Message from our CEO
A big festive thank you to all our amazing community members and partners we have worked with throughout a ridiculously busy 2022.
2022 has seen TDC’s fullest ever year. With our neighbourhood community development work across the city at the heart of our work. Our MESH project helping over 50 people get jobs. Our youth work winning more awards. Our work with the amazing local Albanian community. Intergenerational fun at the Ageing Well festival. And so much more.
We understand that it has been another very challenging year for many – and we are now delivering Cost of Living pilots with local community organisations to support people through these tough times. We will be sharing more about this in the new year. Wishing all well over the festive break.
Best festive wishes
Athol
In 2022 TDC continued to work to support communities across the city of Brighton and Hove.
✨Here are our Highlights of the Year✨
Adam Muirhead, Director of Youth Work
"2022 was full of incredible activity from the whole youth work team here at TDC. My personal highlight was taking time out after a busy summer programme to check-in with ourselves and have some fun at the Youth Team’s overnight retreat in September. Along with some reflection, planning and monitoring, the team took part in some fun activities including raft building and archery before heading out for a meal and a gig in Shoreham-by-Sea.
Intended as part-treat/part-decompression, the whole experience allowed us time to acknowledge the challenges of the past year and to look forward together with some hope for great things to come."
Evie Beardmore, 121 Youth Worker
"My highlight of the year has been transitioning into a new role as a 121 Youth Worker. This role has been an exciting new challenge, allowing me to support the needs of young people and empower them through a person centred and asset-based approach.
The connections and work have been incredibly rewarding and I am feeling very fulfilled in my role at TDC”
Kate Barker, Consultant
"Curiosity youth club ran a three day summer project at the Whitehawk Inn experimenting with and creating a virtual reality of the local area. 16 young people attended and got involved with 360° filming, 3D scanning, creating virtual worlds, interviewing locals, and visiting areas of interest to them. It even involved the local bus station giving young people a free seafront bus ride just for them!
A young person commented 'You get to relax, but also to do cool virtual reality stuff. They supply food and it’s very fun. And the people and youth workers are really nice.'"
Emma Reeves, Community Development Worker
"This year has been an exciting one for me as I have worked more for the Equalities team, supporting people from diverse backgrounds into work via MESH, Finding Your Way and the Employability Support Ukrainian Project
One of the highlights of this work was the Inclusive Job Fair which was an event in collaboration with the Brighton and Hove Job Centres and the Brighton Business Chambers. It was great to see TDC staff in action supporting the job hunters and helping with translation. We had Arabic and Ukrainian speakers. It was a busy morning and it felt good to see people getting support not just in applying for work but also benefit and housing advice.
We hope to do it again in 2023."
Kaye Duerdoth, Director of Equalities
"Learn Around the World is my highlight of the year. We invited people from ethnically and culturally diverse backgrounds to join as each week to share experiences and learn together. The groups chose sessions about English language classes, setting up your own business on social media, fire safety, volunteering and the Mayor even popped in to give out certificates. It was a real TDC team effort from our multicultural support hub, social prescribing plus and community learning projects."
Claire Burchell, Citywide Manager
Caroline Vitta, Youth Work Manager
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Tony Silesby, Community Development Worker
"Our Highlight would have to be the North Whitehawk BBQ. TDC’s Neighbourhoods, Equalities and Youth Team’s supported Due East to do a door knock in North Whitehawk to find out what sorts of things people would like to see improved locally.
Lots of people said they would like to see more community events, so Due East fundraised for some Community resilience funding to put on a free summer event. It was a great success with over 120 children, young people and families who enjoyed the Circus Skills activities and a lovely BBQ staffed by local volunteers.
With the children entertained, the adults were able to also pop over to the planning for real consultation being held in the park, so they could have a say on how the Swanborough housing development might benefit the area when it is built. The TDC Youth Team gave out free school uniform vouchers to parents and young people who needed a little helping hand with the soaring costs of living. The best thing of all was the sun shone for us all. A great day was had and many residents said how much they appreciated it and how much they enjoyed living in the area. Bring on 2023 when we can do it all again!"
Cal Chester, Community Development Support Worker
"My highlight of the year were the trips we organised as part of our Ageing Well work to Tilgate Park, Reystede Animal Rescue and the amazing English Church of The Martyrs in Goring and its painted mini version of the Sistine Chapel.
For some, these trips were the first time they had been outside of Brighton for several years following lockdowns. It was really amazing to see people enjoying the space, natural beauty and sociability. The trips also linked brilliantly into our regular Ageing Well work in both Woodingdean and East Brighton, with older people we had been working with already coming on the trips or the trips allowing us to link new people into our regular groups.
Loads of other highlights included, were working in the great Ageing Well team, hosting Intergenerational Bingo, organising 3 Ageing Well Festival Events, supporting Albion Life's launch in the spring, presenting an award at the AGM and working in new spaces with new people!"
More about the visit to the English Martyrs Church here
Georgina Grant-Mills, Lead Youth Worker
"A few highlights from me this year was working with the Craven Vale Community. With their Wassail in January through to the Jubilee celebrations for the Late Queen and their Mediterranean fiesta which was full of music, dance, sangria and sun in September, residents had a great time. They have had a very busy and successful year. We will see out 2022 with our Annual Christmas party to celebrate with lots of festive cheer.
Plans are already being made for next years festivities, which will include Saturday teatime fever, monthly quiz evenings and the Coronation of our new King. I’m excited already and looking forward to 2023."
Anita Doherty, Community Development Support Worker
"My Highlight of the year was working in partnership with St Cuthmans in Whitehawk, signposting many people to local groups and services to get the right support, including getting energy support to those that needed it for this winter. I was able to refer lots of people to the over 50’s activities and enjoy a regular group get together for lunch and trips out. Seeing people engaging with the group and make new friendships has led to a lot of joy and lessened isolation.
It was also fun working on the activities for the Ageing Well Festival where we supported an Intergenerational event locally in East alongside our TDC Youth Team. It was wonderful seeing all the ages groups having fun and sharing conversations together. I am looking forward to how the group grows next year now they have been successful in getting some funding."
Anke Thurm, Community Development Worker
"We did it! Together with Moulsecoomb Local Action Team, Action for Bevendean Community and a local artist we managed to produce and publish our first “What’s on in Moulsecoomb & Bevendean”, which is distributed to all households in Moulsecoomb, Bevendean and Bates Estate!
So much good stuff going on here
Kirsty Walker, Director of Neighbourhoods Projects
"During recent years we have noticed increasing isolation and vulnerability for some members of our communities and one community that this is very true for is those with learning disabilities; so I was delighted to see our work with Speak Out enable some members create local connections with Sussex surplus’ café at Bristol Estate through creating a walking group to visit following their sessions.
Mike said about the lockdowns: 'I felt like a caged animal, it was awful'. 'I feel completely different now…I just want to do things and meet new people.' "
Amy Baker, Lead Youth Worker
"Our highlight of the year from the East team, is our trip from October half term when we went to the escape rooms and nearly didn’t get out!
We took our girls group and our Thursday café young people from Whitehawk, the girls did the raver quest room and café group did pavilion perplex. Everyone had such a lovely time and we ended the trip with a meal at Nando’s."
