The Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Pete West and his partner Geraldine attend the Brighton GEMS Christmas dinner.
The dinner took place at one of Brighton best kept secrets, the Gallery Restaurant, in Pelham Street, which is staffed by students from the award-winning catering and hospitality courses at City College, Brighton and Hove.
Former students from City College have gone on to win such prestigious prizes as Young Chef of the Year,The Roux Scholarship and to run Michelin recognised restaurants. One notable ex student is Ben McKellar who since developing his skills at City College has opened three award-winning restaurants in Brighton, The Ginger Fox, The Ginger Man and the Ginger Dog.
The students under the watchful eye of their restaurant manager served the GEMS members with an imaginatively planned four course feast with wine. It was dining at its very best.
The Mayor thanked the outgoing chair of Brighton GEMS, Steve Ashfield, who is stepping down, for helping develop the group and thanked the students for all their hard work cooking and serving the meal.
The GEMS raffle raised £200 which will be shared between Sussex Beacon and The Carers Centre for Brighton & Hove, two of the Mayor’s charities.
Eastbourne Rainbow celebrates five successful years at their Christmas party.
Over 30 members of Eastbourne Rainbow and friends attended their Christmas lunch at Butlers Restaurant in Eastbourne on Tuesday, December 6.
Not only was this a Christmas lunch but a celebration of five successful years for Eastbourne Rainbow an LGBT+ group for the 50+ Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender communities living in Eastbourne and the surrounding area, for socialising, making new friends, gaining support and obtaining information which is relative to the group.
Meetings are held on the last Wednesday of the month from 2.00pm until 3.30pm in the Girder Room at AGE Concern’s Venton Centre which is in Junction Road, Eastbourne BN21 3QY. Tea, Coffee and biscuits are provided and organisers request £1 entrance to cover costs.
Coffee mornings have been added to the monthly events on the first Wednesday of each month in the Pantry Cafe at the same venue from 10.30 am to 11.30 am.
All the members and new members are invited to attend the coffee mornings for a chat, as sometimes the monthly meetings are very busy and people don’t get enough time to speak with friends and catch up on what the group is planning.
If you would like to make contact leave a message or text their telephone number is 07516 670654 (this is text and voice mail only).
LGBT+ Pride in London announces changes to the Board and appoints first co-chair.
Mayor of London Sadiq Khan joins Michael Salter-Church and Alison Camps from Pride in London as diversity pedestrian traffic signals were unveiled in June 2016: Photo GLA
Alison Camps, the organisation’s Director of Marketing, will join Michael Salter-Church in the newly created role of Co-Chair of Pride in London.
The appointment follows the departure of the Deputy Chair Stephen Ward, who was a founder member of the Board, and helped build the current organisation.
The creation of a ‘Co-Chair’, rather than having a ‘Deputy Chair’, is part of the organisation’s concerted effort to improve diversity at all levels.
Alison was behind the very successful campaigns which appeared all over the country, including the award winning #NoFilter campaign, and ‘Pride Heroes’ featuring London’s LGBT+ community and allies.
All Board members offer their time voluntarily, and Pride in London continues to be one of the only major Pride’s worldwide run entirely by volunteers.
Alison who is a Partner and Deputy Chair at the market research agency Quadrangle, said: “It’s an honour – as a member of the LGBT+ community and a woman – to take up this post for a movement which continues to have a profound importance in people’s lives. Equality is a cause close to my heart, and I am committed to ensuring that we do all we can to promote and further the interests of the full spectrum of diverse groups in London’s wonderful LGBT+ community.
“I am proud to have played a part in making Pride in London a success these past four years and I’d like to thank my Board colleagues for their vote of confidence in me.
“We need Pride as much as we ever have done, and as we make plans for our biggest and best ever event, we have to remember that there remains a lot at stake, and still much work to be done to achieve the true equality, respect and recognition we all of us deserve.”
Michael Salter-Church, added:“It is important that Pride represents our entire community – and is seen to do so. This year we are making a significant change to the Board, a a specific move to improve diversity at the top of Pride. I am delighted that Alison has agreed to serve alongside me as the Co-Chair, she brings great experience to the role. Given we are all volunteers, this new role will also aide with the delivery of London’s third biggest annual one day event.
“On behalf of the Board, I also want to say an enormous thank you to Stephen Ward who has just stood down from the team. Stephen was there at the birth of Pride in London, he organised the very first open meeting for representatives of LGBT+ groups across London at the Law Society. He then led on communications and was critical to the development of the event. He provided calm and wise counsel and helped us survive and thrive. He deserves to be recognised by everyone who cares about Pride for the hard work and long hours he put in. We owe him a great debt of gratitude, and wish him well on his future plans.”
Pride in London has also recently announced the departure of the Operations Director, Rob Anderson. Rob played a crucial role ensuring that Pride activity, most importantly the Parade itself, took place safely and with record numbers involved. He also oversaw the production of the Pride stages and Picnic in the Park.
Alison will continue as Director of Marketing, and recruitment for a new role of Director of Volunteers and a new Director of Operations is currently underway.
London Titans FC will hold an auction on Sunday, December 11 at The Two Brewers, Clapham, with all proceeds being donated to the Terrence Higgins Trust (THT), the UK’s leading charity addressing HIV and sexual health.
