Besi – Page 431 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

Keep an open mind for Mental Health Awareness Week

Posted on 10/05/2014 by Besi

City Council is supporting Open Minds, a free event at the University of Sussex on Monday May 12.

The event, part of this year’s Mental Health Awareness Week runs nationally from May 12-18 and has been organised by Albion in the Community, will be hosted by the University of Sussex Students’ Union, and will reflect this year’s theme of anxiety which is one of the leading causes of mental ill-health in the world. Evidence shows that the number of cases of anxiety is growing in the UK, with 8.2 million people diagnosed in 2010.

It is the aim of Mental Health Awareness Week to raise awareness of anxiety as a public health issue and to promote ways to reduce the effects of anxiety in everyday life.

The event is open to everyone with a wide range of activities including workshops, cinema, art, and music.

Programme of events to be held at Sussex University include:

12-4pm: Wellbeing Fair information market at the Quad

12-4pm: Are You Experienced? Art Exhibition at Falmer House

12-4pm: Anti-stigma cinema: screenings by the Game Changers project at Falmer House

12-2pm: Workshops in Mindfulness, Yoga, Ultimate Frisbee and Rounders with Albion in the Community’s Wellbeing Coaches

2-4pm: Human Library – where people share their personal stories of resilience and survival in one-to-one conversations with members of the public who ‘borrow’ them. To be held in the Debating Chamber, Falmer House

4pm: Tragic Roundabout playing in the Falmer Bar

The Mental Health Foundation, is a national charity and has been running Mental Health Week for the past 14 years. The Foundation leads on mental health and learning disability providing information, carrying out research, campaigning and working to improve services for anyone affected by mental health problems, whatever their age and wherever they live.

Clare Mitchison, Public Health Specialist at Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “Everyone knows what it’s like to feel anxious, but sometimes anxiety can develop into a longer term problem; panic attacks, phobias or obsessional disorders may make normal life difficult. It is now estimated that 1 in 4 people in the UK will, at some time in their lives, struggle with mental health issues, and at any one time 1 in 6 of us will experience a mental health problem such as anxiety or depression. Events like Mental Health Week all play a vital part in raising awareness and breaking down stigma for those who need help now and in the future.”

To round off the week the Festival Fringe one day Conference for reading and wellbeing, Read for your Life will be held at the Jubilee Library on Friday, May 16. Those attending will be able to hear award winning guest speakers from literary and therapeutic backgrounds, including Clinical Psychologist Dr Warren Matofsky, and take part in a variety of workshops including an Introduction to Whole Person Recovery.

Brighton & Hove Library Services will also be promoting their popular health and wellbeing collections, Mood-boosting Books and Books on Prescription plus library based activities including Reading Groups, and Read Aloud Groups, all of which have helped to provide a sense of wellbeing to many local individuals and groups.

For more information about Brighton & Hove Library Services, CLICK HERE:

For tickets to Read for your Life on May 16 at Jubilee Library, CLICK HERE:

Or telephone the Fringe Festival Box Office: 01273 917272

Rainbow Fund continues support to popular Lunch Positive, thanks to funding from Brighton Pride

Posted on 09/05/2014 by Besi

A grant by the Rainbow Fund has enabled Lunch Positive to continue its well-received work providing a popular weekly lunch club for people with HIV, serving healthy food and offering a community space for people to meet up and make new friends.

The funding was made possible by Brighton Pride from the revenue raised through its scheme to donate £1 per ticket sold for the event last year.

The grant from the Rainbow Fund has enabled Lunch Positive to provide 52 weekly Friday lunch club sessions and to help build a community space where people are highly supportive of each other. They have been able to provide a regular healthy lunch to everyone who comes along, many of whom struggle financially or find themselves in unforeseen difficulty.

An average of 54 people used the service at each session during 2013-14. They’ve also been able to involve 29 people in volunteering, without which their service could not be provided.

Funding towards the volunteer programme meant that a total of around 5,000 hours were given by volunteers. The volunteer team has grown to be one which is skilled, and both supportive of people who come to the lunch club, and each other.

Gary Pargeter from Lunch Positive said: “Despite improvements in HIV treatments, living with HIV can still be very isolating and a difficult life challenge. Many people still have poorer health, poorer mental health and are fearful of stigma. People tell us that at the lunch club ‘they can be themselves without fear of rejection’ and that ‘it’s like a family I don’t have’. We often hear that ‘it’s alifeline’. We’re seeing an ongoing increase of people joining the service and coming along each week. Many people who come along have recently moved to the locality and tell us ‘nothing like this exists where they have come from’ Something we should be proud of providing here in Brighton & Hove.

