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Big Summer Clean Up

City council launches initiative to clean up city centre streets and work with residents to spruce up their neighbourhoods this summer.

Cllr Gill Mitchell with Brighton &; Hove City Council’s new mechanical street cleaners. Photo:©James Boardman

Brighton & Hove City Council’s street cleansing service Cityclean has just taken charge of new specialist equipment for cleaning chewing gum and grime from pavements and plan to work alongside residents on community led action days.

Cllr Gill Mitchell, chair of the Environment, Transport and Sustainability Committee, said: “Keeping our city streets clean will always be challenging, particularly during the busy summer months, but by investing in new machinery and introducing a revised cleaning schedule, we are confident that residents and visitors should soon see a big improvement.”

A crew of four staff will begin early in the morning in the city centre before the area gets too busy clearing the area of illegal fly-posters and graffiti.

One of four new mechanical Scarab street sweepers will clear the area of any litter and rubbish before a new chewing gum and grime removal machine will be used to deep clean the pavements.

The Big Summer Clean Up will also see Cityclean staff working in partnership with local communities, Action Teams and Resident Associations to clear up their neighbourhoods.

In July, residents came together to tidy up Manor Road playground in Brighton. Cityparks and Community Safety Team lent equipment and Cityclean took away 25 bags of rubbish picked up by community volunteers. Benches and railings also received a new lick of paint and Active Sussex is repairing the table tennis table in the park. Residents are now hoping to form a ‘friends of’ group to look after the park on a more regular basis.

Cllr Mitchell added: “The recent Big Beach Clean highlighted the huge amount of goodwill from residents and businesses to work together to improve the environment. We are pleased to be able to build on this success and work with residents and community groups in other parts of the city to improve their neighbourhoods.”

In August in Whitehawk, staff and residents will work together to clear, weed, tidy and scrub the estate’s gutters, pavements, pedestrian passageways and roadsides. Similar projects will follow across the city.

The summer community-clear up days will be followed with a new 12-month cleaning schedule which should help ensure that standards are maintained.


Clean Up Calendar

Where: Clock Tower, St James Street
When: W/C August 3

Where: East Street and Bartholomew Square
When: W/C August 10

Where: West Street, Kings Road/Brighton Metropole Hilton Hotel
When: W/C W/C August 10

Where: North Laine
When: W/C August 17

Where: Old Steine/North Street, George Street and Hove Station
When: W/C 24 August

Where: Church Road, Western Road
When: W/C August 31

Where: Queens Road, Portland Road
When: W/C September 7

Where: Lewes Road, London Road
When: W/C September 14

Brighton and Hove reading festival celebrates ten years of shared reading

City Reads Brighton and Hove, the longest running big read in the UK, has announced that its chosen book for 2015 is Matt Haig’s The Humans, an accessible, funny and inventive book that asks what it means to be human.

 Matt Haig
Matt Haig

The festival, now in its tenth year, culminates in events around Brighton and Hove from October 10 – November 1.

City Reads is organized by Collected Works CIC and aims to spread a love of books and ideas to the widest possible audience throughout Brighton & Hove. Each year one book is selected for the whole community to read, discuss, debate and creatively engage with in a series of special events, workshops and performances.

The HumansAuthor Matt Haig, said: ”I am overjoyed to have The Humans chosen as this year’s City Reads title. I originally wrote the book as a kind of advert for the human race, and I wanted it to be a story that as many people as possible could enjoy. It was a very personal book for me, and I really hope you like it.”

Sarah Hutchings, City Read’s Artistic Director, said: “This book changes lives.  As soon as I read the book, I knew we’d found our 2015 title. It made me laugh, it made me cry, it was a book I wanted to share with family, friends and acquaintances, so choosing it for Brighton & Hove’s annual big read seemed like the perfect way to do that. Matt has described the book as ‘a kind of advert for the human race’ – a book he wanted as many people as possible to enjoy. That sentiment sums up the whole ethos of City Reads. Some of the people I’ve recommended it to have interpreted if very differently to me and isn’t that what a good book should do?”

Highlights of the festival will include a closing event on November 1 at The Old Market featuring Matt Haig in conversation with Alex Clark, and Human Poetry, with Jackie Kay, Dean Atta and Vanessa Kisuule, which will explore the complexities of identity and what it means to be human.

There’ll also be a Sci-Fi Film Weekender, including the acclaimed Under The Skin, Pinocchi, and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (October 23 – 24, One Church, Brighton).

For young creatives aged 16 – 25 there’s also the chance to enter the Young, Human and Creative competition, where young people are invited to create works around what it means to be human. The challenge is in three categories – photography, writing and illustration – with a development opportunity as the prize in each category.

On October 10, City Reads will also be celebrating World Mental Health Day in partnership with Action for Happiness, with free events at Jubilee Library including a Happiness Café, discussions about reading, featured mood boosting books and the chance of win copies of The Humans.

The complete programme of City Reads events will be announced in September.

For further information about the festival, click here:

Brighton Dome welcomes the Japanese and Samoan Teams for the Rugby World Cup 2015

Brighton Dome is one of 17 UK landmark venues chosen to host international teams for the Rugby World Cup 2015.

Brighton Dome

The Japanese and Samoan Rugby Teams will be welcomed by the children of Brighton’s Westdene Primary School (for Japan) and Chestnuts Primary School of Bletchley (for Samoa). Both will sing the song World in Union for the players.

Steve Brown
Steve Brown

Managing Director of England Rugby 2015, Steve Brown, said: “We are delighted to have secured Brighton Dome to host the Welcome Ceremony for both Japan and Samoa. These landmark locations from across England and Wales broaden the reach of the Tournament and will be great settings for us to welcome the players and management. These events will be a celebration of the team’s achievements, alongside a warm local welcome as the 20 best teams arrive for Rugby World Cup 2015.”

Bernard Lapasset,
Bernard Lapasset,

World Rugby Chairman, Bernard Lapasset, added: “Rugby World Cup 2015 is about communities and Teams uniting to celebrate Rugby, sport and friendship and these official Team Welcome Ceremonies really will set the tone for the Tournament. Representing your team on the greatest of stages is the pinnacle of any player’s career and the culmination of years of dedication and passion. Britain is renowned for its exceptional warm welcome and love of major events and I am sure that these ceremonies the length of breadth of England and Wales will be very special and cherished by both the Teams and welcoming communities alike.”

As well as teams being welcomed by local primary school children, the ceremonies will also feature the presentation of Tournament Caps and Participation Medals.

 

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