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The Brighton Rainbow Fund Grant Presentation event

Tuesday, November 1 saw the return of the Brighton Rainbow Fund (BRF) Grant Presentations event for the first time in three years. Venues and fundraising events were also recognised with the Brighton Rainbow Fund Fundraising Champion Awards.

The evening was hosted by Lola Lasagne, back in Brighton from their new home in Manchester, especially to continue their tradition of fronting this event.

(All photographs by generous permission of Nick Ford Photography)

Lola Lasagne, and BSL interpreter Katie

The event took place at Ironworks StudioBrighton & Hove Pride provided wine for a reception, with food prepared by local HIV charity Lunch Positive.

First order of the night was the presentation of those 2022 Fundraising Champion Awards to Brighton & Hove Pride, which raised £220,000 for BRF to distribute this year; Brighton Bear Weekend, which raised £6,000 for BRF; Legends, which raised £3,000 over Pride Weekend (with thanks due to the performers who gave their time and talent for the Sunday Cabaret too); Revenge, which raised £3,000 over Pride Weekend; Rockwater, which raised £2,800; and The Bulldog, which raises funds for BRF most evenings of every week, with the 2022 total currently in excess of £4,000.

Erika, new boss at Legends

 

Paul Kemp – Brighton & Hove Pride

 

Sam and Peter – The Bulldog

 

Graham and the team from Rockwater

 

The Brighton Bear Weekend team

At the beginning of October this year, to mark the third anniversary of the death of James Ledward, who founded BRF back in 2010, the first of an Annual Online Raffle was held. The prize was a high quality framed print of a photograph taken by Nick Ford at a photoshoot with cast members of an Alternative Pantomime, all of whom signed the print.

The lucky winner was Kim Hobson, and two of those cast members presented her with the print, along with photographer Nick Ford.

L to R, Lola Lasagne, David Polikett, Kim Hobson. Nick Ford took the picture!

Proceedings then moved onto the presentation of the grants that were approved at this year’s Annual Main Funding round.

The Rainbow Chorus was awarded a grant of £1,800 for outreach and support for Sign Language Users. Presented by Jane Pritchard, a trustee of the Brighton Rainbow Fund

 

A further grant for the Rainbow Chorus: £7,000 for continuing support of the RC+ project.
Presented by Jane Pritchard, a trustee of the Brighton Rainbow Fund.

 

MenTalkHealth was awarded £7,000 to train volunteers to carry out training in LGBTQ+ groups and organisations. Presented by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Lizzie Dean

 

TransSober was awarded a grant of £8,000 for One to One outreach support.
Presented by Maria Baker, a trustee of the Brighton Rainbow Fund.

 

The Clare Project was presented with two grants this year. The first was £10,000 to support the Nourish Project; the second was £10,000 to kickstart a TNBI Voluntary Community Support Project. The presenter was Dermot Torney, diversity and inclusion manager at Sussex Police

 

Radical Rhizomes received a £10,700 grant for continuing support of the QTIPOC project.
Presented by Richard Butcher Tusset, a member of the independent grants panel.

 

Lunch Positive received two grant awards this year. The first – £9,360 – as kickstart for a new Tuesday ‘Warm House’ drop-in, in response to the cost of living crisis. The second grant is for £18,900 as continuing support for the Friday HIV Lunch Club. Presented by Carol Todd

 

MindOut received a grant of £15,000 for continuing support of the Counselling Project.
Presented by Zack LeCheminant (Lovinia Belle)

 

Trans Pride received £19,000 to recruit a Trans Centre Co-ordinator to increase capacity.
Presenters: Meg Brosnan and Billie Lewis, Centre Management Team at The Ledward Centre.

 

Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard received funding of £30,000, together with Stonewall Housing and the Outside Project, to pilot an LGBTQ+ Night Shelter for Brighton & Hove.
Presented by David Polikett (Davina Sparkle)

 

 

 

 

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