Brighton & Hove Buses has announced that its fleet of red, cream and black buses will change into a bright, colourful new teal and aqua livery over the coming months and years. The change follows on from the Live & Breathe liveries and introduces new icons in a variety of colours to represent what the bus company calls the “diversity and vibrancy of the city of Brighton & Hove”.
Furthermore, the company’s logo will also be changing by adopting the new bus colours, and better representing the company with a slick A to B journey line worked into the design.
The first of the new buses, designed to better reflect the Brighton & Hove geography with the colours of the sky and the sea, are likely to arrive in autumn and will continue to be rolled out gradually over the next few years.
Ed Wills, Managing Director at Brighton & Hove Buses, said: “Our brand livery has not changed much since the 90s, but we, and our city, have changed hugely in that time. That’s why we’re transforming our brand to more accurately represent the spirit of who we are today and the unique, vibrant city that we serve.”
Brighton Dome opens its doors on Saturday, July 8 for Access Open Day: Creative Roots, a free all-day event for disabled and neurodivergent people interested in pursuing a career in the arts. Coinciding with Disability Pride Month, this programme of talks, workshops and performances will celebrate the work of disabled and neurodivergent creatives, alongside building tours of Brighton Dome, with staff on hand to provide an insight into potential career paths into the arts.
Brighton Dome in-house artist Erin Enfys will join award-winning performer and writer Tommy, known as The Queer Historian, for a discussion about their experiences of building a career as disabled artists including some of the challenges they have faced.
Erin Enfys
On Access Open Day: Creative Roots, Erin Enfys says: “I am a firm believer that the power of community cannot be overstated. I am thrilled to be involved with BDBF’s Access Open Day in my capacity as the in-house artist for Brighton Dome. I’m so proud to be involved with an organisation that continually puts the needs of disabled and neurodivergent creatives, audiences, and community members at the forefront of its practice. “Disabled and neurodivergent individuals possess multitudes of emotions and experiences that deserve to be amplified. I’m excited to be interviewing my good friend Tommy (The Queer Historian) where we will discuss our respective practices, share insights into our professional artistic careers as disabled people, and most of all, connect with our local community members.”
Blue Camel
In association with local learning disability-led arts organisation Carousel, visitors can take part in a DJ and mixing workshop with DJ Kez, a resident DJ at Carousel’s Blue Camel club night. Other performances include artists from Brighton-based Mango Mammals, a record label created by disabled artists for disabled artists that aims to break down boundaries in the mainstream music scene.
There will be performances from Carousel poets Charlie Hatton, a regular on the award-winning Carousel Radio show and podcast, who will share humorous and wildly imaginative stories and poems about killer fridges, angry sharks and time-travelling tractors; and Stuart Leaney takes inspiration from his family, friends, ambitions and challenges to write short and sweet poems about the joyful bits of life. Also performing is local poet Caz Smiling, who mixes music with spoken word poetry.
Elsewhere, visitors can take a career-centred tour of Brighton Dome, lifting the curtain on life backstage and all the technical aspects of putting on a show. Brighton Dome staff will also be available to answer questions and discuss a variety of career options within the arts.
Artie Carden
Throughout the day, visitors can also join Artie Carden and Riley-Fynn in the Foyer for a drop-in collage workshop and Team Domenica’s Pop-Up Café will be serving homemade sweet and savoury treats alongside hot and cold drinks, with discounts available for Compass Card Holders and Registered Carers. The event will be closed with a set from DJ Kez.
Access Open Day: Creative Roots runs from 11am – 4.30pm on Saturday, July 8 in Brighton Dome’s Foyer. Visitors are welcome to drop in at any time to enjoy the performances and crafts. Places for the talk, tours and DJ workshop can be booked on the day.For more information, CLICK HERE
Brighton & Hove Buses will continue to cap all single bus fares at £2 per single journey until October 31. The offer, funded through the Government’s ‘Help for Households’ programme, aims to help the public with continuing cost of living pressures.
This means that passengers can continue to make big savings from longer bus routes. For example, the Regency Route between Brighton and Tunbridge Wells, usually £6.80 (33 miles), and the five route between Hangleton and Brighton, usually £3.10 (4.3 miles), will be capped at £2.
