As part of the Stanmer Park Restoration Project a number of Oral History Memory days are taking place this October providing a chance for people to come along to share past and present memories of Stanmer Park. People are being asked to bring along treasured photos and other memorabilia to share and TDC are pleased to be playing a part in this project, helping create a unique record of the park’s fascinating past.
All are welcome, no need to book and the events are being held at:
St Georges Hall, Newick Road, Moulsecoomb 8 October, 2 – 5pm
New Larchwood Waldron Avenue, Coldean 8 October, 9.30am – 12.30pm
Plumpton College at Stanmer Park 12 October, 10am – 2pm
Brighton Museum, Royal Pavilion Gardens 26 October, 11am – 4pm
The 2019 Tarner festival took place on Saturday - the hottest day of the year, giving local residents the chance to come together and celebrate in the beautiful setting of Tarner Park.
With the usual excellent line up by AudioActive, the acts taking part showcased a superb variety of music and spoken word artists. South East Dance curated the dance performances which included a fantastic selection of dance styles from all over the world.
There were crafts to try, unusual animals for younger residents to meet, the skate park was open and there was plenty of delicious food and drink including a special mocktail bar. Team TDC was there telling people about the Healthy Neighbourhood Fund, sharing the Summer edition of the Tarner newsletter and talking about local initiatives in the Tarner area.
The annual Lucky Dip fair took place in Hollingdean on Sunday 30th June, with local residents coming together to celebrate their neighbourhood and enjoy a day out together in the sun.
Organisers cleverly repurposed The Dip bus stop as a stage, with local musicians, storytellers and a dancing seagull providing the entertainment. The huge kids' section in the middle of the festival ensured that the younger residents of Hollingdean had a great time – with art and crafts to get involved with plus a Lego challenge with prizes for the best creations. RepTylers brought along a number of reptiles and spiders for residents to meet.
There was an interesting mixture of stalls including bric-a-brac and plants, a fine selection of handmade crafts and plenty of homemade cake, many fundraising for local community initiatives such as the WI or Hollingdean Development Trust.
TDC’s local community development worker Ceza was there talking to people about the Healthy Neighbourhood Fund and the many initiatives he is supporting in the area – these include Cooking on a Budget, Craftea Wednesdays, Hollingdean Women’s ESOL Group, Friday Fitness, Hollingdean Knitting Group, Hollingdeaners, Tavistock Down Community Gardens and The Biscuit Club.
Residents of Moulsecoomb and Bevendean have launched a new project to establish a nature trail which links the accessible green spaces in Bevendean and Moulsecoomb, such as woodlands, meadows, parks and orchards. This project is a collaboration between Fernee Forest Club, Friends of Moulsecoomb Woods and Friends of Farm Green. The aim is to encourage the enjoyment and conservation of these local green spaces; to share their value and to bring people together.
The group successfully crowdfunded to start the project off. The funding will go towards creating an illustrated map which highlights the features of each of the green spaces and shows a variety of walking routes that link them, establishing some signage to create a physical trail, and hosting 4 seasonal Healthwalks using the trail, starting with the Summer Walk on 6th July from 11am with Farm Green in Lower Bevendean as meeting point.
There is also an online survey out now asking ward residents about their ideas and opinions on local green and open spaces and their facilities, inspired by the group and supported by TDC : https://s.surveyplanet.com/uLqP7Ecqy
During Refugee Week 2019 (17–23 June) people across the city celebrated the contribution that refugees & migrants have made and continue to make to Brighton & Hove. This year’s theme was ‘You, Me and Those Who Came Before’.
On Sunday 23rd, members of TDC’s Equalities and Inclusion team attended Sanctuary on Sea’s flagship Refugee Week event, Together. Largely organised by refugees and groups working with migrants the day included stalls, drumming workshops, poetry and book readings, film screenings, art installations, doll and puppet making, henna hand painting and games. There was delicious food from around the world, plus many more activities bringing people together.
