EARLIER this year the lease on 93 St James Street was obtained, and work started on creating a central base for The Brighton & Hove LGBT Community Safety Forum’s Outreach and Next Step projects, and a home for an LGBT+ One Stop Shop to be run and managed by new charity, The Rainbow Hub.
THE LGBT Community Safety Forum moved in two months ago, and has been instrumental in making the infrastructure changes needed to turn this former fishmongers (and then tattoo parlour) into the warm, welcoming and accessible place that the LGBT+ communities in Brighton and Hove need. This has included improving the wiring, installing broadband and preparing plans to install an accessible toilet.
Meanwhile, on the one stop shop front, the application for charity registration is being considered, and an initial team of volunteers recruited. The next step is to recruit more volunteers, to train them, and to build up a database with information that will allow volunteers to direct people, either by direct contact at The Rainbow Hub or via the website, to appropriate LGBT+ specific services, help or advice.
Opening times are restricted whilst this progresses. The September opening hours are Monday to Saturday noon to 3pm.
Passers by may well find The Hub open at additional times, but organiser would rather under promise than disappoint the public.
To arrange a one to one appointment with The Community Safety Forum outside of these hours, you can book an appointment by email: info@lgbt-help.com, telephone: 01273 855620 or pop into the Rainbow Hub at 93 St James Street, BN2 1TP
If you’d like to volunteer to help develop The Rainbow Hub and have time (even a few hours) and/or experience or skill to contribute to this community project, contact Alan Flack at alan@therainbowhubbrighton.com or pop into The Hub.
Organisers are looking not only for customer facing roles (sitting at that desk!) but also help with data input, website content, and engagement with groups, organisations and service providers, to build up a current, useful, data base ensuring that the best, most appropriate information is available to the LGBT+ communities in Brighton and Hove.