According to the bus company, the initiative will help millions of passengers with travel costs for work, education, and essential journeys.
Nick Hill, Commercial Director at Brighton & Hove Buses, said: “With cost-of-living pressures still affecting local residents, we are happy to be able to continue offering our passengers capped fares for the rest of summer and into autumn. The scheme will enable passengers to go further than ever for £2, so everyone can enjoy a little more freedom when using our services.”
i-Rock Horsham District, a new support and advice hub for young people, will officially launch on Monday, July 3.
The hub will be a safe space for 14 to 25-year olds – where they can access support from a trusted professional, without the need for a referral. i-Rock will help young people identify issues that might be affecting their emotional wellbeing and mental health and then signpost them to the appropriate support; whether that is emotional or practical.
The hub will also provide a wide range of other services to help with issues including relationships, money and benefits, family problems, bullying, housing, education and employment. i-Rock is run by Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, alongside local authority and voluntary sector colleagues.
Elle Dyson, Service Lead for i-Rock, said: “We are very excited to be bringing this innovative new service to Horsham District. Through our core offer we will enable young people to access support, free from stigma, in a timely manner and without having to navigate complicated referral routes.”
Dr Jane Padmore, Chief Executive of Sussex Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, said: “I am delighted that i-Rock Horsham District is opening on July 3. It will offer young people a safe, secure and confidential place to talk to a trusted adult, get help, advice and support to improve their mental health and wellbeing.
“I am grateful to our voluntary sector and local authority colleagues for their partnership work in creating this important service.”
The services will be offered from Hurst Café, Hurst Road, which is run by local youth charity 4TheYouth, one of the partners of the i-Rock development.
A spokesperson said: “4theYouth are really pleased to welcome i-Rock to join us at Hurst Café. We are very excited about the service they will be offering to the young people of Horsham District and we look forward to working together.”
Dr Samir Khan, Clinical Director at Horsham Central Primary Care Network (PCN), another of the project partners, said: “We are extremely proud to be partnered with the team at i-Rock who demonstrate incredible drive and passion towards supporting their target population. We are privileged to be part of this journey towards creating an essential service in Horsham.”
Young people will not need a referral to access the service and they can expect an appointment of up to one hour with a trusted and experienced practitioner. They can drop in or make an appointment and choose to either access the service in person or online.
Alongside the i-Rock team other partners will be based at the hub including Change, Grow, Live, Social Prescribers from Horsham Central Primary Care Network and a work coach from Horsham Job Centre.
Search Facebook for i-Rock Horsham District or search for @irockHD on Instagram and TikTok.
ReportOUT, a global human rights organisation for sexual and gender minorities, is inviting LGBTQ+ people to apply for its annual UK Campaigns Training, conducted online and face-to-face
You can choose from either two online opportunities or two face-to-face. If successful, you will gain invaluable knowledge of the principles, theories, models, and tactics essential for becoming a skilled activist and effective campaigner.
Abbie Riley, Education and Campaigns officer, said: “Our aim is to equip you with the necessary skills and strategies to lead impactful campaigns. To express your interest and secure your spot, please visit our website HERE. We eagerly anticipate your response and the opportunity to work with you in this transformative campaigner training.”
The deadline to apply for the forthcoming training is July 20. If you have any questions, email: abbieriley@reportout.org.
More than 6,000 schools across the UK began celebrating LGBTQ+ inclusion on Monday, June 26, kicking off School Diversity Week 2023, which runs till June 30.
Just Like Us, the LGBTQ+ young people’s charity, provides free, ready-to-go resources so that teachers can make their lessons and celebrations LGBTQ+ inclusive in an educational and age appropriate way.
For the first time this year, there are also specific resources for faith schools, SEND school, and bilingual resources in Welsh and English, so that all schools have access to LGBTQ+ inclusion.
Resources range from LGBTQ+ inclusive history and geography lessons, to storytime activities with children’s authors to assemblies and school talks from Just Like Us, to fundraisers with Rainbow Ribbonsand even a Rainbow Friday dress-up day.
The free resources range from EYFS to KS5 as well as all key subject areas – including posters, lesson plans, assemblies, form time activities and video resources.
Just Like Us’ latest research report, Positive Futures, found that the vast majority of (74%) of LGBTQ+ young adults wish that LGBT+ inclusive education began in primary school or nursery.