London Titans FC is one of the UK’s most prominent and successful LGBT football clubs. Based in SW London, the club prides itself on offering a safe and stimulating place for LGBT individuals to play football without fear of homophobia or outdated attitudes. Playing across multiple leagues, at a national and local level, Titans also connect with the wider international footballing community, most recently participating in the 2016 Eurogames in Helsinki, and they will be sending two teams to the 2017 Outgames in Miami.
Alongside the football, London Titans FC is a strong advocate of community connection and charitable donation, holding a dedicated monthly club night, Ball, to raise funds for charities which support and engage with the LGBT community. This year the club’s annual Christmas Ball and charity fundraiser is an auction and prize raffle in support of the THT.
The crowd will be able to bid on high-ticket prizes including 2 x The Bodyguard tickets, a Kurt Geiger handbag, Jeans donated by HRH Victoria Beckham, Andrew Logan jewellery, a Pretty Green jacket, Be Here Now CD and Supersonic DVD signed by Liam Gallagher, and a £100 Wagamama voucher.
For sports fans, the auction will also include a piece of LGBT history in the form of a signed football shirt donated by Robbie Rogers, the most prominent out gay footballer, currently playing for LA Galaxy. London Titans FC’s official club partners have also donated a shirt signed by the entire QPR squad, especially for the auction.
Auction Lot: 2 tickets for Boys in the band
For the theatre lover in your life, the auction and raffle will include 2 x tickets to a selection of London’s hottest upcoming shows and performers across the West End and queer circuit, including Boys in the Band, F*cking Men, Le Gateau Chocolat and Camp NYE with Scottee.
For that man in your life a selection of Aussiebum underwear will be up for grabs. For that man in your life who’s got front, a selection of SuKrew briefs will be on offer. For that man in your life who’s got attitude, a range of t-shirts designed by Philip Normal will be available for bidding.
For those who like a cute night in, the raffle will include champagne, a signed Rustie Lee cookbook, and a range of LGBT films donated by Peccadillo Pictures. For those who prefer something altogether less well-behaved, a bottle of OurLondon Vodka, a signed copy of Matthew Todd’sStraight Jacket, and a selection of Tom of Finland sex toys donated by Bondara will be up for grabs.
Auction Lot: Pecs and Pups Calendar
A framed queer print courtesy of Greenhead Design will also be available, alongside a 2017 Pecs and Pups Calendar, 2 x 30 minute treatments at the LG waxing lab, some Elton John memorabilia, and 2 x cinema tickets to the Ritzy Brixton.
The auction and raffle will be held from 6.30pm on Sunday, December 11 at The Two Brewers, Clapham. The night will feature performances from Miss Jason, Mary Mac and Sandra, with all proceeds going to the THT.
A full list of prizes is as follows:
♦ Kurt Geiger handbag
♦ HRH Victoria Beckham jeans
♦ £100 Wagamama voucher
♦ Pretty Green jacket, Be Here Now CD and Supersonic DVD signed by Liam Gallagher
Auction Lot: 2 x Le Gateau Chocolat tickets
♦ Robbie Rogers signed shirt
♦ QPR signed shirt
♦ Andrew Logan heart jewellery
♦ 2 x The Bodyguard tickets
♦ 2 x Boys in the Band tickets
♦ 2 x Le Gateau Chocolat tickets
♦ 2 x F*cking Men tickets
♦ 2 x Scottee NYE tickets
♦ Philip Normal t shirts
♦ Aussiebum underwear selection
♦ Sukrew underwear selection
♦ Bondara Tom of Finland sex toys
♦ Peccadillo pictures LGBT cinema selection
♦ OurLondon Vodka
♦ Champagne
♦ Signed Rustie Lee cookbook
♦ Signed Straight Jacket by Matthew Todd
♦ Elton John memorabilia
♦ Will Young memorabilia
♦ Greenhead Design prints
♦ Pecs and Pups calendar
♦ 2 x 30 minute treatments at LG waxing lab
♦ 2 x Ritzy cinema tickets
Event: London Titans FC Auction for THT
Where: Two Brewers, 114 Clapham High St, London SW4 7UJ
When: Sunday, December 11
Time: 5pm-2am: Auction starts at 6.30pm
Cost: Free entry B4 7pm: £4 after
For more information about London Titans FC, click here:
Subline raise £503.55 for Brighton Bear’s fundraiser for the Rainbow Fund at their Halloween Party.
Pictured is Steven Lee the manager at Subline who handed a cheque for £503.55 over to Brighton Bears.
This amount will be added to Brighton Bear’s grand total of fundraising for the Rainbow Fund which will culminate in the Brighton Bear Weekend from June 15-18, 2017.
Subline are also selling calendars this Christmas featuring customers and staff to raise money for Sussex Beacon and Terrence Higgins Trust. The full A3 colour calendar is available for £10 from Subline, Man Zone Barbers, Marine Tavern, The Queens Arms, Merlin & Ellis, Nice ‘n’ Naughty Brighton, Bar Broadway, Zone Bar, Prowler, Dr Brightons Bar, and Sussex Beacon Charity Shop.
Graham Munday
Graham Munday from Brighton Bear’s, said: “All of our committee are grateful for the continued generosity of everyone of the Subline team and its customers who punch well above their weight when it comes to charitableness with support and money. The calendar is a great idea, well produced, and raising money for two great causes. On behalf of Steve at Subline, I would like to thank all the models and Manel Ortega for the photography. The bears in June are particularly nice and I hope to find a calendar in my wader come this Christmas”
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