Brighton & Hove’s LGBT+ Switchboard’s Helpline will now be open from 7pm to 9:30pm on Wednesdays and Thursdays. There will also be a trans-only webchat available on Sundays, from 3pm to 5pm.
A spokesperson for Switchboard said:“Consolidating our hours means we can be there for the community when you need us. We’ve supported LGBTQ and questioning people in the South East since 1975.”
“We plan to extend our hours in 2020, when we’re celebrating 45 years of listening to the LGBTQ communities.
The helpline is confidential and run by LGBT+ volunteers. If you want to get in contact with Switchboard, you can:
From August 1 new charges will be introduced on BTN BikeShare to help with the cost of running the scheme and ensure its continued success.
IT is the first time since the bike hire scheme was launched in September 2017 that the cost of hiring a bike has been reviewed.
Introducing a revised tariff structure will bring it in line with similar national and South East schemes. The revised structure will include an unlock fee that overall will better reflect and support the type of trips being made.
For Pay As You Go customers, the main changes include:
♦ The introduction of a £1 fee to unlock the bike
♦ A charge of 3p per minute from the first minute
There will also be a change to the free daily period for those with annual memberships, from 60 minutes to 30 minutes. This will be for new applicants and will only affect current members when they renew their subscription.
Since launching in 2017, BTN BikeShare users have made 650,000 trips covering 1.25 million miles. It is popular with both residents and visitors and has 80,000 subscribers and growing daily.
The scheme recently expanded with an additional 120 bikes and more hubs installed in the west of the city and it is now an integral part of the city’s public transport system.
In the 2018 COMO UK independent survey of BikeShare users, 93% of respondents agreed that the bike share scheme has enhanced public transport.
Developing better cycling routes and encouraging the use of the bike share scheme are part of the council’s plan to encourage sustainable, active travel. The development of 38km of cycle lanes has led to a doubling of cycling to work in the city in the last 10 years and continued investment by the council in cycling infrastructure will see the development of a Local Cycling and Walking Infrastructure Plan over the next year.
Cllr Anne Pissaridou
Chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, Councillor Anne Pissaridou said:“The BTN Bikeshare scheme has been hugely successful since it was introduced in the city two years ago. Owing to its popularity with residents, the scheme has recently been expanded in the west of the city and in total there are now 570 bikes at 68 hubs.
“We want to ensure that the scheme can continue to be accessible and enjoyable for everyone. With the expansion of the scheme and its growing popularity, the new tariff rates will help us ensure its continued success and future development.
“This is the first time since the scheme was launched that we have increased the cost of hiring a bike and all revenue made by the council from the scheme is invested back into it.”
A new independent HIV Commission to end HIV transmissions in England by 2030 launches today with Government endorsement, chaired by Dame Inga Beale, former CEO of Lloyd’s of London, and includes experts from public health and academic communities.
A new independent commission to develop evidence-based recommendations to end HIV transmissions and HIV-attributed deaths in England within the next 10 year has been launched today.
The HIV Commission has been created by the HIV charities, Terrence Higgins Trust and NAT (National AIDS Trust). It will be chaired by Dame Inga Beale, the former CEO of Lloyd’s of London.
The year-long independent commission is backed by the UK Government and will host a series of community events, a public online consultation, and a national call for evidence from those directly impacted by HIV.
The HIV Commission will publish its recommendations next spring, which the Government has committed to review as part of its commitment to publish an action plan to meet its target to end new HIV transmissions by 2030.
Health and Social Care Secretary Matt Hancock MP set the goal last January for England to become one of the first countries in the world to reach the UN zero-infections target.
After receiving the HIV Commission’s recommendations the Government will convene an expert group to develop an action plan to end all new HIV transmissions.
Dame Inga will be supported by a team of high-profile commissioners passionate about preventing HIV. The commission will also be backed by an advisory group of HIV treatment and prevention experts from Public Health England, local government, and the clinical and voluntary sectors.
Commissioners appointed so far include:
♦ Dr. Rob Berkeley, Founder and Managing Editor at BlkOutUK.com
♦ Steve Brine MP, MP for Winchester and Chandler’s Ford and former Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Public Health and Primary Care
♦ Rev. Steve Chalke, British Baptist minister, Founder of the Oasis Charitable Trust, former United Nations’ Special Adviser on Human Trafficking and a social activist
♦ Joshua Graff, UK Country Manager & Vice President EMEA & LATAM at LinkedIn
♦ Dr. Richard Horton, Editor-In-Chief of The Lancet.