TDC’s MESH case worker Cicely, tells us more:
“TDC partnered with Voices in Exile (ViE) this year to promote both our services, and particularly the shared MESH (Migrant ESOL Support Hub) project. We delivered a Clay Therapy Workshop (thank you, Penny, ViE volunteer) and an Interactive Mapping Task (thank you, Brighton Peace & Environment Centre for the loan of the lovely big cloth world map – pictured below). People were invited to write about their countries of origin, places, food, sounds and memories held dear, and attach them onto the map. The event was well attended by people from our refugee community and other local residents. The atmosphere was really warm and the activities were enjoyed by many, with opportunities to meet and chat, whilst being creative and sharing experiences. There were talks, music, lots of inspiring art activities, delicious food, and strong evidence of the growing connections between locals and refugees and migrants. The event reflected how Brighton really is a Sanctuary by the Sea, with lots of great organisations and individuals (including the Network of International Women, Hummingbird, Brighton Table Tennis Club) contributing to make refugees welcome here.”
Brighton and Hove like many cities and towns across the UK – is impacted by violence, vulnerability and exploitation related to drug dealing, serious & violent crime and the criminal & sexual exploitation of children, young people and vulnerable adults.
This is often referred to as ‘County Lines’ which refers to the transportation of drugs across the country by children and vulnerable adults who have been exploited by organised criminal gangs or groups. A wide range of statutory, community and voluntary sector organisations have come together to raise awareness of these issues throughout the second half of June 2019.
These agencies include Brighton & Hove City Council (BHCC), Sussex Police, Office of Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner, Brighton & Hove Clinical Commissioning Group, East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service, The Trust for Developing Communities, YMCA Downslink Group, AudioActive, Tarner Community Project, Hangleton & Knoll Project and Albion in the Community.
The events that have been organised will be supported by a social media awareness campaign called #spotthesigns which seeks to help us all understand what exploitation looks like, the impact it has on people and communities in Brighton & Hove, and how to access support if you or someone you know is being exploited.
Further information will be shared online by BHCC, Sussex Police and the local adults and children safeguarding boards and their respective social media accounts.
For more info contact The Community Safety Team on 01273 292735 or Sussex Police on [email protected] or call 101 and quote Op Cuckoo. In an emergency contact 999. If you would like more information at Neighbourhood Level you can also contact Claire Burchell, The Trust for Developing Communities Citywide Manager on 07450 281331 [email protected]
We had a wonderful time on Saturday 15th June at the very first 'Blossom Day' at Craven Vale.
Visitors came along to The Vale Community Centre to find out what is being done by local people to improve biodiversity in the area. Nature walks gave people the chance to learn about the community orchard, the wildlife garden, the rare Elm trees in Craven Wood and the butterfly-friendly wildflower banks around the estate. And everyone got involved in crafts such as making solitary bee homes and hoverfly lagoons.
Bee-themed activities took place all day – there was face painting, and minibeasts to colour in. There were bee cakes to eat (think butterfly cakes disguised as well… bees) and no detail was missed - even the napkins had bees on them! Everybody got into the fun spirit of the day - in the photos you’ll spot TDC Community Development Worker Amy Allison and volunteer Nick – they’re the ones dressed as caterpillars all in green.
The event was a huge success. Despite the drizzly weather the community centre was packed, with lots of local people coming along as well as others who had come from further afield to learn about bees, biodiversity and more. We counted 25 people on our nature walk through Craven Woods! A big thank you to everyone who came along and made the day so special.
On 12th May, a group of young people from Brighton & Hove headed to Goodwood Motor Circuit to race an F24 kit car they had built from scratch. This was a great collaboration between TDC, Sussex Police and St Giles Trust and the group achieved fantastic results on the day. TDC’s Claire Burchell co-ordinated the project, working with David Garrett who managed the project on the ground. David tells us more…
“Started in 2011, the Greenpower Education Trust Formula-24 races are won by the car completing the most distance in 90mins. The car’s young drivers built the kit car in an 8 week rush for the May 12th season opener. Quickly recovering from a difficult practice, the team finished their first race in 9th position in their class (out of 56 cars). They weren’t helped by a 30min red flag delay for a multiple car collision which saw some drivers leaving the track with the medical crew. A swift driver change after the restart saw the Kit car rapidly rise up the field as the sides of the sun-baked 3.8km Goodwood Motor Circuit were littered with retired cars.