It also shows that LGBTQ+ young people who grow up with unsupportive school and home environments are four times as likely to feel ashamed of being LGBTQ+ (41% vs 9%), and are half as likely to feel good about themselves (41% vs 89%).
School staff can sign up for School Diversity Week to access the free resources.
Laura Mackay
Laura Mackay, new Chief Executive of Just Like Us, said: “It is absolutely wonderful to see how many schools UK-wide are celebrating School Diversity Week and taking meaningful action to foster LGBTQ+ inclusion.
“We know that positive LGBT+ representation in schools is vital for LGBTQ+ young people to feel safe, valued and supported, and also that all pupils, whether they are LGBTQ+ or not, benefit from LGBTQ+ inclusion.
“I am proud that we are able to offer such a broad range of resources to help schools on their inclusion journey, and hope for a future when all young people know that being LGBTQ+ is nothing to be ashamed of.”
The Gay Classic Car Group (GCCG) hosted Eurotour 2023 – an annual event that takes places cyclically in Germany, Switzerland, Germany and Holland and of course the UK – in glorious Yorkshire. Over 200 people and 120 cars attended from the UK, Europe, USA and New Zealand for an epic weekend of driving, sightseeing, dancing, eating and drinking. The event was an opportunity to catch up with old friends, meet new friends, show off a latest car purchase, or just car tart and go for rides.
GCCG said: “We were blessed with good weather that made the stunning country drives even more memorable. Brodsworth Hall gave a touch of elegance and history, for the art lovers the vast grounds of the Yorkshire sculpture park gave time for reflection. The rally started at the historic Thwaites Mill in Leeds – one of the best last-remaining water-powered mills dating from 1823.”
All of the venues gave spectacular backdrops to the huge variety of cars. Imposing Rolls Royces, Bentleys, Bristols and a distinctive bright blue Alvis through to a very original 11k miles from new aqua Austin 1100, plenty of open top sports cars and some very rare cars too.
GCCG added: “We saw plenty of Lancias from Europe and one was celebrating its 90th year. One of our more recent members who loves Japanese K-cars brought along a very rare Daihatsu.”
The GCCG’s 1,000 LGBTQ+ members are as diverse as their cars. The GCCG hosts regular national and international meetings. Members receive a quarterly magazine and monthly email bulletins.
For more information or to join, CLICK HERE, or follow the GCCG on Twitter @GCCG, Instagram @gccguk, and GayClassicCarGroupUK on YouTube.
LGBTQ+ personalities including Drag Race’s Bimini, stylist Gok Wan, DJ and writer Nick Grimshaw and dancer Queen MoJo are joining with Transport for London (TfL) to celebrate Pride across the capital’s transport network.
The stars will be telling their stories as part of a poster campaign, alongside further LGBTQ+ community stories and vehicle wraps ahead of London’s Pride celebrations on Saturday, July 1.
The posters have been created to amplify voices within the community to inspire passengers to share their own stories under TfL’s #EveryStoryMatters theme. A diverse range of people are being featured on TfL’s posters this year including drag superstar, Bimini; stylist, Gok Wan MBE; dancer and fashionista, Queen MoJo; comedian, Dee Allum; drag queen, Asifa Lahore, as well as staff members.
Gok Wan
As well as showcasing TfL’s diverse workforce, staff members have expressed their Pride creativity through designs, poems and craftwork. In addition, TfL’s whiteboard posters in various stations are being adorned with quotes from LGBTQ+ books, such as Soft Lad by Nick Grimshaw which are available as e-books on TfL’s Book Club website.
Pride bus 63
Also on the network, a number of TfL services including a London bus, a London Overground train, an Elizabeth line train and an Underground engineering train have been wrapped in a unique and vibrant design. The design, shaped by the lived experience of the LGBTQ+ community, reflects the diversity of London and will be seen by people across London to as far as Essex and Reading. Customers using the route 63 bus between Honor Oak and King’s Cross can already see the design which has been on display since mid-June.
Seb Dance, Deputy Mayor for Transport, said: “As London’s Pride celebrations approach, I’m delighted that we are once again using the TfL network to celebrate our fantastic LGBTQ+ communities. From sharing the stories of Londoners to wrapping trains in this distinctive livery, we are joining together to show the world that in London we celebrate our diversity.”