“The Rainbow Fund has been a lifeline to our organisation, and without this we would not be here right now. The Rainbow Fund grant has made an essential difference to our work. Smaller organisations like Lunch Positive rely on this type of funding and the Rainbow Fund has been pivotal in helping us to provide and develop our service.”

For more information about Lunch Positive, CLICK HERE:

For more information about the Rainbow Fund, CLICK HERE:

PREVIEW: Away from home at the Marlborough

Posted on 09/05/2014 by Besi

In the UK in 2014, The Civil Partnership Act is ten years old, same sex marriage has passed into law and it is a criminal offence to stir up hatred against people on grounds of their sexual orientation.

After years of struggle the final stigmas have been removed. It is okay to be gay and being out isn’t an issue and yet, homosexuality remains a taboo subject in English football. Not one of Britain’s 5,000 professional players is openly gay. The national sport is leagues behind everyone else.

Hot on the heels of the retired Aston Villa player Thomas Hitzlsperger revealing he is gay, theatre producers Working Progress Theatre Company and Hartshorn Hook Productions bring Away From Home, a visceral new play that tackles the issue of homophobia in English Football to Brighton during the Fringe.

Kyle is comfortable with his life as a male escort until the day he is hired by a premiership footballer, and finds himself falling in love. But can Kyle maintain a relationship with a closeted footballer in a country where not one pro player is out?

Can he go on pretending that the homophobia endemic in the game is nothing to do with him?

Does he know what a relationship means, when, for him, sex has only ever been a transaction?

Can he ever tell his friends – and his family – the truth?

Away From Home premiered last summer when it was granted the honour of opening The 24:7 Theatre Festival, Manchester’s annual new writing extravaganza. It is co-written by Rob Ward and Martin Jameson, whom, with three decades experience in theatre, TV and radio (Casualty, Emmerdale, Holby City and numerous dramas for BBC Radio 4), also directs.

Ward, taking the part of Kyle, is a founder of Working Progress Theatre Company.Rob Ward won the Audience Award for Best Actor at 24:7 and the work took the North West Equity Vicky Allen Memorial Award for best production. It was also recently been nominated for three Manchester Theatre Awards and won best new play, best fringe and best fringe performance.

What: Away from Home

Where: Marlborough Theatre, Prince’s Street, Brighton

When: May 22-26

Time: 7.30pm

Cost: £10/£8 (concs.)

Republica headline new live Q Stage at Brighton Pride

Posted on 09/05/2014 by Besi

Brighton Pride will be welcoming one of the most iconic 90’s female fronted rock bands to the brand new Q Live Music Stage this August.

Prepare for a set of gritty electronica as Republica aka. Saffron Sprackling, Tim Dorney, Johnny Male and Conor Lawrence perform their global chart smashers Ready To Go, From Rush Hour With Love and Drop Dead Gorgeous alongside tracks from their critically acclaimed 2013 EP Christiana Obey.

Front woman Saffron, said: “I’m so excited to play Brighton Pride this year as the gay and lesbian community have always been such great supporters of our music. I’m proud to say one of our songs Drop Dead Gorgeous has been described as a gay anthem with many gay couples telling me over the years it means a lot to them. Pride is a brilliant celebration for everybody to be proud of who they are, their sexuality and beliefs. We have loved headlining at Summer Rites and G.A.Y. in London so to be playing Brighton Pride in my hometown feels like coming home”.

As well as selling millions of albums worldwide Saffron has been in demand as a vocalist, collaborating with The Prodigy, The Cure, Junkie Xl, Gary Numan, Jeff Beck, Jah Wobble, N-Joi, Mark Moore, St Etienne and The Shamen.

A festival favourite throughout Europe with performances at Isle Of Wight Festival, Norway’s Midnattsrocken Festival, The Welsh GB Rally and Hanover’s Ferryman Festival in Germany under their belt in 2013, Saffron and Republica guarantees an explosion of glorious sound at Brighton Pride Festival this August.

What: Pride Brighton & Hove 2014: Freedom To Live

Where: Pride Festival Preston Park

When: Saturday, August 2

Time: 12 noon – 10pm

Cost: £9 /£12.50 Early Bird tickets sold out: Discounted £15 advance (first release) until end of May, then £17.50 in June /£20 in July/ and more on the day.

For more information about Brighton Pride, CLICK HERE:

GMFA helps young gay men to ‘Think Again’ about HIV

Posted on 09/05/201409/05/2014 by Besi

In April this year, GMFA launched the Think Again campaign, encouraging young gay men to reconsider what they knew about HIV and sexual safety.