A slower start to the second of the endurance races led to hopes the batteries of the electric single-seater would give the team a boost in the latter stages. With the car climbing from a frustrating 47th place to 13th in class, time ran out as the car was once again reeling in experienced rivals. With the 6 cars above all finishing within 0.01km race distance of our Kit Car, a 7th place finish was just out of reach.
Most of the competitors are from secondary schools who have been entering one or more cars for several years. That didn’t deter the team, who turned up with a carrier bag of tools and a no-fear given attitude. Part steel chassis, part reclaimed bath panel; the 80kg four-wheeler recorded an average speed of 20mph. Informed by ‘competitive research’ in the paddock, new gearing should see average speeds of 25mph+ at the next race on June 30th with the team targeting a top 3 finish.”
By Temi Oguntolu, student volunteer on our Department of Health volunteering project.
Volunteering with The Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) was a positive experience for me, it was here that I understood how to juggle different roles and ensure that I did my best. There were many times I thought I had to drop it due to University and work commitments, but I was able to do my best and meet the targets assigned to me. I began volunteering for TDC in February 2019 and I really enjoyed meeting and working with fellow volunteers on a range of health and wellbeing projects for the members of the BME communities from across Brighton and Hove.
I have always wanted to volunteer but I never did it until now. Doing this allowed me to put myself out of my comfort zone and speak to new people, something I would not have done before starting volunteering at TDC.
I enjoyed this project because of the flexibility as it allowed me to balance academic, work and social commitments. Doing this, I have found out more about myself, such as what I am capable of, things I am passionate about and the different ways to help people.
Volunteering at TDC has improved my knowledge and understanding of health and wellbeing. The amount of support and opportunities available in Brighton and Hove for people to take ownership of, and improve their health and wellbeing is amazing, which I would not have realised without volunteering at TDC.
This experience has improved my confidence and skills because I am much more willing to try new things to develop my career whilst helping others. In this role, I learnt how to empower others, learnt about networking and how to convince people on the importance being an active member of the community, for the benefit of their community.
In this role, I undertook various tasks which included:
Advertised the events at university and in the community
Planned my own event on improving health and wellbeing
Learned how to plan, deliver and evaluate projects
Collected DATA and feedback in order to write my own report
Improved my communications, both face-to-face as well as through email
Worked as a team to create poster, which we then disseminated through a variety of ways to reach as many different people as possible
Working with TDC has made me understand the amount of work put into improving the lives of residents of Brighton and Hove. TDC’s effort in making the community a better place and giving people a voice encourages them to have more autonomy over their lives because they can see the support readily available to them. Although I am not originally from Brighton, volunteering here has encouraged me to stay on in Brighton and build a life here because of the support I have seen that people get and the organisations making that happen.
Temi (2nd from right) at our Wellbeing Fair in April
Local to Global: Community-led solutions to a sustainable city in Brighton and Hove
What are the Sustainable Development Goals and what do they mean for TDC?
The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) set out an agenda for a better world by 2030 – fairer, safer, healthier, more prosperous and in better balance with nature. They address the global challenges we face, including those related to poverty, inequality, climate, environmental degradation, prosperity, and peace and justice. They recognize we are all globally connected.
The Global Goals are the result of a huge consultation process and were ratified by 193 global leaders in September 2015. There are 17 goals, with 169 targets, covering all aspects of life on Earth – social, economic and environmental. They are relevant to communities, households and individuals as well as to governments, businesses, and community organisations, like TDC.
SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT
TDC recognizes that Brighton and Hove is a uniquely creative and progressive City, which faces many challenges– there are areas where 43% of our children live in poverty and life expectancy is nine years shorter; whilst across the city we have the fourth highest level of suicide in the country and the second highest number of people sleeping on our streets [1]. This is not ok. The SDGs are a good framework to address some of the social and environmental challenges TDC and local communities have identified in our work in Brighton and Hove, as well as a way of checking our progress against these Global Goals.
TDC is looking at ways we can work with local community groups to achieve the SDGs, and working in partnership with Brighton and Hove Council, Brighton and Sussex Universities, and others like the Living Coast - Brighton & Lewes Downs Biosphere Partnership.
We're excited to share that REBOOT, the Sussex early intervention project for 11-17 year olds, is now fully up and running.
