News Archive
Aerosol Art Archived
Children and young adults can learn more about aerosol art at a local workshop. Four workshops will be held in Brighton by Wet Paint Productions from August 17th 2010. They will be led by two professional artists and each taster session will cater for a different age group. No previous experience is necessary.
Dates:
- Tuesday 17 August 2010 - 7-10 year olds - £20 per person
- Wednesday 18 August 2010 - 10-14 year olds - £20 per person
- Thursday 19 August 2010 - 14-18 year olds - £30 per person
- Friday 20 August 2010 - 18+ year olds - £30 per person
Venue: CompARTment, Stalls 38/39, The Open Market, Ditchling Road, Brighton
For more information please see http://www.wetpaintproductions.co.uk/2010/08/
Pride 2010 - All New Families' Area Archived
Rainbow Families have been successful in gaining a grant from ‘Awards for All’ in support of a Families’ Area at Pride in Brighton & Hove 2010. To help create a festival vibe, the park will be ‘zoned’ this year, with community tents and stages separated from the dance tents and commercial shopping areas. At the heart of this, an all-new families’ area will be created around a circus tent, with dedicated seating, baby-change and breastfeeding facilities, as well as toilets for the exclusive use of families.
Through generous support from the Baby Rock childcare agency, a crèche will be available within the families’ area between 12 and 4pm. Places are limited, so pre-booking is essential. To reserve your space, and treat yourself to a child-free hour or two please click here.
As well as organising some professional entertainment, Rainbow Families are hoping to run a few low-key activities within the tent and outside enclosure, as well as an information stall. Can you spare some time on the day to help run the stall, keep an eye on some games equipment, or even lead an activity of your own? If so, please get in touch by emailing Jane at jane.frostick@khwp.org.uk. Any help will be gratefully received!
Rainbow Families is an informal social group for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender parents and their children in Brighton and Hove and surrounding areas. The group aims to create a friendly, inclusive space for our children to enjoy being with other children who have same-sex parents, whatever their origins. For more information please see their website - www.rainbowfamilies.org.uk
Clued Up Brighton Archived
A community event will be taking place on Brighton seafront to raise awareness of the impact that drugs and alcohol can have on peoples' lives. Clued Up Brighton will be held on Sunday 1st August on the beachfront in the area where the old paddling pool used to be, not far from the West Pier. There is no admission charge and the event will run between 2pm and 10pm.
The event is a fun day out for young people and teenagers to come and enjoy live bands on the stage, comedians, magicians, stilt walkers, jugglers, and other acts from Brighton & Hove, while at the same time gaining knowledge of how drugs and alcohol could impact on their lives.
The main screen will show short films from local people sharing their personal stories and local charities and support groups will be providing information about their services. This is very much a community event by local people for local people.
The event is the brainchild of Anna Bryman who has managed to put together a passionate and enthusiastic team to make it all happen.
She says: "I believe that drugs played a major role in the breakdown of my marriage and more recently, this January, I lost my brother-in-law who contracted hepatitis C as the result of a long history of drug abuse. My children are now 11 and 14 and I think that it is extremely important that the youth of today are aware of the impacts that drugs and alcohol can have on your life. It may start out as fun but can quickly turn into a downward spiral”.
Anna, in conjunction with local poet Neil Sykes, has written some lyrics for a song to support the cause and invites all young song writers in the local community to write a melody for the lyrics. There are 3 age categories and the winner of each category will have their song recorded professionally at Warner Music Studios, be invited to play their song live on stage on the day, and have their track played across Brighton & Hove on Juice 107.2.
More information is available on the website - http://www.cluedupbrighton.org/
It's Play Time This Summer Archived
The Brighton & Hove community play programme is offering local children and families five weeks of fun during the summer holidays. There will be daily sessions from Monday 26 July to Friday 27 August at a number of locations around the city.
Every Wednesday – including National Play Day on 4 August – will be a special play bonanza from 11am to 3pm featuring not only the community play bus but also a range of special features such as:
- street dance (28 July, 4, 18 and 25 August)
- circus skills
- a climbing tower (on 4, 11 and 25 August)
- the Krazy Kats Theatre (11 and 25 August)
- sports and games with the council’s Active for Life team
- ‘Audio-Active’ music workshops (26 and 29 July plus 11, 18 and 25 August)
- the children’s library service and toy library.
On other weekdays the play bus will offer free play, music, sport, art, drama and games both in and around the bus. On some days the children’s library service and Baby Boogie will also be on offer.
The play bus will be visiting the following venues from 2.30pm to 5pm unless stated:
26-27 July Whitehawk Way
28 July Saunders Park (11am to 3pm)
29-30 July The Level
2-3 August Hangleton Park
4 August Hove Park (11am to 3pm)
4-6 August Wish Park
9-10 August Mile Oak Park
11 August East Hill Park (11am to 3pm)
12-13 August Saltdean Oval
16-17 August Mackie Avenue, Patcham (2-5pm)
18 August Queen’s Park (11am to 3pm)
19-20 August Vale Park
23-24 August Coldean primary school grounds
25 August Preston Park (11am to 3pm)
26-27 August Happy Valley, Woodingdean (2-5pm)
For further details contact the Council’s Family Information Service on 01273 293545.
Changes to Free Swimming Archived
Free swimming to end
Although the funding for free swimming for under 16's and over 60's has been cut by the Government, Brighton & Hove City Council at it's full council meeting yesterday (22nd July 2010) agreed to fund free swimming in the city until the end of the school holidays and for under 11's until March 2011.