In 2012: 5,250 UK based gay men were diagnosed with HIV. A third of these men were in their teens or twenties.

In the two weeks since the campaign was launched:

• 851,511 people have seen the campaign on Facebook

• 77,268 interacted with the campaign (clicked on the link, commented, liked or shared it)

• Almost 1,000 more people liked GMFA’s Facebook page which means that they will now receive regular updates about HIV and sexual health.

• 68,900 people have seen the campaign on Twitter

• 18,100 interacted with it (clicked on the link, favourited, replied or retweeted)

• 1,666 people have shared the campaign on Tumblr

• Stephen Fry tweeted it, describing it as ‘brilliant’

• More than 11,000 people have come to the Think Again page on GMFA’s website

• The number of HIV test kits ordered through the GMFA website quadrupled, with 80% of kits now being sent to men in their teens and 20s (up from 45%).

Over the next few weeks Think Again will be appearing in more of the gay press, on posters in gay bars and, from July, on bus shelters in Clapham, Shoreditch, Vauxhall and Dalston.

GMFA currently receives no financial support from local or national Government for its HIV prevention work. The Think Again campaign has been solely funded by the support and generosity of individuals from the gay community, and the men and women who value this community.

If you would like to support the Think Again campaign and their future campaigns by making a donation, CLICK HERE:

GMFA campaigns currently in development include work for gay men who have chem-sex and a campaign to address HIV-related stigma.

GMFA was founded in 1992 and is the UK’s leading charity dedicated to gay men’s health. Its mission is to improve gay men’s health by increasing the control they have over their own lives. GMFA believes that the best health promotion for gay men comes from gay men themselves and use the knowledge and ideas of their 140 volunteers, most of them gay men, to design and plan their thought-provoking sexual health interventions.

For more information about GMFA, CLICK HERE:

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PREVIEW: Bletchley Park presents Andrew Hodges

Posted on 09/05/201409/05/2014 by Besi

Alan Turing’s biographer Andrew Hodges, is to speak at Bletchley Park on Sunday, August 17.

Andrew will talk about his biography of Alan Turing; the definitive account of an extraordinary mind and life of a man now widely recognised as the founder of computer science. A gripping story of mathematics, computers, cryptography, and homosexual persecution, Andrew Hodges’ acclaimed book captures both the inner and outer drama of Turing’s life.

Hodges will tell of how Turing’s revolutionary idea of 1936 – the concept of a universal machine, laid the foundation for the modern computer and how Turing brought the idea to practical realisation in 1945 with his electronic design. He considers how this work was directly related to Turing’s leading role in breaking the German Enigma ciphers during World War Two, a scientific triumph that was critical to Allied victory in the Atlantic. At the same time, this is the tragic story of a man who, despite his wartime service, was eventually arrested and forced to undergo a humiliating treatment programme, all for trying to live honestly in a society that defined homosexuality as a crime.

Andrew Hodges teaches mathematics at Wadham College, University of Oxford. A colleague of Roger Penrose, he is also an active contributor to the mathematics of fundamental physics. He is famous for his book Alan Turing: The Enigma, which is currently being made into a film starring Benedict Cumberbatch as Alan Turing, to be released later this year. The book was chosen by Michael Holroyd as part of a list of 50 essential books in The Guardian.

Tickets to Bletchley Park Presents Andrew Hodges Sunday, August 17 are £20, on sale now.

Friends of Bletchley Park receive priority booking on all ticketed events, among other benefits.

For more information about Bletchley Park, CLICK HERE:

Labour calls for more supported employment in the South East

Posted on 09/05/2014 by Besi

Labour MEP candidate Anneliese Dodds has called for more employers in the South East to offer supported employment to people with disabilities.

Anneliese Dodds Labour MEP candidate — Labour MEP candidate Anneliese Dodds with Jeff White (left) and Chris Henry and Nigel Jenner

Anneliese made the appeal after visiting ableandwilling, a supported employer partly funded by Brighton and Hove City Council, which champions equal opportunities and access into the work place. Anneliese visited ableandwilling, in Hangleton, on Wednesday, May 7, accompanied by council candidates Chris Henry and Nigel Jenner. The social enterprise employs twenty staff members from across Sussex, ninety percent of who have a disability.

She said: “It has been fantastic to discover how well ‘supported employment’ works here in Hove at ableandwilling. ableandwilling are great champions for equal access to employment for disabled people.

“Not only is providing supported employment for disabled people required by European law, it’s also the right thing to do.

“It has been really inspiring to witness first-hand how one company is making such a big difference to many disabled peoples’ lives. In the future, we need to see more companies offering supported employment in the South East”.

