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Superstar DJ starts the Vitality Brighton Half Marathon

International superstar DJ and Brighton resident Norman Cook starts thousands of runners on their way for the Vitality Brighton Half Marathon 2017.

Norman Cook (aka Fatboy Slim) sounded the starting klaxon to get more than 8,000 runners on their way for the Vitality Brighton Half Marathon 2017 on Sunday, February 26.

The international DJ cheered on runners as they passed the start line on Brighton seafront, before joining the race himself, running with friends for the charity Young Epilepsy.

Blasts of CO2 got the race off to an atmospheric start as runners began their 13.1 mile journey that took in city landmarks including the Royal Pavilion, and the Brighton Palace Pier.

Despite damp conditions early on, hundreds of spectators lined the route to cheer on runners, and crowds were entertained with a host of bands, choirs and stilt walkers along the course, plus a community stage provided by The Grand Brighton.

Norman Cook
Norman Cook

Now in its 27th year, the race was once again organised by The Sussex Beacon, a Brighton-based charity which provides a range of services for men, women and families living with or affected by HIV across Sussex.

In the main race, the field featured many runners new to the half marathon distance and also lots of runners training for a full marathon. As well as local club runners, this year’s field included participants from Taiwan, the United States and Australia.

Jonathan Tipper with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe
Jonathan Tipper with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe

The men’s elite race featured a nail-biting finish as Jonathan Tipper from Kent AC closed in on the front pack in the final stretch, overtaking to storm to the finish line in a time of 1:08:37. Stuart Hawkes was close behind in 1:08:43, with Neil Boniface from Horsham Joggers claiming third place.

Course record holder and four times winner Paul Martelletti unfortunately had to withdraw from the race following a last-minute injury but he joined the commentary team to report on the elite race.

Eleanor Davis with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe
Eleanor Davis with Sussex Beacon CEO Simon Dowe

In the women’s elite race, Eleanor Davis from Newquay Road Runners stole the show, taking home a course record in a time of 1:14:26, while Emily Proto from Arena 80 followed in a time of 1:21:27 and Sarah Hill took third place in 1:21:32.

Brand-new for 2017, this year’s event included a Wheelchair Race, with eight entrants from around the UK. Rob Smith took first place in the inaugural men’s race, in a time of 1:14:23, while Yasmin Somers came first in the women’s race in a time of 1:49:05.

Alongside the elite field, thousands of charity runners took to the streets of the city, raising funds for over 50 charities, including local charities Chestnut Tree House, RISE and The Sussex Beacon and national charities including Macmillan and WaterAid.

Martin Harrigan
Martin Harrigan

Race Director Martin Harrigan said: “Both the men’s and women’s races were really exciting today – the men’s winner Jonathan Tipper was actually outside of a podium place until the final stretch when he stormed ahead to overtake the lead pack. And we have a new course record for the women’s race, so it was a brilliant day all round. After months of planning, we were also delighted to introduce a brand-new wheelchair race to the Brighton Half Marathon this year and I’m pleased to say it was a fantastic success, with the crowds really getting behind the new race.

“Thankfully the stormy weather we’ve been seeing over the past week stayed away for the morning and it was great to see all the smiles on the finish line as runners collected their medals. We’d like to say a massive thanks to everyone who took part today – the runners and also all the volunteers who work so hard behind the scenes to make Brighton Half such a great event.”

The race forms part of the Vitality Run Series, a series of seven leading half marathons and one 10K in the UK.

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Photos by Alice Blezard

Editor of ‘The Freethinker’ receives a Lifetime Achievement Award

Barry Duke, editor of the Freethinker for the last twenty years is to receive a Lifetime Achievement Award from the National Secular Society (NSS) as part of this year’s Secularist of the Year celebrations in March.

Barry Duke

Terry Sanderson, President of NSS, said: “I am very pleased that the NSS is honouring Barry in this way.

He has been a consistent voice for many years in the fight for justice and secular humanist principles. From resisting apartheid in his native South Africa to fighting for gay rights in Britain and Spain. Barry, who celebrated his 70th birthday in February, has always provided a strong rationalist voice.

We are glad that Barry is able to join us in London and look forward to being able to recognise his many and varied contributions to the cause of secularism, humanism and his spirited opposition to religious intolerance and irrationality.”

As well as The Freethinker, Barry, a former Brighton resident, also edits the Pink Humanist, the online magazine published by the Pink Triangle Trust.

Barry said: “News of this award came completely out of the blue. For over 50 years all of my energies were directed at fighting racism, religious fundamentalism, sexism and homophobia, and this award strengthens my resolve to continue that mission.”