This is likely to be welcomed by parents at the beginning of the school summer holidays when many families are struggling financially. Many families will welcome the gesture by the council to allow them to use swimming facilities for free over the summer.
For more information about the cuts to council services go to: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-sussex-10737407
For more information about free swimming in the city go to: http://www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/index.cfm?request=c1200054
July Men's Network Meeting Archived
If so, why not go along for the next gathering of The Men's Network on
Wednesday 28th July, 7:45pm - 9.30pm
You'll spend the evening with professionals, experts and passionate individuals to explore the question:
‘If boys are the problem, is mentoring the answer?'
Many people consider boys (especially teenagers) and their behavior to be ‘the problem' in society and schools without considering what it is that they are communicating to us through their behaviour
Do girls ask for help and boys act for help?
In this gathering we want to consider if that what boys are demanding of their communities and society is strong leadership and direction and the security that brings, and if so is mentoring from positive male role models the answer?
Interested?
Reserve your free place today by calling Ben Dew (Secretary of The Men's Network) on 07824 612 899 or emailing themensnetwork@hotmail.com
The gathering will take place at The Conference Room in Community Base, South Wing - 13 Queen's Road - Brighton - BN1 3XG
Fathers & Sons Picnic Archived
Fathers & Sons Picnic in the Park
Sun 23rd August 2009, 2pm - 6pm
Preston Park, Brighton
(Behind the Rotunda Cafe/ next to Bowling Greens)
As part of The Men's Project Launch Weekend we will be hosting a Fathers & Sons Picnic in the Park. (For more information about other events this weekend please see attachment).
Their aim is to bring together 200+ fathers and sons in celebration of this most important of male bonds, between a father and his son(s).
It will be an afternoon of food, fun and activities and also an opportunity for fathers to meet in numbers and share their experiences of fathering.
Fathers, grandfathers, step fathers, foster dads, male carers / guardians and their sons of all ages welcome
Bring your own food and any equipment required for activities/games
For further details about this event and others like it:
Join www.facebook.com/TheMensProject
(e) themensproject@hotmail.co.uk
(t) 07824612899
Young Volunteers Wanted Now Archived
If you’re aged 14-25, live in Brighton & Hove and fancy trying something new over the summer holidays, why not try volunteering?
There’s all sorts of activities you can volunteer for, including:
- Conservation work with the Sussex Wildlife Trust
- Gardening and allotment work
- Helping organise a family fun day or a six-a-side football tournament
- Working with older people
- Helping make a film about volunteering.
This summer’s volunteer placement scheme is the latest phase in a joint project between Brighton & Hove City Council, Creative Futures and Brighton & Hove Volunteers.
The council’s cabinet member for children and young people, Councillor Vanessa Brown, said: “Hundreds of our young people have already volunteered for projects this summer through their schools, but there are still plenty of opportunities out there."
No previous experience is needed. If you’re aged 14-16 and want to find out more about volunteering opportunities, email raquel.buckland@bhvolunteers.org.uk or phone 01273 726408.
If you’re aged 16-25, email youth-advisor@bhvolunteers.org.uk or phone 01273 234779.
The Maternity Services Parents' Forum Archived
Are you pregnant or have you recently had a baby? Are you happy with your local maternity services? Tell your story and share your opinions of NHS maternity care in Brighton and Hove.
The Maternity Services Parents' Forum meets every other month in Hove. Parent representatives take comments, concerns and opinions from the Maternity Services Parents' Forum to the Brighton and Hove Maternity Services Liaison Committee (MSLC).
The Brighton and Hove MSLC is a committee whose members include:
- maternity service providers (midwives, obstetricians, hospital managers)
- NHS commissioners
- local health visitors
- antenatal teachers, doulas and the parent representatives from the Maternity Services Parents' Forum.
The MSLC meets every two months to discuss current issues, to influence the way maternity services are designed and to ensure that the needs and expectations of local people are being met.
New mothers are especially welcome, so are fathers and partners. We provide refreshments and cover childcare and travel expenses. If you are interested and would like to find out more please contact Hannah on 07778 742704 or email hannah@sherlockassociates.com.
Playbuilder Put On Hold Archived
Planned improvements to 11 parks and playspaces around the city are having to be put on hold as a result of Government spending review. Brighton & Hove City Council, along with other local authorities, has been told with immediate effect by to halt spending under the Playbuilder scheme until further notice.
The council is in the second year of the Playbuilder scheme to redevelop 22 playgrounds funded through a £1.1 million Government grant. Work on 11 parks has already been completed, but 11 more were due to be improved this year. Consultation and design work has been carried out, but construction has not yet started.
Council Leader Mary Mears said: "We have worked closely with residents in the areas involved to improve these parks and playspaces and it is very disappointing to have to put the plans on hold.
"Until we receive further information from the Government regarding the funding we have to put the project on hold, but we can assure residents that we are committed to providing high quality playspaces for children will be exploring all options available to us."
The parks affected are:
- Barn Rise
- Bexhill Road
- Coldean (Wolseley Road)
- East Brighton Park
- Easthill Park
- Happy Valley
- Hodshrove Wood
- Mackie Avenue
- Saltdean Oval
- Whitehawk (Near St Cuthman's Church)
- Whitehawk (North)
Work will continue with as planned to improve the playgrounds at Stoneham Park, St Ann's Well Park, Wish Park and Tarner Park which are funded by Section 106 developer's contributions.
This decision will be discussed at the Full Council Meeting this Thursday 22nd July, 4pm at Hove Town Hall.
