBO award-winning group Big Brovaz and R&B group Booty Luv.

Tickets to the launch night start at £23 and are available from www.northern-pride.com/box-office.

For more information on Northern Pride Festival, click here:

Or search northernprideuk on Facebook, Twitter or Instagram.

ME – Study suggests malfunction of the autonomic nervous system

Posted on by Besi

A research team at Sussex University and Brighton Medical school have been conducting studies into ME or Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and Fibromyalgia that suggests the illnesses involve a malfunction of the autonomic nervous system known as dysautonomia.

OVER recent months volunteers from the Sussex ME Society and people affected by Fibromyalgia have been taken through procedures including heart rate and blood pressure measurement, tilt table testing, brain scans, and blood tests.

The ongoing study investigates, for the first time, how an induced inflammation significantly impacts on mood, pain, physical and mental fatigue, and autonomic function.

Dr Jessica Eccles
Dr Jessica Eccles

Lead researcher, Dr Jessica Eccles said: “We have some interesting initial findings linking baseline fatigue and pain scores to autonomic and inflammatory responses and hope that the work we are doing will increase biomedical understanding of these diseases and help personalised management strategies in the future.”

Researchers have recently presented their preliminary findings at the Annual European Congress of Rheumatology that was held in Madrid.

The medical team are now keen to recruit healthy volunteers to form a control group. The study involves three visits to Brighton and Falmer of about Five hours each.

Those interested should email the research team on PainandfatigueStudy@bsms.ac.uk or call Dr Kristy Themelis for further information on 01273 873121.

Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/ME that sometimes follows a viral infection or trauma affects over 4,000 people across Sussex many of whom are virtually housebound and in need of care including a number of LGBT+ folk.

For more information, click here:

Record numbers expected to join Brighton earliest morning run

Posted on by Besi

Over 500 people have signed up for this July’s Run 5.30 Brighton event, the early morning Italian event that gets busy people more active and fit.

ON Friday, July 19 the alarms of hundreds of people from Sussex will buzz earlier than usual to get them along to New Road for some early morning exercise whilst the city is still asleep.

Run 5.30 is a 5k event that starts from the city centre at 5.30 am on a business day, to promote the positive effects of daily physical activity and healthy eating. The unconventional format shows participants they can fit exercise into their busy lives by waking up just a bit earlier.

Last year, 450 people took part in the Run 5.30 Brighton event including newly elected Brighton & Hove Mayor Cllr Alex Phillips who waved the start at 5.30 am, before joining the participants along the route for a jog.

Sabrina Severi, Italian co-founder and nutritionist, describes the reasons behind the unconventional Run 5.30 project: “We are passionate about promoting a positive lifestyle which can be achieved with a little movement everyday and by paying attention to what we eat. Our message is celebrated every year when we organise early morning walks/runs with final breakfast made of seasonal fruits across Italy in spring and summer.”

“Since 2017, we brought Run 5.30 to Brighton – the only event outside of Italy – and the response from the local communities has been wonderful. Participants who share our values have become our ambassadors and thanks to word of mouth we have more than doubled the number of registrations from last year. It’s going to be the biggest and best Run 5.30 Brighton event ever!”

As well as promoting physical exercise the event pays particular attention to nutrition. Participants will enjoy a locally-sourced delicious and healthy breakfast made of cherries from Cooks Yard Farm (Northiam) and organic yogurt from Court Lodge Farm (Wartling).

At the end of the event, anyone who would like to spend more time with friends over a cup of tea or coffee will be able to do so inside MyHotel’s Merkaba bar and Small Batch Coffee, exclusively open and ready to welcome Run 5.30 participants with their medals from 6 am.

The organisers are also proud supporters of local charities in every city they host a Run 5.30 event. In Brighton, Run 5.30 will donate part of the entry fee to children’s charity Rockinghorse and the leftover fruits from the breakfast will be given to local food banks.

All the funds raised will be going to The Rockinghorse Activities Programme at Chalkhill Child and Adolescent Mental Health Unit in Haywards Heath.