REBOOT is a personalised, one-to-one support package for children and young people. The unique REBOOT programme takes a partnership approach to support vulnerable young people who are at risk of being targeted by organised crime groups and divert them away from crime at an early stage. Read more about how it works here.
The project focuses on the strengths of the young person and seeks to capitalise on their interests, experience, skills and views. Participants will be offered a personalised support package which includes the activities most beneficial in helping them overcome some of the issues they face. With the support of the youth coach each child or young person will get opportunities to access activities which may provide a new way to focus themselves and create positive opportunities.
There are nine Youth Coaches in post across Sussex bringing a range of skills and experiences. It’s a good mix of personalities and experiences with everyone unified by a strong desire to support young people to unlock and maximise their potential and divert away from negative influences that could see them put at risk.
The REBOOT Sussex Youth Coaches (TDC's Adam W is in the back row, third from the right)
Youth Coach Adam Welton will be working on behalf of TDC to bring the programme to the areas we work in. A youth work professional with over 14 years' experience, Adam says"I am passionate about working alongside young people to enable them to use and develop their skills, interests and potential. The Reboot project attracted me as I feel it shares this value and wants to provide support to help young people lead safe and positive lives". You can read more about him and meet the other youth coaches on the Sussex PCC website.
Family, friends, schools and community and statutory organisations can all make referrals to REBOOT. Participation is voluntary and consensual with a commitment from the young person and family to engage with the programme. You can download a referral form from the YMCA Downslink Website.
If you have any questions please contact Adam Welton, TDC’s REBOOT Youth Coach or Adam Muirhead, TDC’s Director of Youth Work.
There is plenty going on in Hollingdean over the summer months. Here are just a few of the highlights for your diaries from Ceza Da Luz, our Community Development Worker for the area…
Tree Planting
Friends of Hollingdean Park (FOHP) & Hollingdean Ecological Action project (HEAP) have been busy planting trees in the park and around Hollingdean Estate. They are always looking for new people to get involved to help with fundraising; practical tree care; and building projects the Parks Department have agreed to. These include making a new pond in the top right corner of the football pitch above the Park; building stiles for fences around the orchard and into the football pitch; and building new wooden balance trails/stepping stones around the new bench by Dan Cordell (see photo below).
The group will be arranging regular community workdays and the City Council Parks Department is also exploring funds for a new piece of equipment for over 8’s. A local resident and Mum is looking into the opportunities for a wheelchair swing and another resident is exploring ways to develop the park as more of a community garden. For more information and to join in email [email protected] or look up the Friends of Hollingdean Park Facebook page.
The Tutti Frutti Lucky Dip Fair 2019
The annual Lucky Dip fair brings Hollingdean communities together for summer fun and gets better each year! Meet your neighbours, make new friends, buy and sell bakes, preserves, drinks, smoothies, snacks, plants, ceramics, crafts and, clothes, bric a brac- and much more.
This summer there will be lots of fun fruity activities for all ages. You can meet some reptiles; visit a fire engine; chill to great music and treat yourselves to some delicious nosh! This year RepTylers will be bringing their zoo to the area plus there will be crafty making, face painting and games. Choose from Kate’s Kitchen cream teas, various food and drink stalls and the Brighton Rock café. Take in the sights and relax to the music of Boondock Band, The Ethel Street Band and some surprise acts too!
Everyone is welcome to join in on Thursday 1st August for the launch of the new pop-up library at Hollingdean Community Centre. The pop-up library will be available for the community to use when the community centre is staffed, and includes books for both adults and children to borrow, plus free Internet and wifi.
Space Chase, the 2019 Summer Reading Challenge, for children aged 5-11 years will be coming to Hollingdean. Space Chase has been inspired by the 50th anniversary of the first moon landing and challenges youngsters to read at least six library books of their choice over the holidays and collect prizes from Brighton & Hove Libraries. There’s even a mini challenge for Under 5s to get involved in too.
Join the team at Hollingdean Community Centre on Thursday 1st August from 11am-2pm for lots of stellar summer fun at the Space Chase Celebration! You can sign up to the challenge, collect your starter pack and take part in out-of-this-world activities! This is a free drop-in event and The Real Junk Food Project will be providing a ‘pay as you feel’ lunch at 12.30pm.