Jeff White, the manager at ableandwilling, explained the variety of production work undertaken by staff, including embroidery, printing, and assembly.

They went on to demonstrate some current work projects, including the creation of tea coasters and mugs for local artists and musicians, large fabric printing for sizeable companies’ staff uniforms, promotional wear, and the production of advertising banners.

Jeff added: “People working here are recommended through SCOPE, and interviewed before being placed on a six month contract with us. I believe ableandwilling makes a huge difference to the lives of our employees, empowering them with the dignity of full time work, and welcoming them into a safe and supportive environment.

“Our aim is to equip our employees with the skills and training, to allow them to progress into a full time career once they leave us. Our work force are fantastic, producing items of consistently high quality, which leave our customers across both public and private sectors extremely satisfied.”

For more information about ableandwilling, CLICK HERE:

PREVIEW: Normal Heights: Brighton Fringe May 8-19

Posted on 08/05/201409/05/2014 by Besi

Raucous brother act from USA honours deceased uncle, while promoting inclusion and laughter.

Normal Heights is the original one-and-a-half-man show that was a five-star audience favorite at the Boulder International Fringe Festival.

Creator/performer Jim Walker and accompanist brother Adam bring the production to UK audiences for 11 shows only – at the Brighton Fringe Festival (between May 8-19) – and London’s Leicester Square Theatre (between May 26-28).

Drawn from the writings of Edward Walker – a gay man forcibly outed in 1950’s San Diego – the 50-minute show combines cabaret, memoir and theater to effect keen cultural satire around sexuality, masculinity and the costs of silence.

Original songs with razor-sharp lyrics reveal California suburbs awash in pool play, foreplay, playboys and word play. The lively and hilarious show explores coming of age (and coming to terms) in the land of don’t ask-don’t tell

A University of Colorado writing instructor & PhD, Jim was inspired to create the piece upon inheriting his late uncle’s journals. He collaborated with Denver Center for the Performing Arts composer Gary Grundei to create the show’s original songs.

At a time when battles rage across U.S. staterooms and courtrooms over LGBT rights, the piece’s focus on sexuality and inclusion could not be more apt.

Jim and his musician brother Adam now tour the show in honor of their deceased uncle – a man of culture and creativity who was himself an actor in 1960’s London. Thus, this UK debut is both homage and a kind of homecoming.

Original songs by Gary Grundei and Jim Walker, directed by Meridith Grundei with musical accompaniment by Adam Walker.

Brighton performances:

What: Normal Heights by Jim Walker

Where: DukeBox Theatre, 3 Waterloo Street, Hove

When: May 8-10 and 12-13 at 8pm

Time: 8pm

Cost: £8 (£6)

Where: Latest Musicbar, 15-17 Manchester Street, Brighton

When: May 17-19

Time: 7pm

Cost: £8 (£7) £10 on the door

To book Brighton performances, CLICK HERE:

Or telephone: 01273 917272

London performances:

What: Normal Heights by Jim Walker

Where: Leicester Square Theatre, 6 Leicester Place, London WC2H 7BX

When: May 26-28

Time: 9.30pm

Cost: £8 (£7)

To book London performance, CLICK HERE:

Or telephone: 08448 733433

For more information about Normal Heights, CLICK HERE:

People with HIV benefit from Rainbow Fund and Pride grant funding

Posted on 08/05/2014 by Besi

Peer Action’s health and wellbeing therapies benefit people living with HIV following a Rainbow Fund and Brighton Pride grant.

Peer Action was established to encourage and empower people living with HIV to value their health and wellbeing while minimising the impact of loneliness and anxiety.

Peer Action is made up of members who are HIV+ or who are affected by HIV. They are expanding with groups formed irrespective of gender, transgender, sexual orientation, race, religion or nationality to create a safe, confidential space for a community led peer support group to meet in a relaxed, informal and social setting.

From the Rainbow Fund grant, provided thanks to last year’s funding from Brighton Pride, the group has been able to offer six community-based therapy events and given 154 separate therapies. In addition the funding has helped to provide 33 ear acupuncture treatments and a further 36 therapy sessions at the Sussex Beacon.

On top of the therapy events Peer Action has been running weekly yoga sessions for the last two years, on average they sign in ten service users which over six months is 240 spaces taken. For many service users this is a good way of improving core strength and thus improving posture along with general relaxation and mindfulness.

Paul Elgood, Chairman of the Rainbow Fund said: “Peer Action are a good example of the community-based and volunteer-led group making a huge impact in health and wellbeing for local people with HIV. Their work really highlights how well the funding from Brighton Pride has been used in the community.”

