RHF NEWSLETTER 23/01/2023

Dear Members, Communities and Groups,

 Happy New Year and a very warm welcome to our first Newsletter of 2023!

 We hope you are all well and have had a good start to the year. 

Minority Ethnic Access to Mental Health Services Research

Would you like to join and contribute to a workshop on minority access to mental health services? In conjunction with NHS charity Heads On, Shazia Nizam is looking to work with minority ethnic groups in January and February to improve engagement and access to mental health services in Sussex. If you are interested in getting involved, please contact Shazia at shazia@universallydiverse.com or +447973907920. Amazon vouchers will be offered to those who take part. You can read more about Shazia and the work she does here. 

Free English Lessons for Refugees and Asylum Seekers

Functional Skills UK are offering free face to face English lessons for refugees and asylum seekers. If you are interested or would like to make further enquiries, please contact the Community Engagement Adviser, Valeria Rafia at valeria@functionalskillsuk.com.  Enrolments take place every Wednesday from 1pm at Brighton Swimming School, Eastern Road, Brighton BN2 5JJ and lessons will take place both at Portslade Campus Sussex Functional Skills Centre , 2 Gordon Mews , Gordon Close , BN411HU and Brighton Swimming School. To learn more about Functional Skills UK, please visit their webpage here .

Chinese New Year 

Sunday 22nd January 2023 marked Chinese New Year and welcomed in the year of the rabbit! Celebrations were held across Brighton including at BMECP by the CEDP Chinese Centre. The occasion is usually celebrated over multiple days. If you would like to find out more through online events, please see here.

Race Equality Week 2023

February 6th-12th will mark Race Equality Week this year. As a UK wide initiative and movement, individuals and organisations will be getting together to address race inequality in the workplace. The theme for this year is #ItsEveryonesBusiness. If you would like to register and find out about events and how organisations can get involved please visit https://www.raceequalitymatters.com/race-equality-week/.

Creative Future 2023 Writing Competition

The 2023 Writers’ Award competition is now open for all underrepresented writers. Run by arts organisation Creative Future, poetry, fiction or creative non-fiction entries can be submitted up until 11.59pm on Sunday 14 May 2023 and can be made online, by email or by post. To find out more about this year’s theme, rules and eligibility criteria as well as prizes for winning writers please visit the webpage here or email enter@creativefuture.org.uk. You can also find some helpful resources for writers on the website here. Good luck!

Free All-Abilities Music and Sound Sessions

Music for Connection (BHCC) are running free in-person and online music lessons for adults of all abilities. No musical experience necessary! Details of sessions can be found on the website here and all enquiries and bookings can be made by contacting hello@musicforconnection.co.uk. 

Brighton People’s Theatre Drop-In Workshops

Join Brighton People’s Theatre for weekly workshops to play games, develop your creativity, make new friends, and have fun. They run drop-in workshops every Thursday evening at the Brighthelm Centre from 6.30-8.00pm for anyone who wants to come and meet them, find out more and try it out with no obligation to commit. They prioritise people who have had the fewest opportunities to access arts and cultural activities. They are open to anyone with a BN postcode, who is over 18, and who doesn’t earn their living as a professional artist. All their activities are sold on a Pay What You Decide basis. Find out more and book on the Brighton People’s Theatre website.

Invitation to Participate in Doctoral Research 

Artist and activist Odi Oquosa is looking to recruit participants to assist with his doctoral research at the University of Sussex. Titled ‘When a Dolphin is not a Dolphin’, Odi’s research explores the impact of Brighton’s imperial and colonial symbols and monuments to bring about a new awareness and understanding of intergenerational trauma and how it affects collective wellbeing. Research groups will work together to create collective artworks as part of an exhibition for the Brighton Fringe Festival in May 2023. If you would like to take part or find out more, please email Odi on o.o.oquosa@sussex.ac.uk . You can also learn more about his art and work here. 

Muslim Women Peers Group

The BMECP Centre hosts a Muslim women group every Tuesday morning 10am to 12pm. It is an inclusive space for all participants to share their experiences and access support. For enquires please contact Fatima Abbas on 01273 600 885. 

Multicultural Women’s Groups and Activities

Hangleton and Knoll Multi-Cultural Women’s group hold the following drop-in activities:

Bollywood exercise classes – every Thursday during term time, 6pm-7pm at Hangleton Community Centre, Harmsworth Crescent, Hove, N3 8BW. Members £2, non-members £3.

Women-only swim sessions – every Wednesday, 10am-11am at the King Alfred Leisure Centre. Swim sessions cost £2 for members, payable to MCWG.

Please contact Aleya Khan at aleya.khatun@hkproject.org.uk for any queries!

Jewish Historical Walking Tours

Stroll through 250 years of Jewish history in Brighton & Hove with BNJC (Brighton Jewish Community). The walking tour combines fascinating historic and religious sites, stories of important Jewish individuals and deeper insight into our cosmopolitan city.

Next date:  Sunday 26th March, 11am-12:30pm

Meeting point: Angel of Peace Monument by Hove Lawns. Cost: £10 per person. Duration: 90 mins.

More information is available on the BNJC website.

Women of Colour Brighton Facebook Group

If you identify with being (or being perceived as) a woman of colour in Brighton, please do join the Women of Colour Brighton Facebook group! This space is inclusive of marginalised gender identities including non-binary and trans people of colour. The group also meet up the last Thursday of the month from 7pm at The Actors, 4 Prince’s St, Kemp Town, Brighton, BN2 1RD. 

Third Party Reporting Centres

You can report hate incidents to us in a confidential safe space. Brighton & Hove City Council has funded three community organisations to create third party hate crime reporting centres: Racial Harassment Forum, Rainbow Hub & Possability People. We ensure that everyone will be heard and taken seriously. You can find contact details here:

Racial Harassment Forum:

07563 389482 – 10am to 5pm, Monday to Friday

Rainbow Hub:

07714 782585 – 11am to 4pm, Friday to Sunday

Possability People:

01273 894040 – 10am to 4pm, Monday to Friday

Community Supporter Role – Vacancy

RHF is looking for a for a skilled, enthusiastic and committed Community Supporter to join its small and friendly team. The purpose of the post is to provide support to people affected by racially and religiously motivated hate incidents and to work in partnership Community Organisations to promote the services provided by RHF and good practice.. RHF works with people and communities affected by racially and religiously motivated hate incidents in Brighton and Hove and works in partnership with Brighton & Hove City Council, Sussex Police and community organisations to promote good practice. We are particularly keen to hear from people with lived experience of race or faith related hate incidents and people from a BAME background and/or of different religious faiths.  

For an application pack please email: rhfbandh@gmail.com

Deadline for applications: Monday 30th January 2023

Interview date: Monday 6th February 2023

If there is a specific news item or topic you would like us to cover and write about, please do not hesitate to let us know! You can email us at rhfbandh@gmail.com

Thank you very much from the RHF team!

Best wishes,