Participants will enjoy an exclusive closed road, city centre course, starting from Cultural Quarter and then weaving through Brighton’s famous Lanes. The route then travels along the seafront upper promenade past numerous, famous Brighton landmarks and then back using the lower promenade past the Artists Quarter. The participants finish the 5km by turning New Road in the inland and crossing through the beautiful Royal Pavilion Gardens – a first for any running event!

To register for the event online, click here:

 

MPs to debate making online homophobia a specific criminal offence

Posted on by Besi

Today, Monday, July 1, MPs will debate a petition urging the Government make online homophobia a specific criminal offence.

Daniel Zeichner MP
Daniel Zeichner MP

Daniel Zeichner MP, a member of the Petitions Committee, will open the debate.

The petition, which has more than 152,000 signatures was started by TV personality Bobby Norris.

Bobby Norris
Bobby Norris

Bobby Norris said: “As a gay man I find it devastating how members of the LGBT+ communities are still subjected to homophobic abuse online.

“Just because I am on TV I don’t think that makes it acceptable to be sent homophobic messages and comments on social media platforms.

“Nobody should have to receive these comments.”

Mr Norris adds: “I won’t go into detail as to the various names I have been called, but this should not be acceptable and can have an impact on people’s mental health and has certainly helped in making my anxiety and low self-esteem worse by receiving them.”

In response to the petition, the Government said: “The Government recognises the harm that homophobic online messages can cause. We are working cross-Government to challenge inequality and make the UK’s online environment a safer place for everyone.”

Today debate will provide an opportunity for MPs to question a Government Minister directly on the topic.

In January, the Petitions Committee published its report into online abuse and the experience of disabled people. The inquiry found that the current laws around online abuse are not fit for purpose.

To read the report, click here

To watch the debate live online,  https://parliamentlive.tv/Commons

 

Exclusive Far Afield Pride Tee-shirt raises funds for Brighton Rainbow Fund

Posted on by Besi

Brighton based contemporary British Menswear business launches exclusive limited edition Pride Tee-shirt to raise funds for The Brighton Rainbow Fund and celebrate Pride in Brighton and Hove, 2019.

Far Afield have announced the in store arrival of the Far Afield Pride Tee-shirt released to commemorate 50 years of proud action following the Stonewall Riots in New Cork City.

Far Afield will donate 50% of the proceeds of each unit sold to the Brighton Rainbow Fund, who give grants to local LGBT+/HIV organisations that deliver effective front line services to LGBT+ people in the city.

To buy on line, click here:

Also available to purchase at Thread Menswear, 9 Dukes Lane, Brighton BN1 1BG

Sussex’s newest scare attraction ‘Jack the Ripper’ opens

Posted on by Besi

Sussex’s newest scare attraction Jack the Ripper Walk of Terror opens at Phileas Fogg’s World of Adventures in Hollingbury, Sussex.

THE authentic handmade set offers a blood-curdling experience which will weave people through the smoke-filled alleyways of Victorian London. In the narrow streets and dark rooms hide actors who are poised to get hands on, make the pulse race, and the adrenalin rocket.

This one-hour experience in Brighton is not for the faint-hearted as it will uncover fears and shake the soul with a terrifying onslaught of the senses.

Graham Owen, Director of Phileas Fogg, said: “Since we opened last year we have entertained many families and groups with our experiences. The addition of the Jack the Ripper encounter brings a totally new dimension.  Aimed at those 18 and over, the scare attraction appeals to those who wish to step back in time to the world of one of the most prolific serial killers who was never bought to justice. 

“We look forward to educating and petrifying adult thrill seekers from across the world.”

Jack the Ripper Walk of Terror attraction costs £12.50 and is not suitable if you or anyone in your party have any type of health concerns or issues. Do not attend the attraction if you are not physically fit or have pre-existing medical conditions, pregnant, poor vision, claustrophobic or suffer panic attacks and especially any type of heart or respiratory condition or if you or anyone in your party are prone to seizures.

During the experience you will experience intense audio, lighting and extreme low visibility, strobe lights, fog and damp or wet conditions, there are steps within the experience so running is not an option.

Jack the Ripper Terror Walk is graphically disgusting and extremely adult in nature.  This is a physical experience therefore you may be touched, grabbed or moved around by the immersive team.

To book online, click here:

 

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