Agenda item - Chairs Communications

42.1    The Chair stated that there were a number of areas of work which she wished to highlight.

            Appointment of Modern Slavery Co-ordinator

42.2    The Chair stated that she wished to take the opportunity in her communications to take the opportunity to promote a new post that the council was recruiting to. The council was looking for a person to take up the role of modern slavery co-ordinator to strengthen the authority’s response to modern slavery.

            Council’s Community Fund

42.3    The Chair was pleased to update committee that in respect of the council’s Communities Fund. There had seen a record number of applications this year, 110 bids already received in 2018-19 and further work underway to support a range of third sector collaborations & partnership projects.

42.4    The increasing diversity of organisations making an application to council since modernising the Fund and taking process on-line was evidenced by the 15 community & voluntary groups’ receiving first time funding from us this year.An update on final round awards would be available in February.

            Holocaust Education Project

42.5    The council had been working with the Holocaust Education Project Team on plans to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2019. This year’s HMD lecture would take place at Brighton College on Monday 28 January at 5pm, with all city schools invited. Barbara Winton would be ill speaking about on the role of her father, Nicholas Winton, in organising the “Kindertransports” that had enabled hundreds of Jewish children to escape from occupied Czechoslovakia for a new life in Britain between December 1938 and September 1939. Barbara would also seek to explore some of the parallels with the challenges and dilemmas that we faced today.

            LGBT History Month February

42.6    As part of the city marking LGBT History Month this February, in conjunction with Sussex Beacon the Council would be hosting a nationally recognised multimedia exhibition called ‘Speaking Volumes’ in Brighton Town Hall; the exhibition will throw light on the isolation and prejudice experienced by people living with HIV including women of colour and young people.

42.7    Brighton Museums & Art Gallery would also be hosting a talk by world renowned filmmaker Dr. Topher who will be speaking about his personal experience as a Black Queer man and why Europe’s first archive dedicated to the histories, culture and experiences of Black LGBTQ people in the UK is so important.

42.8    The council has supported the development of ‘TnB’, a new drop in service for Trans and Non-Binary people that launched this month; run by Trans and non-binary people the TnB is open to anyone who identifies with the TNB community, and/or questioning and exploring their gender identity or variance.  It provides a safe and confidential space where people can find out more about local or national organizations and services that support the TnB community

            Consultation Pride Village Party

42.9    In concluding her communications, the Chair explained that the council had been consulting local people and businesses about the Pride Village Party, the consultation was open until the end of January. Nearly 1600 responses had already been received and officers would be taking a report to the Tourism, Development and Culture Committee in March 2019 setting out consultation’s findings and recommending approaches to be adopted in relation to future events.

            Investment in Work of Racial Harassment Forum

42.10  The Chair stated that she was very pleased to announce that the Administration would be investing in the work of the Racial Harassment Forum providing a grant of up to £25,000 to fund an advocacy worker and to help them grow and to secure further funding. Funding had been made available from within the existing 2018/19 budget.

42.11  RESOLVED – That the contents of the Chair’s Communications be noted and received.