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George Michael to raise money for good causes at Hibernation

Local artist Lez Ingham has been putting the final touches to her portrait of George Michael, the latest painting in her series of Icons.

George Michael painted by Lez Ingham
George Michael painted by Lez Ingham

The painting of the pop superstar was commissioned by Gscene magazine to be auctioned at Hibernation, the community luncheon organised by Bear-Patrol at the Old Ship Hotel on Sunday, October 22.

The annual fundraiser will raise money to support the new Counselling Project at MindOut, the LGBTQ mental health service and towards the important work being delivered by the Brighton & Hove, LGBT Community Safety Forum.

The luncheon will take place in the fabulous surroundings of the historic Paganini Ballroom, where guests will be treated to a sumptuous four course lunch, be charmed by the sophisticated talents, of the ex-Las Vegas showgirl, Miss Hope Springs and hopefully some serious money will be raised for good causes.

Lez with George and Superwoman
Lez with George and Superwoman

Tickets for the event have sold out, but all eyes will be on how much George raises towards Bear-Patrol’s nominated good causes.

For more information about Lez Ingham, click here:

For more information about Bear Patrol, click here:

Drivers advised to ‘Switch off their engine’

New signs advising drivers to switch off their engines while stationary, are being installed in the city this week.

Around 35 ‘Cut engine – Cut pollution’ signs are being fixed around Brighton & Hove’s Air Quality Management Areas – mainly in the city centre but also outside the Royal Sussex County Hospital, in Rottingdean and South Portslade.

The signs, which are being supplied by The Sussex Air Quality Partnership, advise drivers to switch off their engines if waiting for more than a minute.

The aim of the signs is to encourage drivers to avoid ‘idling’  to help reduce pollution across Brighton & Hove.

Cllr Gill Mitchell
Cllr Gill Mitchell

“Vehicle fumes damage both health and the local environment,” said Cllr Gill Mitchell, chair of the council’s Environment, Transport and Sustainability committee.

“Switching off engines could make a big difference to pollution levels in the city and help to reduce the risk of asthma, heart disease and lung cancer for our residents and visitors.”

Research has shown that turning off an engine and restarting it after a minute or longer causes less pollution than keeping the engine idling and saves fuel. It also helps keep engines and exhausts cleaner.

PREVIEW: Exhibition by Alej Ez @New Steine Hotel

The talented architect and illustrator Alej Ez is staging an exhibition of his work at the New Steine Hotel in New Steine Gardens, till February 4, 2018.

Alej Ez was born in Granada, Spain in 1973 and trained as an architect at the Universidad de Seville in 1998.

Alej, who currently works as an architect for Archangels Architects in Kemptown says: “Illustration is my second love, though I own a lot of what I know as traditional arts such as watercolour.

“The world is far too complex. By drawing it, I find sense in it.”


Event: Alej Ez Exhibition

Where: New Steine Hotel, 10-11 New Steine, Brighton BN2 1PB

When: Runs till February 4th, 2018

For opening hours telephone 01273 681 546

New Prostate Cancer online support group

Prostate Cancer UK teams up with Opening Doors London (ODL) to trial a new online discussion group for gay, bisexual men and men who have sex with men (MSM), who have been affected by prostate cancer.

The online discussion group which goes live at 7pm this evening (October 18), will provide men with the opportunity to discuss any subject or concerns about prostate cancer and offer support.

The first session this evening will be facilitated by ODL, the largest charity for older people in the LGBT communities in the UK.

Sessions will take place for an hour on the third Thursday of every month for the trial period (6 months) and will be accessible from a computer, tablet or phone.

Participants can choose to dial in by video or by audio only, if they prefer not to be seen on-screen. Additionally, men can join anonymously should they so wish.

Currently, 1 man dies every 45 minutes from prostate cancer – that’s more than 11,000 men in the UK each year.

This makes tackling prostate cancer through research, campaigning and providing support crucially important. Tailoring information and services to different areas of the community also plays a key role in tackling this disease.