♦ Mercy Shibemba, HIV campaigner and winner of the inaugural Diana Award
♦ Prof. Peter Piot, Director of the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine. Founding Executive Director of UNAIDS and Under Secretary-General of the United Nations from 1995 until 2008
♦ Alison Saunders, Dispute Resolution Partner at Linklaters and former Director of Public Prosecutions and Head of the Crown Prosecution Service, and
♦ Wes Streeting MP, Member of Parliament for Ilford North.
Increased and frequent HIV testing, swift treatment for those diagnosed with HIV, continued high rates of condom use, and HIV prevention pill PrEP have contributed to a 28% drop in new HIV diagnoses in the UK from 6,095 in 2015 to 4,363 in 2017.
This creates an opportunity in which the end to new HIV transmissions is possible. Action is needed to ensure progress is made in all affected communities, and to tackle the significant discrimination and stigma faced by people living with HIV when accessing health care, in the workplace, and even their own families.
Seema Kennedy MP
Seema Kennedy MP, Minister for Public Health and Primary Care, said: “We are determined to eradicate HIV transmissions in England by 2030 and we must find new, innovative and progressive ways of doing so. I welcome this new commission which will speak to people who are living with HIV and learn about their personal experiences, an important part of finding new ways to end HIV for good.”
Dame Inga Beale
Dame Inga Beale, Chair of the HIV Commission, added: “We have a unique opportunity to end new HIV transmission in England. We will develop evidence-based recommendations to make this happen within a decade.
“The preventative tools we have are working to reduce HIV transmission in many parts of the country. The commission will look at what we need to do to build on this progress to stop HIV in its tracks for everyone.
“We will be working with experts from the science and public health communities, and drawing on the expertise and experience of people living with HIV, businesses, the voluntary sector and the public to develop a credible way to make England the first country in the world to achieve this ambition.
“This is a big challenge, but it’s one we can achieve if we harness the resources and capability that has made the UK a pioneer in HIV prevention, treatment and support for nearly 40 years.”
Ian Green
Ian Green, Chief Executive at Terrence Higgins Trust, said:“In the 1980s and early 1990s an HIV diagnosis was a death sentence, but now we’re aiming to end new HIV transmissions in England over the next 10 years. That’s incredible progress by anyone’s standards but we need a clear plan for achieving this ambitious target if we’re to make it a reality. That’s why we’ve worked hard to assemble an exceptional group of people to map out the journey we need to take.”
Deborah Gold
Deborah Gold, Chief Executive at NAT (National AIDS Trust), added:“It’s a testament to the phenomenal progress we’ve made in our fight against HIV that we’re able to conceive bringing an end to new transmissions in England within a generation. To get there we must find ways of tackling the appalling levels of stigma surrounding HIV, and significantly increase the reach of HIV-testing and other prevention activities.
“Our story of progress has been one of communities working together: people living with HIV, charities, Government, health services, doctors and nurses, business, faith leaders. An independent commission – bringing together leaders from across society – is the right way to launch the next, and hopefully last, phase in this fight.”
Brighton based artist and TV personality Dave Pop! has an exhibition of new work on show at Brush Gallery from July 26 to kick start the Pride season in Brighton.
‘WONDERFUL Darling’ is a celebration of camp, flamboyancy and all things trashy and no good.
Statues of Greek gods become comic book heroes in a mash up of Pop meets Classical art. Effeminate nudes, giant floral and even Kylie Minogue, all compete for attention in the bright, brash world of Dave Pop!
There is also a strong Brighton flavour, Dave’s home for the last 25 years, with influences from the decadent Brighton pavilion, end of the pier rides and saucy seaside postcards.
The art process always starts with drawing, this is fundamental to all of Dave’s work. Pencil sketches are then refined into ink drawings, then scanned, digitally manipulated, printed, and painted over, creating a combination of hand made brush strokes, splats, spots and perfectly smooth lines.
He recently had a Rocky Horror exhibition in the Theatre Royal, and painted a large mural on Brighton’s Palace Pier. This is his first exhibition since the sad demise of Choccywoccydoodah, where Dave was head chocolatier, making extraordinary chocolate sculptures for the rich and famous.
Dave says;“When I was younger, I definitely rejected the idea of camp and the old fashioned gay stereotypes, but as I become more ‘mature’, I have embraced my love of the outrageous, ostentatious and theatrical. In a world growing steadily more conservative and dour, we need rainbow unicorns more than ever!”
