For the second year running, a group of Brighton’s finest comediennes will come together to make the public laugh and to raise money and awareness for the Survivor’s Network on International Women’s Day.
The Survivor’s Network offer drop-ins, help lines, counselling and group sessions for those who have been the victim of sexual abuse and some of those involved have first-hand experience of the help they provide.
Hosted by noted funnywoman Bryony No, Hastings Fringe Newcomer finalist 2016 and Funny Women Edinburgh Regional Finalist 2016, the free event will provide hours of stand-up comedy from local acts including: Katherine Atkinson, Sophie Duker, Vicky Gould, Julie Jepson, Jules Oliver, Lulu Popplewell, Jane Postlethwaite, Rebecca Shortall, Arielle Souma and Brodi Snook.
Last year’s event was a roaring success, with a noted highlight being a dramatic reading of Shania Twain’s works.
Donations are encouraged and a raffle will be held, with prizes generously donated from the local businesses and artists.
Event:HAHA SISTERHOOD Comedy Special for International Women’s Day
Streets all over the city will become ‘environmental crime scenes’ as part of a council crack down on fly tipping.
Fly tipped rubbish will be marked with special ‘environmental crime scene’ tape to highlight the problem and remind residents that fly tipping is a criminal offence.
Brighton & Hove City Council is the latest local authority to sign up to Keep Britain Tidy’s Crime Not To Care campaign launched to tackle the nationwide problem of fly tipping.
The city has a major problem with large items of furniture and household goods being dumped in streets – particularly next to communal waste and recycling bins. The cost of removing fly tipping, around £40 per item amounting to thousands of pounds each year, is met by tax payers living in the city.
Research has shown that many people are unaware that leaving waste next to a bin is a crime which carries a fixed penalty of up to £300. Failure to pay can lead to prosecution, a criminal record and an unlimited fine.
Over the coming weeks residents will see fly tipped rubbish marked with the tape before it is removed. Crime Not To Care posters will also help to raise awareness across the city.
The posters and tape are the latest initiative in the council’s efforts to tackle fly tipping in the city.
Earlier this year, CCTV cameras were installed at fly tipping hot spots and dozens of fly tippers have been caught and fined.
One camera recently captured six separate incidents of fly tipping in one night resulting in fixed penalty notices of more than £600. Money raised from fines covers the cost of the cameras.
Cllr Gill Mitchell
Chair of the environment committee Cllr Gill Mitchell said: “It always surprises me that so many people think it’s ok to dump unwanted furniture and other rubbish on the street assuming that the council will take it away.
“But each time the council removes fly tipping it’s our residents who foot the bill.
“Our campaign sends out a clear message that dumping rubbish in the street is a criminal offence and anyone caught fly tipping faces a hefty fine.
“No community should have to live with fly tipping and we will do everything we can to educate residents, track down offenders and rid our streets of unsightly rubbish.”
There are many ways to get rid of unwanted furniture and other items in Brighton & Hove without breaking the law!. Charity shops and re-use centres are always on the lookout for donations and may collect for free.
Residents can also drop off items at the household waste recycling sites at Wilson Avenue in Brighton and off the Old Shoreham Road in Hove.
For large items, such as furniture and electrical appliances, the council offers a bulky waste collection service. There is a charge for this service, but discounts are available.
NSPCC Ambassador for Childhood, Wayne Rooney backs new Childline campaign, Tough to Talk, encouraging boys to speak out about any suicidal thoughts and feelings.
Childline is urging boys to speak out about suicidal feelings as figures reveal they are six times less likely than girls to talk to counsellors about thoughts of ending their lives.
In 2015/16 the NSPCC-run service delivered 1,934 counselling sessions with boys compared to 11,463 with girls.
National statistics show that the suicide rate for boys aged 10-19 was more than double that for girls in 2015.
Today Childline is launching its new Tough to Talk campaign, backed by Manchester United and England footballer Wayne Rooney. The campaign which includes a film Things Guys Don’t Talk About, aims to empower boys to seek support for suicidal feelings.
Wayne Rooney
NSPCC Ambassador for Childhood Wayne Rooney, said:“Growing up in the world of football I know there can be a stigma attached to young men showing emotion and talking about their feelings. It can be seen as a weakness but the opposite is true and it takes great strength to open up and reach out for help.
Hopefully Childline’s ‘Tough to Talk’ campaign will help young people, and boys in particular, see that they are not alone and it’s ok to speak out. They don’t need to suffer in silence. I would encourage any young person struggling with suicidal thoughts to talk to someone they trust or contact Childline.”
The boys who did get in touch with Childline talked about a wide range of issues including relationship worries, abuse, bullying, sexuality and gender identity and mental health issues alongside feeling suicidal. 12-15 year olds were most likely to be counselled about suicide.
In 20% of counselling sessions where boys mentioned if they had confided in anyone else, they said it was the first time they had spoken to anybody about their suicidal thoughts or feelings.
One young person told Childline:“I keep having suicidal thoughts and I feel like I need to speak to someone. I have thought about telling my Mum, but I think she will say that I just need to get over it. I have exams coming up but I haven’t been able to concentrate because of these thoughts I keep having. What should I do?”
A 14-year-old boy told them:“Sometimes I think killing myself is the only option left. I’ve tried everything; I’ve been to my GP and have had counselling too but nothing seems to work. I feel as if nobody understands me. I’ve been depressed for a few years now and things seem to have become worse. Please help me; I don’t know what to do anymore.”
Peter Wanless
NSPCC CEO Peter Wanless, said:“Children struggling with suicidal feelings may feel alone with nobody to talk to and nowhere to turn for help. For boys in particular it can be harder to ask for help due to a reluctance to talk about their feelings, but this could be stopping boys from accessing support when they most need it.
“We hope that by putting the spotlight on male suicide we can help boys see that they are not alone. If they can’t talk to friends or parents then Childline is here to listen to them, whenever they need us.”
Dame Esther Rantzen
Dame Esther Rantzen, President of Childline, added:“Many girls also tell Childline they don’t want to live any more, and to hear this from any child is heart-breaking. But we know that boys particularly struggle to talk about their despair because they regard it as weakness to share their feelings, so we want to encourage them to speak to us on the phone, or online because we also know that if they try to combat these suicidal thoughts alone, they can become overwhelmed by them, and that’s when we can lose precious young lives.
Suicide is one of the leading causes of death for boys and young men. We need to draw attention to this growing problem, and make sure all our desperate children know that Childline is there for them, day and night.”
Children and young people can contact Childline for free, confidential support and advice, 24 hours a day on 0800 1111 or click here:
For the second year running, a group of Brighton’s finest comediennes will come together to make the public laugh and to raise money and awareness for the Survivor’s Network on International Women’s Day.
Childline is urging boys to speak out about suicidal feelings as figures reveal they are six times less likely than girls to talk to counsellors about thoughts of ending their lives.
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