Yasmin Alibhai-Brown
Yasmin Alibhai-Brown

Barry will receive his award from writer and commentator Yasmin Alibhai-Brown at The Secularist of the Year lunch to be held in central London on Saturday, March 18 from 12 noon to 4pm. Writer and commentator Yasmin, is an author, columnist and broadcaster who has written for the Guardian, Daily Mail, Independent, Telegraph, New Statesman and appears regularly as a newspaper reviewer on Sky News. In recent years she has been a powerful advocate for women’s rights and a critic of sharia law and faith schools.

The winner of the £5,000 Irwin Prize for Secularist of the Year, will also be announced during the lunch, the shortlist for which is:

Professor Ted Cantle CME for his advocacy of integrated education and social cohesion. He has been particularly vocal in his opposition to the Government’s plan to allow a new wave of faith schools free to discriminate in 100% of their admissions.

Asma Jahangir (former UN Special Rapporteur on Freedom of Religion) for her principled advocacy of universal human rights and commitment to secular justice. She has spent much of her career defending women’s rights, the rights of children and the rights of minorities in Pakistan and has campaigned against Pakistan’s deadly blasphemy law and has been a vocal proponent of human rights in her home country.

Prof Steve Kettell for co-ordinating the secular response to the Commission on Religion and Belief. His work helped rebut calls for more religious privilege, and set out the urgent case for a new secular constitutional settlement in the UK.

Houzan Mahmoud/Kurdish Culture Project for their initiative in providing a platform for Kurdish writers, feminists, artists and activists to advance gender equality, freedom and universal rights

Scott Moore/Let Pupils Choose – a Northern Ireland humanist campaign for challenging compulsory worship and religious privilege in Northern Ireland’s schools

Yasmin Rehman – for her advocacy of a secularist approach to tackling hate crime and promoting the human rights of women.

For tickets to the lunch which includes a three course meal and welcome drink, click here:

5 Days of ‘Queer Community in Action’ on the Land

More than 500 LGBT+ people will gather this summer at the second Queer Spirit Festival to enjoy a packed programme of ceremonies, rituals, performance, workshops, discussions, music, drumming, and dancing.

Queer Spirit Festival is a liberating realm of freedom of self-expression, self-exploration and community creation… of finding the inner peace that comes from communing with nature, and being able to fully be ourselves.

At a magical site in the Wiltshire countryside, surrounded and blessed by nature, like all good festivals there will also be cabaret, cafés (vegetarian & vegan), stalls, spa, healing areas and spaces to chill-out.

As sexuality as well as spirituality will be explored during the festival, there will be some specific adult-only areas. However, this will be a festival with lots to do for people of all ages and children will be very welcome here.

Queer Spirit Festival celebrate the spirituality of LGBT+ people on a global level, with visitors and facilitators coming from around the world.

The festival sponsors the participation of LGBT+ asylum seekers and refugees, with members of Micro Rainbow International coming as their guests.

Performances lined up for 2017 include:

The Funkensteins, Commie Faggots, Maj Ikle, Big Boys Camp, Alice Human, Marc Block, M-Power, Jordyn Leyland, Spoken Word, Adult Cabaret and much more……

Workshops will include:

Drumming, Ecstatic Dance, Shamanic Journeying, Conscious Touch, Yoga, Earth Medicine, Gong baths, Massage, Queer History, Chinese Medicine, Veganism, Nature meditations, Mediumship, Discussions, and Activism.

The Festival Marquee will feature late night DJs playing a range of music types including the Transister Dance Party which is London’s most underground happening; a community party providing an attitude-free zone run by trans and fetish people, where trans dj’s will spin intelligent dance music, conjuring a haven for those who don’t want to blend into the norm.


Event: 5 Days of Queer Community in Action on the Land at Queer Spirit Festival

Where: Thoulstone Park, Chapmanslade, Wiltshire.

When:  Wednesday 26 to Sunday, July 30 2017

For more information, click here:

Celebrities support Mind’s LGBT+ mental health event

On Thursday, February 23, mental health charity Mind held an event to profile its work in LGBT+ mental health.


Attendees were joined by author, journalist and LGBT+ advocate, Juno Dawson and viewed an exclusive video featuring Mind’s President, Stephen Fry.

Research shows that more than 40 per cent of LGBT+ people will experience a significant mental health problem in their lives, compared to around 25 per cent of the whole population, and people from the LGBT+ community are more than twice as likely to have attempted suicide. More than four in five (84 per cent) of transgender people have considered suicide and 50 per cent have actually attempted suicide, compared to an average of less than 6 per cent in the wider population.