The exhibition opens with a Private View on Thursday, July 25 at 7pm. If you would like to attend email: hello@brushbrighton.co.uk
Event: ‘Wonderful Darling!’ A Solo Show by Dave Pop!
Leicester City announce official partnership with Stonewall to further strengthen the Football Club’s commitment to the LGBT communities in Leicestershire.
WORKING alongside Stonewall, the UK charity for lesbian, gay, bi and trans (LGBT) equality, the Club will help to tackle homophobia, biphobia and transphobia, while looking at ways to encourage and promote equality and inclusiveness.
The partnership will see the Leicester City work with Stonewall to encourage participation in the LGBT+ communities across all levels of football by creating an inclusive and welcoming environment, free from discrimination.
These goals extend to all on-field participation as well as support for those who work or aspire to work in an off-field role.
Helping to create a safe and inclusive matchday experience at King Power Stadium is a key part of that vision and continues to be an important platform for the Football Club to support the LGBT+ communities.
The Club have also signed up to be a Stonewall Diversity Champion, a programme which consists of more than 750 organisations who help to create workplaces that are welcoming to LGBT+ people.
Stonewall will be supporting the Club with its Equality Action Plan and Equality Champions Network as it strives to achieve the Equality Standard Advanced Award, while staff will receive bespoke training sessions to improve their understanding of the LGBT+ communities and the charity’s wider work.
Leicester City supported Stonewall’s Rainbow Laces campaign at last season’s home fixture against Watford, where rainbow armbands were worn for team captains, while a Rainbow Laces pitch flag, rainbow-coloured ball plinths and substitution boards were used to back the initiative.
The Club also support the Leicester Pride celebration each year and work closely with Foxes Pride, an LCFC supporter group for the LGBT+ communities.
Leicester City are committed to making football a game for everybody and do not tolerate homophobic or discriminatory language.
If you hear any such language at King Power Stadium during a match, contact a steward or report it by text message to 60066 (start your message with the word FOXES).
On non-matchdays, email: lcfchelp@lcfc.co.uk or call 0344 815 5000 (Option 4).
ASK For Clive is a new campaign that encourages entertainment establishments to show solidarity against discrimination, in the fight against homophobia and transphobia.
The initiative encourages people to Ask for Clive at the bar if they are feeling threatened or experiencing abuse – this coded phrase will then prompt staff to take appropriate action.
Venues are provided with a FREE rainbow window sticker to display which reads:
Everyone is welcome here.
This venue will not tolerate any form of discrimination. Should you see or encounter any form of abuse, please Ask for Clive at the bar and we will resolve the issue.
The campaign also provides detailed training material for staff – so that they know what the coded call-to-action means, how to offer support as needed and to handle the situation without compromising their own safety.
Venue managers also agree to a pledge which means they will ensure all staff are trained and will respond to requests for Clive accordingly.
Ask For Clive was piloted in St Albans and is now rolling out across the UK following its successful launch. The campaign featured on BBC Breakfast news in June and since then has received enquiries from over two hundred pubs and bars, restaurants and cafes, gyms and sports clubs, along with a host of other entertainment venues.
Danny Clare
Campaign founder and community activist, Danny Clare says:“We have big plans and media support is critical to get the message out there and drive as many venues to sign up. We have some very big UK household names keen to join us and also lots of interest from across Europe and the USA. This campaign is about taking a stand to eradicate unacceptable behaviour and build a visible support network for everyone in the wider community. Mash will be supporting us in rolling out Ask For Clive across the UK. Ultimately, we don’t want anyone to ask for Clive. We want our supporting venues to be inclusive and for everyone to feel safe.”
Paul Gustafson takes the tour round the State Rooms at Buckingham Palace, one of the capitols top ten tourist attractions.
TO mark the 200th anniversary of the birth of Queen Victoria, a special exhibition, Queen Victoria’s Palace, tells the story of how the young monarch turned an unloved royal residence into the centre of the social, cultural and official life of the country.
PART of the annual summer opening of the royal State Rooms, which this year runs from July 20 – September 29, the exhibition highlights items from the Royal Collection and creates a magical immersive experience in the Palace’s Ballroom to bring to life the story of how Victoria made Buckingham Palace what it remains today – the headquarters of the Monarchy, a centre for national celebrations and a family home.