Nancy Platts calls for a new rail policy to control rail fares

Posted on 08/05/2014 by Besi

Nancy Platts, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the next general election is calling for a new rail policy to improve services and control rail fares.

Nancy Platts, PPC Labour candidate for Kemptown & Peacehaven

Nancy spoke on BBC Radio 4’s Today programme earlier this week following the publication of a letter from over 30 Prospective Parliamentry Candidates in the Observer last weekend calling for a bold policy to improve services and control fares.

She said: “People in Brighton tell me they don’t understand how train companies can walk away with £300m of profits every year whilst they pay around £4,000 for an annual season ticket. I think these profits would be better spent bringing fares down for passengers and we can secure this money by bringing rail franchises back into the public sector as they expire. £70m going back into the system could take 1% off fares for passengers.

“People are already struggling with rising prices and stagnant wages, a policy to reduce rail fares by bringing the railway franchises back into public ownership would help people out who are struggling with the cost of living.

“The East Coast Mainline has shown that a railway run by the public sector can save money for the taxpayer. It has made profits of more than £50m since 2009 and that has been returned to the taxpayer”.

She added: “This policy would fit in perfectly with Labour’s wider offer to reduce the cost of living and put money back in people’s pockets, the freeze on energy bills until 2017, controlling rent increases in the private rented sector and 25 hours free childcare – this would be a welcome addition to that cost of living offer.”

An Opinium/Observer poll on the future of rail shows that more than three times as many people back some form of renationalisation of rail services (55%) with (18%) opposing it.

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Author: Besi

Keep an open mind for Mental Health Awareness Week

City Council is supporting Open Minds, a free event at the University of Sussex on Monday May 12.

Rainbow Fund continues support to popular Lunch Positive, thanks to funding from Brighton Pride

A grant by the Rainbow Fund has enabled Lunch Positive to continue its well-received work providing a popular weekly lunch club for people with HIV, serving healthy food and offering a community space for people to meet up and make new friends.

PREVIEW: Away from home at the Marlborough

In the UK in 2014, The Civil Partnership Act is ten years old, same sex marriage has passed into law and it is a criminal offence to stir up hatred against people on grounds of their sexual orientation.

Republica headline new live Q Stage at Brighton Pride

Brighton Pride will be welcoming one of the most iconic 90’s female fronted rock bands to the brand new Q Live Music Stage this August.

GMFA helps young gay men to ‘Think Again’ about HIV

In April this year, GMFA launched the Think Again campaign, encouraging young gay men to reconsider what they knew about HIV and sexual safety.

PREVIEW: Bletchley Park presents Andrew Hodges

Alan Turing’s biographer Andrew Hodges, is to speak at Bletchley Park on Sunday, August 17.

Labour calls for more supported employment in the South East

Labour MEP candidate Anneliese Dodds has called for more employers in the South East to offer supported employment to people with disabilities.

PREVIEW: Normal Heights: Brighton Fringe May 8-19

Raucous brother act from USA honours deceased uncle, while promoting inclusion and laughter.

People with HIV benefit from Rainbow Fund and Pride grant funding

Peer Action’s health and wellbeing therapies benefit people living with HIV following a Rainbow Fund and Brighton Pride grant.

Nancy Platts calls for a new rail policy to control rail fares

Nancy Platts, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the next general election is calling for a new rail policy to improve services and control rail fares.

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City Council is supporting Open Minds, a free event at the University of Sussex on Monday May 12.

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A grant by the Rainbow Fund has enabled Lunch Positive to continue its well-received work providing a popular weekly lunch club for people with HIV, serving healthy food and offering a community space for people to meet up and make new friends.

Share this:

In the UK in 2014, The Civil Partnership Act is ten years old, same sex marriage has passed into law and it is a criminal offence to stir up hatred against people on grounds of their sexual orientation.

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Brighton Pride will be welcoming one of the most iconic 90’s female fronted rock bands to the brand new Q Live Music Stage this August.

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In April this year, GMFA launched the Think Again campaign, encouraging young gay men to reconsider what they knew about HIV and sexual safety.

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Alan Turing’s biographer Andrew Hodges, is to speak at Bletchley Park on Sunday, August 17.

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Labour MEP candidate Anneliese Dodds has called for more employers in the South East to offer supported employment to people with disabilities.

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Raucous brother act from USA honours deceased uncle, while promoting inclusion and laughter.

Share this:

Peer Action’s health and wellbeing therapies benefit people living with HIV following a Rainbow Fund and Brighton Pride grant.

Share this:

Nancy Platts, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Brighton Kemptown and Peacehaven at the next general election is calling for a new rail policy to improve services and control rail fares.

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