The evening was held to profile the work of local Minds across England and Wales who offer tailored LGBT+ mental health support. In addition, nationally, all Mind’s Infoline advisors are trained to understand how LGBT+ related issues might affect mental health and Mind works in partnership with other LGBT+ organisations to make sure that mental health is on the agenda.

Mind’s Equality and Improvement Team, in partnership with MindOut, has also produced a good practice guide for service providers offering support for mental health.

To read the guide, click here: 

Alessandro Storer, Equality and Improvement Manager at Mind, said: “With two in every five LGBT+ people experiencing a significant mental health problem, it is really important that we work hard to give the experience of LGBT+ people profile and work towards better services and experiences for everyone in the community, so that people can get the right help, when they need it.”

Juno Dawson
Juno Dawson

Juno Dawson, author, journalist and advocate for LGBT+ rights, said: “I’m very honoured to support the work that Mind do by sharing some of my experiences as a transgender woman who has, at times, felt the ache of mental illness.

“I think LGBT+ people grow up with fear and that fear is manifold. We fear rejection by our parents and peers; we fear harassment, violence and intimidation; we fear discrimination and persecution; as a child of the eighties I feared death and disease.

“I feared those things before I really knew what fear was. I sensed my difference, my otherness. So often, as I child, I was told I was ‘doing it wrong’. I truly believe that if we weren’t so gendered as a society, many children wouldn’t feel like they were failing at something so arbitrary.

“I think these fears become very deeply engrained in LGBT+ people. So much so, we’re almost robotically trained to respond with I’M FINE and a rictus grin when anyone asks how we are. We celebrate our history, our icons and party at pride marches every year at this time. So much so, it’s almost become anathema to admit we’re still struggling in any way shape or form. But struggle we do.”

Stephen Fry
Stephen Fry

She continued: “While society and the media play catch-up, it’s reassuring to know that charities like Mind are there for me if I ever reach crisis point. When I was writing ‘Mind Your Head’, their resources and website were an invaluable resource and I take personal comfort in knowing that they are invested in the well-being and mental health of the LGBT+ community.”

Offering his support on the night, Stephen Fry, President of mental health charity Mind, said: “As a gay man, as a man with bipolar disorder, I have a very special interest in everything that is happening this evening. It’s a lamentable and melancholy fact that in 2017 the LGBT+ community should suffer so much from issues that pertain to mental health, and I’m talking about the most vital issues imaginable.

“Research has shown that nearly 50% of LGBT+ people have attempted or considered suicide, that’s compared to 6% of the “normal” population – that’s a really disturbing figure. This is a real crisis. We have to do something to attack the terrific amount of rejection, isolation, discrimination, stigma, bullying and the appalling lack of self-worth felt by people who have so much to contribute to society. Any kind of healthy society is one where we look out for each other and we welcome diversion and diversity and we are as inclusive as possible. Because diversity, let’s face it, is not a choice, it’s a fact.

“Mind is absolutely determined to do everything it can to raise this issue, raise the debate on the subject of LGBT+ mental health emergencies and the problem of self-harm and suicide and the feelings of total lack of self-worth and rejection felt by the community.”

Local hospice looks for city’s most ‘pawsome’ pooches

The Martlets Hospice is calling for Brighton & Hove’s most pawsome pooches to take their owners for an extra special Sunday stroll on March 26.

The popular event Pooches on the Prom is a sponsored dog walk along Hove Prom to raise funds for Martlets. With a choice of two routes dogs of all shapes and sizes are being encouraged to sign up. Everything the dogs raise in sponsorship will help Martlets provide life changing hospice care for local people when they need it most.

Pooches on the Prom starts at the dog friendly Big Beach Café and dogs, or their owners, can choose to stroll to the Peace Statue and back or take the longer route to Brighton Pier. With prizes for the best dressed pooch there’s sure to be some well-dressed entrants enjoying a walk along the prom.

Every pooch taking part will get a well-earnt medal and a doggy bag as a thank-you for their efforts in raising as much money as they can for the Hospice.

Clem Hunnisett, Community Fundraiser at Martlets Hospice, said: “This is the ‘must-do’ event of the year for generous-hearted pooches and their owners; raising essential funds that will help us to care for our patients and their families.

“This year we’re hoping that more than 100 dogs and their owners will take part in this fun family event to help us to raise over £4,000 for the Hospice.

“Registration is £7 per dog but accompanying humans can take part for free!”

For many patients having their pets visit them at the Hospice makes a huge difference to their wellbeing, and it is just one of the ways Martlets Hospice enables people to live well.

For further information or to register, click here:

Or telephone: 01273 964200 or email events@martlets.org.uk

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