Victoria was only 18 years old when she ascended to the throne on June 20, 1837, and we learn that just three weeks into her reign the young Queen determined to move into Buckingham Palace despite the building being incomplete and with many of the rooms undecorated and unfurnished.
The Palace had been empty for seven years following the death of Victoria’s uncle, George IV, who had commissioned the conversion of Buckingham House into a Palace to the designs of John Nash. But the King never moved in, and his successor, William IV, preferred to live at Clarence House during his short reign. When Victoria became Queen her ministers advised her to stay at Kensington Palace, her childhood home, until Buckingham Palace could be brought up to a suitable standard, but Victoria wanted to move immediately and begin her new life.
We learn that in 1846 Victoria eventually secured £20,000 from Parliament towards development costs, and, with the input of an additional £50,000 from the sale of Brighton Pavilion to Brighton Corporation, the architect Edward Blore was commissioned to draw up plans for alterations to make the Palace fit for purpose as a family home as well as a fitting venue to host high profile state functions and grand social gatherings.
Between 1847 and 1849 the East Wing was added at the front, enclosing what had previously been an open, horseshoe-shaped courtyard and introducing the famous central balcony. Shortly afterwards a new Ballroom was added to the State Rooms to the designs of the architect James Pennethorne, fulfilling Victoria’s wish for a space ‘capable of containing a larger number of those persons whom the Queen has to invite in the course of the season to balls, concerts etc. than any of the present apartments can hold.’
We learn that during their time together at Buckingham Palace, Queen Victoria and Prince Albert held three magnificent ‘themed’ costume balls, and for the duration of this exhibition visitors can enjoy an enchanting immersive experience in the Ballroom where a waltz is danced by a troupe of elegant, ghostly, projected courtiers using a Victorian illusion technique called Pepper’s Ghost. It’s charming and otherworldly but also gives a delightful sense of what it might have been like to have attended one of those famous events.
The special exhibition provides both a theme and a promotional hook for this year’s summer opening of the Palace, but the rest of the tour remains as spectacular as ever, taking in amongst other things jewels such as the stunningly elegant Blue Room, the White Drawing Room, the Throne Room, and of course the masterpieces of the Picture Gallery.
Dedicated garden tours are also available though your general admission ticket allows you to stroll through part of the gardens as you make your way to the exit.
A succinct but informative audio guide makes the whole experience accessible, manageable and ultimately a thoroughly enjoyable and rewarding visitor experience.
The State Rooms, Buckingham Palace, including special exhibition Queen Victoria’s Palace are open to the public from July 20 to September 29 2019.
For more information and to book tickets, click here:
Record numbers join the Trans Pride Brighton 2019 protest march along Brighton & Hove seafront to enjoy the Festival event in Brunswick Gardens, Hove.
OVERNIGHT the weather forecast did not look great, in fact it was dreadful and the city was drenched with torrential rainfall to the early hours. However, this morning (July 20) the rain stopped and eventually during the afternoon, the sun shone down on the record numbers of people attending Trans Pride Brighton, 2019.
Following speeches at the Marlborough Pub, the 7,000 people on the parade marched along the seafront to Brunswick Gardens in Hove for the park festival event
Brunswick Gardens filled up quickly with trans folk and their allies enjoying an afternoon of eclectic entertainment on the main stage and the chance to look around the forty plus market stalls featuring voluntary sector groups, unions and statutory organisations.
First up was the Rainbow Chorus, Brighton oldest and only LGBT+ choir. Other artists performing included: singer songwriter Madeline Morris; Colours & Fires an Indy folk rock acoustic band from Reading; Alt-folk duo Bee & Jackrabbit; Georgie Femme, an art-rock/indie-pop outfit from Brighton; Levi de Forgeron; Wild & The-Mollusc Dimension; The Spirits an alternative/anti-folk duo and headliners Powderpaint a synthpop duo from Brighton. Poets Mud Howard and Alice Denny performed their poetry and the afternoon was compered by Emma Subira.
The atmosphere in the gardens was amazing, so laid back, and the event was a credit to the Trans Pride Brighton 2019 organisers, who are all volunteers.
As we move towards Brighton Pride, Ashley Joiner’s 90 minute film Are You Proud? is a timely reminder of just how far LBGT+ communities have come in the last fifty years and how far there is still to go.
WITH no narrative or strong directorial view point it tells the story of progress to equality and justice with dozens of face to the camera eye witness testimonials from activists, well-known and less-so who have lived through the struggle.
