Day: January 9, 2013

Twenty Three friends and supporters will be running with Team Bear Patrol in the Brighton Half Marathon on February 17. Bear-Patrol are also hosting the Water Station at Mile 8.9 (King Alfred Sports Centre) where 20 of their members will be handing out water to the thirsty runners.

Runners from left to right include:

Danny Dwyer, Adam Betteridge, Jonathan Terry, Ian Chaplin, Mark Flood, Shaun Roe, Paul Brown, Robert Taylor, Jason Bramwell, Nicolas Collins, Susan Luxford, Colin Bentley, Gavin Owen, Martin Still, Margot Uden, Robert Sz, Antonio DaVinci, Lawrence Simpson, PJ Hopper, Ant Pay, Deborah Wolf, David Wilkes and Fiona Coad-Window.

To donate VIEW:

For more information about the Sussex Beacon Half Marathon VIEW:

For more information about Bear Patrol VIEW:

Brighton & Hove Council  is exploring ways to make paying for parking in the city quicker and easier, and this could include payment by phone calls or text.

Schemes allowing drivers to pay for parking with their phones are already used by other councils including London boroughs, Manchester and Birmingham, and at many hospital car parks and stations, including Brighton station.

The system works by drivers registering their vehicle and card payment details with the service provider. Once registered, these can be managed securely online with a password and login.

When parking, the driver sends the location code displayed on signage, and the length of time they wish to stay. This can be done by text, through an automated phone call or smart phone application. The service provider then sets up the parking session.

On top of the parking charge, the customer who chooses to use this system will pay between 15p and 20p to cover the cost of providing the service. Other services such as reminder texts sent ten minutes before their parking session expires will also be available for a small fee.

Drivers using the scheme will also be able to extend their parking time remotely if for example they are in a meeting or shopping without having to return to their car.

Civil Enforcement officers will be able to check if motorists have paid for parking by logging into the service provider’s system on their handheld device and entering the location code. They will receive a list of the vehicle registrations that have paid to park there.

Evidence from the council’s Citywide parking review show that motorists are clearly in favour of introducing parking payments by phone, 45% saying they would probably use this system. Overall 78% said they wanted to used credit and debit cards for parking.

Councillor Ian Davey, Chair of the Transport Committee, said:

“Paying by phone can be simple and quick and the system is already established in many parts of the country.
 
“Following requests from residents, visitors and local traders we hope to be able to roll this out in the city by early Summer.”
 

At a meeting on January 15, Brighton & Hove City Council’s Environment and Sustainability Committee will decide whether to take steps to join the four year scheme being set up by the London Borough of Lambeth and also including the City of Westminster, Transport for London and City of London Corporation.

He concluded:

“Joining the scheme and working with other local authorities will bring added benefits and help keep costs down.”

Everyone is invited to join the Martlets Hospice on Sunday March 24 for a unique remembrance event.

The Walk to Remember is a family friendly sponsored walk along Hove seafront. The idea is that the whole family, from children to grandparents, can walk together to remember a loved one whilst helping to raise money for the Hospice’s vital services.

The walk starts at Hove Lawn Café at 2.30pm and entrants can choose whether to do the 3, 5 or 12 mile course depending on how energetic they are feeling and who is walking. Unlike many other events the terrain and length of the walk means that it is an event that anyone can do. It is a truly inclusive event and walkers do not need to have any connection to the Hospice to participate.

Speaking about the walk, events organiser Antonia Shepherd, said:

“The Walk to Remember always has a wonderful atmosphere and it’s a great opportunity for families to come together to remember someone they have lost. We encourage everyone taking part in the walk to bring along a photo of a loved one or complete a dedication card to add to the Martlets memory wall at the start of the walk.”

Registration for the Walk to Remember is just £10 for adults and £5 for under 16s.

For more information or to sign up online  VIEW

Or contact Rachel Chitty in the fundraising office on 01273 747 455

Or email EMAIL

Despite international calls for Nigeria to reconsider the proposed bill prohibiting same-sex marriage, Nigerian Senate President David Mark has maintained that the bill will be passed into law.

The Senate President told the Catholic faithful and guests at a recent civic reception in honour of John Cardinal Olorunfemi Onaiyekan in Abuja that despite the pressure from some quarters, the law banning same-sex marriage will be enacted.
Mark was quoted as saying:

“ We will not compromise on this. I want to invite you all to join the crusade of decency in our society. There are many good values we can copy from other societies but certainly not this one (same-sex marriage).

“We have to prove to the rest of the world, who are advocates of this unnatural way, that we Nigerians promote and respect sanity, morality and humanity. Every individual is a product of the union of a man and woman.”

An overwhelming number of religious and socio-cultural groups across Nigeria has been unequivocal in their opposition to same-sex marriage which some foreign countries are openly urging Nigeria to accept.

Opponents include Christian denominations as well as Muslim groups all of which have voiced their rejection of the pressure from some sections of the international community for Nigeria to change its stance. Among them is the Primate of the Church of Nigeria (Anglican Communion) the Most Rev. Nicholas Okoh who has repeatedly opposed the move, saying same-sex marriage is not biblical and therefore unacceptable.
However, Nigerian Humanist human rights activist Leo Igwe, a supporter of the UK gay Humanist charity the Pink Triangle Trust, said:

“The statements made by David Mark that the ban on same sex marriage was irrevocable are reprehensible. They are a clear demonstration of homophobia and show a lack of appreciation of the humane moral values of the contemporary world. He has used the civic reception of John Cardinal Olorunfemi Onaiyekan to fan the flames of hatred and persecution of a sexual minority and to promote his skewed sense of decency. They are inconsistent with the constitutional role of a Senate President. They are also another clear indication of how the Senate and the church in Nigeria are working together in prosecuting a crusade against gay people. Instead of supporting the ban on same sex marriage, the Senate and the Government of Nigeria as a whole should make a commitment to promoting and protecting the universal human rights of everyone, whatever their race, ethnic origin, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, even when such commitment conflicts with the teachings of religion.”