Mike Weatherley, the Conservative MP for Hove and Portslade, has pledged his support for Halve It, a national campaign that aims to halve late diagnosis and undiagnosed HIV in the UK by 2015.
Halve It is a coalition of advocates and experts that works with all levels of government and the NHS to reduce the proportion of people undiagnosed and diagnosed late with HIV, through public policy reform and implementation of good practice.
The Halve It campaign focuses on the expansion of HIV testing services, on the basis that early testing of HIV saves lives and also results in substantial savings to the public health budget.
An estimated 98,400 people were living with HIV in the UK in 2012. The overall prevalence was 1.5 per 1,000 population, and an estimated 21,900 people living with HIV in 2012 were unaware of their infection.
For more information on the Halve It campaign, CLICK HERE:
Mike said:“HIV must remain a public heath priority. As the latest statistics on the disease show, more still has to be done to address the prevalence of HIV. As a Halve It supporter I will continue to advocate for the campaign’s continued work on improving HIV testing and diagnosis.”
National museums Liverpool has unveiled a busy programme of free exhibitions to take place across its eight museums and galleries in 2014.
Grayson Perry, The Adoration of the Cage Fighters, 2012. Courtesy of the artist and Victoria Miro. Copyright Grayson Perry, Photography by Stephen White.
The exhibitions are to feature some of the biggest names in the art world, including a brand new showcase at the Museum of Liverpool to show the cities role in the first world war.
The Walker and Lady Lever art galleries are to display a schedule of classical and contemporary exhibitions from JMW Turner to Grayson Perry.
Considered one of Britain’s greatest landscape painters, JMW Turner will present Turner: travels, light and landscape February 14 showing a variety of works on paper rarely displayed due to their light sensitivity.
This will be followed By Rossetti’s Obsession: Images of Jane Morris June 20 at the Lady Lever. Serving as a favoured model to Pre-Raphaelie painter Dante Gabriel Rossetti, the showcase will reveal a contrasting image of Jane as herself reflecting upon her actual life and interests beyond modelling.
Coinciding with Liverpool Biennial The Walker will host two exhibitions starting with Grayson Perry’s The Vanity of Small differences May 17 displaying six tapestries exploring taste, class, aspiration, and identity in a British context.
The John Moores painting prize will open on July 5 breaking away from tradition – first being held in 1957.
Director of Art Galleries, Sandra Penketh said: “This will be another strong year for our art galleries. We have lined up several fantastic exhibitions of both classical and contemporary work at the Walker Art Gallery and Lady Lever.
“Turner continues to be one of Britain’s most popular and important artists. So it will be a real treat to be able to show some of his rarely seen masterpieces. We are extremely excited that the John Moores Painting Prize will be a summer exhibition and we hope this will expose the prize to an ever bigger audience.”
In the first half of the year the International Slavery Museum will host three major exhibitions.
Brutal Exposure: the congo January 24 an exhibition of photographs taken by missionary Alice Seeley Harris which document the exploitation and brutality in the Congo Free State in the early 1900s.
Their spirits January 31 is a stunning exhibition by internationally acclaimed Jamaican artist Laura Facey. The central installation is a 12 metre slave ship canoe which contains more than 1,300 resin miniature figurines. The slave canoe conjures up images of Antony Gormley’s clay figures or the Chinese Terracotta Army.
And the third exhibition Between slavery and freedom on St Helena April 4 explores finds from the ‘liberated’ African cemetery on the remote south Atlantic island.
Dr Richard Benjamin, Head of the International Slavery Museum, added: “It is a major coup to be able to show Laura Facey’s work which will have a strong impact on our visitors. It’s also significant that this work is going on show in Liverpool – a city central to the transatlantic slave trade.
“We are also sure our visitors will be moved by our photographic exhibition on the Congo which has a number of fascinating Liverpool links. St Helena – a tiny island in the South Atlantic played an important – but often forgotten – role in the annals of the transatlantic slave trade. This is the first exhibition looking in detail at a fascinating and disturbing part of its history.”
Merseyside Maritime Museum will continue its Titanic and Liverpool: the untold story which has attracted more than one million visitors sincing opening in March 2012.
Included this year an exhibition of shipping posters May 16 consisting of 25 posters used to promote transatlantic travel.
Word Musuem will also bring back it hugely popular Magic Worlds March 2. An exhibition exploring the ethereal realms of fairies, folklore, wizards and witches.
Continuing into 2014 will be By Jove! It’s Ken Dodd! Photographs by Stephen Shakeshaft and April Ashley: Portrait of a lady.
For more information and complete listings from all the galleries CLICK HERE:
Simon Kirby, MP for Kemptown & Peacehaven is seeking views about the possible pedestrianisation of St James’s Street.