Amy Lamé, London Night Czar, said: “Our LGBTQ+ communities make an enormous contribution to life in our capital and this year’s campaign across the transport network is a wonderful way to celebrate that. Across the globe too many people still face prejudice because of who they are, and we are seeing very troubling efforts to stifle hard won rights, so it is more important than ever that we stand together in solidarity and celebration.”
Queen MoJo
Patricia Obinna, TfL’s Director of Diversity & Inclusion, said: “This year’s Pride campaign on our network seeks to amplify the important voices and rich stories within the diverse LGBTQ+ community. Services across TfL are displaying a vibrant design in support of the LGBTQ+ community and this year’s corporate message of “Every Story Matters” has also been brought to life through our partnership with well-known LGBTQ+ personalities and with the unwavering support of our Colleague Network Group, OUTbound, who helped to shape this campaign.
“We are proud to continue to support Pride by sharing Pride messages across our network, and we hope people connect with the different stories as they travel on our network.”
Bimini, a drag artist who is part of the campaign, said: “It’s incredible and amazing to highlight people’s experiences of being part of the LGBTQ+ community cause it’s not always easy for everyone. If you’re younger and you see people speaking about what they’ve been through, it makes you feel seen and heard.”
UK retailer Argos, which is owned by Sainsbury’s, has added the gender-neutral title Mx to its online order forms, following years of pressure from Include Mx, a campaign which celebrates organisations that include the gender-neutral title Mx as a title on their forms, and encourages others to adopt Mx.
Include Mx was started by LGBTQ+ activist and journalist Tom Pashby (they/them) in late 2020. It was founded because Tom was forced to misgender themselves in order to buy household items from Argos, due to Argos’s online order form which required a title and didn’t offer one which is suitable for non-binary people.
In summer 2022, Include Mx started a petition on change.org asking Argos to add Mx, which attracted over 12,000 signatures. During the same summer, Include Mx coordinated an open letter, which was signed by Emma Best, Conservative London Assembly member, addressed to the board of Sainsbury’s asking them to use their power to get Argos to add Mx.
Tom Pashby
Tom Pashby, founder of Include Mx, said: “I am over the moon to see that Argos has added Mx to its forms, finally ending its exclusion of non-binary people.
“Non-binary activists have been asking Argos to add Mx since as early as 2011, and Include Mx has shone the spotlight on this injustice since 2020.
“It should not have taken all this campaigning to pressure Argos into doing the right thing. Brands need to respond much faster to changes in society and implement systems which are inclusive of all their staff and customers.”
Include Mx has been spending Pride Month highlighting major brands which have chose to incorporate the Pride colours into their logos and stating whether they include Mx on their forms.
Fresh on the heels of his top 10 dance single NO!, London-based singer-songwriter Rhian! released You Got This on June 30 – just in time for Pride in London. The track, a special remix by producer Joseph Copplestone (Lostchild), features Trans Voices who recently performed with Years and Years at this year’s Mighty Hoopla. They are the UK’s first trans choir and Rhian! was thrilled to work with them on this record.
You Got This is a catchy dance-pop track about believing in yourself and overcoming obstacles. Rhian! said: “I wrote this song for anyone going through the tribulations of life to know that there is hope and that everything that you need is already within you.”
Originally born in Trinidad, Rhian! started his journey singing in the church choir at the age of 4 and faced the challenges of concealing his sexuality in his early years. By his teens, made London his home obtaining a Bachelor’s Degree in Performance and Production from the London Centre of Contemporary Music before landing performances at a wide variety of venues in London and other parts of the UK dazzling audiences with his exuberant style and stage presence.
You Got This comes one year after the release of his debut single I Need Your Love which appeared on multiple iTunes charts around the world. Rhian! has since racked up over 100,000 Spotify streams with his three singles. He has been featured on numerous music blogs as well as BBC Introducing in London and was recently interviewed on BBC Radio Sussex and Surrey.
Rhian! has been keeping himself quite busy this year. He is a Mr Gay Great Britain finalist and will be donating the proceeds of You Got This to the Charlie and Carter Foundation and Northumberland Pride as part of his fundraising duties.
Follow Rhian! on his social media accounts to keep up with the latest releases and live performances.
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