Prominent figures like Lord Michael Cashman and Peter Tatchell give us their insights along with many others whose names we are not familiar with but who nonetheless have an important story to tell – a story which a generation under 30 may well be less than well-informed about.
The film takes us from a closet gay corporal in the British army of the 1940’s right up to today’s activists, who are fighting for their own rights – for trans people, for those persecuted around the world and for the plight of LGBT+ refugees and asylum seekers in 2019 Britain.
Its historical view is fascinating – even to those of us who lived through the period – and it’s important to pay tribute, as the film does, to those early pioneers in the Gay Liberation Front, and the many groups it spawned like Stonewall, Outrage, Act-Up, the Terrence Higgins Trust and Gay Switchboard to name but a few.
Leading us on a learning cycle through Homosexual Law reform, and the Sexual Offences Act, the infamous passing of Section 28, which outlawed the teaching of gay issues in schools, the film is never patronising nor lavender-tinted.
Some of its contributors have controversial points to make – particularly about the unacceptable faces of racism and intolerance that exist within some parts of the LGBT+ communities.
It’s important that we don’t get hung up on slogans and labels, but the film does show the focussing effect a phrase can have – “Gay is good; gay is proud” coined by the GLF being one good example.
I also like the gutsy determination of many of the less-famous interviewees – especially the one who calls out “Here, queer and fabulous”.
Though it highlights the many divisions that now manifest themselves within the various communities, it also points out that different groups have different issues and priorities and that there is surely room for all within the wider ‘family’.
As some contributors remark “freedom is never free; our journey continues. We are still a long way from home”.
It’s a film that should get a much wider audience. I would like to see it shown in every school in the country.
Are You Proud? will be screened at Duke’s at the Komedia Picturehouse, Brighton at 6.15pm on July 30 followed by a Q and A session with producer Dan Cleland.
Greens urge Brighton & Hove City Council to back student walk-outs for climate action Global action planned for September 20 to raise awareness of climate crisis.
Caroline Lucas MP for Brighton Pavilion supports demonstrating children
GREEN Councillors are calling for the Council to lead the way in supporting people to take part in a planned day of mass climate action,
Young people around the world have called for a climate protest on September 20 as part of an international Youth Strikes 4 Climate, movement.
Students at several schools, colleges and universities in Brighton and Hove along with other groups in the city have taken part in walk-outs from classes since the movement began, calling for world leaders to do more to address climate breakdown.
Now, young people are urging all members of the public to take part in a global day of action on 20th September.
Following the council’s declaration of a climate emergency, last year, Greens have proposed that Brighton and Hove City Council do more to support people choosing to take part in the climate action, asking the council to work with the city’s schools and employers to establish safe and supportive ways for people to participate.
Greens also want to see the council recognise the demands of young people seeking action on climate change, saying that they stand to be “disproportionately affected,” by escalating climate breakdown.
Cllr Hannah Clare
Councillor Hannah Clare, Deputy Convenor of the Green Group of councillors who is proposing the notice of motion said: “The voices of young people are hugely important in the fight against climate breakdown – and solving the climate and biodiversity crisis. As a young person in politics, I’ve been a strong supporter of the youth movement for climate action over recent months.
“With the public-wide action in September coinciding with another youth day of action, we want to ensure that people of all ages are empowered to take part in raising awareness of climate change. We’re calling for action from the Government, asking that they recognise the demands of young people such as lowering the voting age to 16 – and calling on our own Council to support those committed to calling for change.”
Cllr Martin Osborne
Councillor Martin Osborne, added: “The ‘Youth Strike 4 Climate’ movement has already shown us how raising awareness can keep climate change on the agenda of world leaders. Ahead of the general climate action planned for September 20, we want the council to support those residents who wish to take part. Council support would set an important example, and show we recognise the urgent concerns of people wishing to see action.
“Our proposals also ask the council to work with schools in establishing a standard protocol for young people leaving school, enabling those that choose to strike to do so in a safe way. Given our declaration of climate emergency, we must stand in solidarity with everyone affected by climate breakdown and the young people who stand to be disproportionately affected.”
A new independent HIV Commission to end HIV transmissions in England by 2030 launches today with Government endorsement, chaired by Dame Inga Beale, former CEO of Lloyd’s of London, and includes experts from public health and academic communities.
Brighton based artist and TV personality Dave Pop! has an exhibition of new work on show at Brush Gallery from July 26 to kick start the Pride season in Brighton.
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