Simon Kirby, MP
In an email to local residents, Simon wrote:
“As your Member of Parliament for Kemp Town I am frequently in touch with residents about issues of concern and I try and stay in regular contact to keep people informed of the actions I am taking.
“One issue I have been contacted about is the possibility of pedestrianising St James’s Street. I believe such a move could help provide a boost to local businesses as well as improving safety for shoppers, diners and pedestrians but I am keen to hear your views.
“Please do take a moment to let me have your views on this local issue. I am also surveying a number of residents in the St James’s Street area to hear their thoughts and I have made the survey available electronically.
“If you would like to fill in the survey, CLICK HERE:
“As well as liaising with the St James’s Street Community Action Group regarding this important part of our city, I continue to work on a wide variety of issues affecting Kemp Town, such as dog fouling in the area, anti social behaviour, the poor condition of many local roads and pavements and the need to ensure the area is well maintained by the Council (for instance repainting railings).
“I will be sure to keep a close eye on these issues and please do continue to report any concerns you have, about any issue, to me BY EMAILING:“
You can contact Simon:
By post: Simon Kirby MP, House of Commons, London SW1A 0AA
Young People’s Voice (YPV), the LGBT youth campaigning and engagement project at Allsorts has won the OutstandingVolunteering Contributionfor Young People category at the Sector Stars Community and Voluntary Sector Awards 2013.
Jess Wood
Hosted by the Brighton and Hove Community and Voluntary Sector Forum (CVSF), Sector Stars is a way of recognising community groups and voluntary organisations for all their dedication, hard work and enthusiasm.
YPV was announced as a winner at the CVSF Annual General Meeting on Wednesday, November 27
The award panel included representatives from Sussex Police, American Express and Brighton and Hove City Council.
Jess Wood MBE, Co-Founder and Director, said:“LGBT young people need a voice and the youth volunteers at Allsorts have done an amazing job in schools and elsewhere in articulating what we need to change to make their world safer. The award recognizes this work and carries forward our vision that we are all in it together and that we must just connect.’”
For more information about youth volunteering at Allsorts CLICK HERE:
Prior to the release of the Chancellor’s Autumn Statement on December 5 and ahead of Small Business Saturday on December 7, Caroline Lucas, the Green MP for Brighton Pavilion, has asked the Government to do more to support small businesses.
Caroline Lucas, MP
The measures Lucas has proposed would benefit more than 2,600 businesses in Brighton and Hove by allowing them a discount on their business rates.
Currently, companies are entitled to small business rate relief if they use only one property and its rateable value is less than £12,000. In her letter to Treasury minister David Gauke, Lucas has called for this threshold to be increased to £15,000, which would benefit over 500 businesses in the local area.
Business properties with a rateable value of £6000 or less presently qualify for 100% rate relief. However this support is not guaranteed beyond March 31 2014 so Lucas is also calling for this support to continue beyond that date, potentially benefitting 2,109businesses in Brighton and Hove.
Caroline said: “Brighton and Hove’s unique and vibrant small businesses are vital to the city’s economy. As well as forming part of community life, they provide valuable services and jobs. However the business owners I meet in Brighton Pavilion tell me that they are struggling with business rates, which represent their highest expense after rent and wages. Many of them don’t get much benefit from relief, because their rates are so high.”
“This Government says it is pro-small business, and some of the steps it has taken so far are welcome. But we need more businesses to benefit, and for longer.”
Small Business Saturday will take place on December 7 and on the day, at 12:15pm, Caroline will be opening hiSbe, a new ethical supermarket aimed at regular supermarket shoppers, on 20-21 York Place, London Road.
After losing his congregation in support of same-sex marriage in 2012 Reverend Oliver White has come back fighting at his new Church in St. Paul Minnesota on a mission to spread equality.
Rev Oliver White
In a passionate video message – viewable on Reverend White’s website and youtube – White tells his story. How he lost his congregation, church, and home in support of equal marriage. He then explains the aims of his cause and asks for the global community to support him in his plans for a new program aimed to support LGBT communities.
Starting locally, his church aims to help youth in relation to employment, poverty, seniors and the LGBT community through Churches for Safe Spaces, a network of churches and LGBT organisations working towards inclusion of the LGBT community within the church.
Reverend White says:“Love each other. That’s the only way this world can truly be free. That we love each other as we love ourselves. That means we love gays. We love lesbians. We love blacks. We love whites. We love old. We love young. And that’s an ongoing message.”
So far, Reverend White has raised over 20,000 dollars with a target of 120,000.
For more information, and to help raise awareness and support the cause CLICK HERE:or CLICK HERE:
To hear Reverend White tell his story in he’s own words, CLICK HERE:
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