Martin Wells
Martin Wells

Martin Wells, 63 from Burnley, a gay man diagnosed with localised prostate cancer in 2007, said: “Going through prostate cancer and the side effects of treatment really affected me psychologically. I desperately needed emotional support to help me get through this difficult time and there weren’t any services near me that focused on psychosexual health. The fact there is not tailored support for men like me in every area of the country, encouraged me to set up my own support groups. Talking to other men who could speak to me on my terms felt incredible. That’s why Prostate Cancer UK’s new online discussion group is a great opportunity for gay, bisexual men and MSM to come together and discuss any topics on prostate cancer without judgement, wherever they live. I would encourage anyone who has any concerns or needs support to join up and share how they feel.”

Ann Innes, Support Group Development Manager at Prostate Cancer UK, explains: “We know that people find a great deal of help and support in dealing with prostate cancer from being able to talk to others about shared experiences and problems. Although there are many prostate cancer support groups around the UK, we know that some gay and bisexual men may not feel comfortable about discussing some of their concerns or asking certain types of questions in these groups. So we wanted to offer an alternative for people who would like to speak to others with similar experiences but who for whatever reason could not or do not want to utilise a face to face group. We hope to see this unique support group develop in to a key trusted resource for these men going forward.”

Professor Jeffery Weeks, Chair of ODL trustees, said: “Opening Doors London is delighted to be working in partnership with Prostate Cancer UK in the development of an important new service. This online support group for gay men living with prostate cancer will provide new opportunities to challenge taboos and anxieties and to develop mutual support, confidence and knowledge.”

To register and join the online discussion group, click here:

Brighton & Hove flytipping fines double in 2017

Brighton & Hove City Council is one of the most active in the country for tackling flytipping.

In figures collected by the Press Association, Brighton & Hove issued 276 fines to flytippers in the 12 months to May 2017, the fifth highest in the country. The council’s updated figures show that 618 fines have been issued to date compared with 196 last financial year.

Improving the environment is a priority for the city council and officers have been highlighting the environmental impact of all kinds of discarded waste, from dog poo to litter.

Enforcement has also been stepped up. Since March 2016 more than 5,000 fixed penalty notices were issued. Of these 594 were for flytipping, including 346 where businesses were using council owned bins to illegally dispose of waste. Fines for flytipping are set at £300.

Cllr Gill Mitchell
Cllr Gill Mitchell

Cllr Gill Mitchell, chair of the city’s environment committee, said:

“Residents are fed up with people simply dumping things on the street, around existing bins or on our open spaces, creating eyesores and leaving it up to the council to clear up and taxpayers to pay for it.

“On average we get about 160 flytips reported to us each month, not including those identified and cleared by our streets teams. The message is that those responsible will be fined and in extreme cases prosecuted.”

Staff from the council’s Cityclean have highlighted the issue by putting ‘environmental crime’ tape round flytips. This is part of their Crime not to Care campaign which has also involved community engagement and the installation of CCTV at known flytip ‘hotspots.’

Due to the increased awareness there has been a big jump in reported flytips from 466 in the first quarter of the year to 776 from April to June.

Top five councils issuing fines for flytipping:

Westminster                                       747
Haringey                                             288
Redbridge                                           284
Waltham Forest                                281
Brighton & Hove City Council       276

What it costs the council:

Based on average weights, the waste disposal costs for large bulky items (not including staffing, vehicle costs or overheads), is:

Double mattress        40kg   £4.80
Sofa                              40kg   £4.80
Fridge/freezer           45kg   £5.40
Washing Machine    75kg   £9.00

On average a cage vehicle carrying approximately 750kg will tip four times per day averaging three tonnes per day of fly-tipping.  That’s more than 1,000 tonnes per year for one cage van at a cost of £120,000 for waste disposal alone.

Ben Bradshaw MP backs Exeter’s bid to host UK Pride 2018

Ben Bradshaw, the Labour MP for Exeter, backs Exeter Pride in its bid to host UK Pride 2018.

Exeter Pride 2017
Exeter Pride 2017

Exeter Pride committee, the group which organises the annual celebration of the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT+) communities in the county of Devon, is one of six Pride organisations bidding to stage UK Pride 2018.

UK Pride is the national equivalent of EuroPride and WorldPride and is licensed by the UK Pride Organisers Network (UKPON).

All organisers of Pride events in the UK are entitled to be members of UKPON, and each Pride organisation will have one vote at the annual Conference which takes place in Blackpool from October 20-22, 2017.

Ben Bradshaw MP
Ben Bradshaw MP

Mr Bradshaw, said: “I would like to add my full and wholehearted support to the bid by Exeter Pride to host next year’s UK Pride event.

“Exeter Pride will be celebrating its 10th anniversary next year and it has grown enormously over that time and is now one of, if not the biggest, annual public events in Exeter.

“It would send out a very positive message for UK Pride to take place in one of our smaller provincial cities that LGBTQIA+ people live everywhere.

“It would also mean a great deal to me, having been Britain’s first MP elected as an openly gay man, having fought successfully against a bitterly homophobic campaign in Exeter in 1997.”

Andy Train
Andy Train

Co-Chair of UKPON, Andy Train, who is also Vice-Chair of Pride in Hull, said: “At Pride in Hull we were delighted to have the honour of hosting the first UK Pride earlier this year, and it’s a tribute to the impact it had on our Pride to see six Prides bidding for next year’s event. The Pride movement is growing across the UK and we had more than 20 brand new Prides this year.

“UK Pride helps to create a focal point for one Pride each year, to help increase visibility and awareness.

“UK Pride status is a unique opportunity and uplift for any Pride. I wish all six Prides all the very best of luck, and I can’t wait to see their bids.” 

Adam Rank
Adam Rank

Adam Rank, Chair of Exeter Pride, added: “Exeter Pride hopes that winning UK Pride will help us to increase LGBT+ visibility not just on one day but all year.

“Next year, 2018, is our 10th anniversary year and the perfect time to consider how far we have come both as a movement and a city.

“We work closely with cultural partners and local businesses, and hope that becoming UK Pride will help us not only to celebrate diversity but also to honour the city that we are so proud of!”

The Ninth Exeter Pride held on May 13 included a colourful rainbow flag march featuring thousands of people, community groups, statutory organisations, trade unions, LGBT+ groups and individuals. Joss Stone headlined the main stage and speeches were given by Lord Mayor of Exeter, Cllr. Cynthia Thompson and the local MP for Exeter, Ben Bradshaw MP.

Alan Quick
Alan Quick

Alan Quick, trustee of Exeter Pride, said: “Exciting plans are being made for the 10th anniversary Exeter Pride on Saturday, May 12, 2018, further details of which are to be announced in the near future.

“Exeter Pride is now firmly an annual community event in the city’s calendar.  It has built on the hard work of so many volunteers who helped organise the event in previous year’s, and is still run by volunteers which helps it retain its grass-roots community event feel.

“Every year Exeter Pride supports not only the city but the wider rural population.

“It is really successful at encouraging greater diversity and inclusion and a future aim is to give greater visibility to the region’s LGBT+ communities.

“Exeter Pride is now welcoming approaches from those who would like to get involved as volunteers, have a stall, audition to perform or be a partner or sponsor.

Groups or organisations wanting to take part in the march should email: chair@exeterpride.co.uk.

At the UKPON conference in Blackpool, each Pride will have just 15 minutes to present their bid, and all are being invited to publish their bids online so that people can view them in advance.

The winning Pride will be announced on Sunday, October 22, and will be live streamed on Facebook.

 

Green MP to speak at The Village MCC this Sunday

Caroline Lucas MP to speak at The Village Metropolitan Community Church on Sunday, October 22.

Caroline, the co-leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, has been the MP for Brighton Pavilion since the 2010 general election when she became the Green Party’s first MP. She was re-elected in the 2015 and 2017 general elections with increased majorities.

Caroline is known as a campaigner and writer on green economics, localisation, alternatives to globalisation, trade justice, and animal welfare.

She has worked with non-governmental organisations and think-tanks, including the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals. the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament and Oxfam. She remains a strong advocate for LGBT+ rights.

The Village MCC Brighton and Hove is a church created by LGBT+ christians, their families, friends, and allies, a Metropolitan Community Church called to support the LGBT+ communities in whatever ways it can offering a safe space where anyone can feel at home, fully affirmed in their sexuality and gender identity.

Church members are active in the larger community, offering emergency aid and support to the homeless and vulnerably housed.

Their minister, Rev. Michael Hydes, offers spiritual direction and pastoral care. You are welcome to join then for worship every Sunday evening.


Event: Caroline Lucas MP: Guest speaker at The Village MCC

Where: Somerset Day Centre, 62 St James’s Street, Brighton

When: Sunday, October 22

Time: 6pm

 

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