Marking £500k milestone for grants in East Brighton

East Brighton Trust held a party at The Bevy pub last Friday (March 10), to mark it giving half a million pounds in grants to good causes after almost a decade of work in the area.

The event was an opportunity to showcase a number of projects it has funded over the years.

Cllr Pete West, the Mayor of Brighton and Hove, joined Trust directors and staff to meet groups who have benefitted from East Brighton Trust grants.

Guests were treated to performances from local dance groups and a headline turn from participants in the Youth Poets vs MCs vs Comedians programme.

The Youth Poets vs MCs vs Comedians helps youngsters express themselves and delivers workshops, assemblies and performances in the city.

East Brighton Trust is currently supporting the group with three years’ funding, enabling it to expand its reach.

The funding is helping to pay for workshops at Brighton Youth Centre where professional rappers, performance poets and comedians coach the young performers, leading to performances at the annual B.Fest on The Level each summer.

Michael Parker, manager of Youth Poets vs MCs, said: “We’ve run our training day and delivered seven assemblies in the East Brighton area, including two at BACA. The East Brighton Trust grant has been useful in paying artists to perform at these events in the East Brighton area, and to help in informing young people of our project.”

Party guests had the chance to find out about some of the organisations working in the East Brighton area, including the Resource Centre, The Bridge Community Education Centre, The Green Centre, The Brighton & Hove Youth Collective, the BACA Bike Club and The Woolly Umbrella.

To mark the special occasion, East Brighton Trust directors had enjoyed a fish and chip lunch earlier in the day with the Friday Friends, a lunch club for seniors held weekly at The Bevy. Entirely volunteer run, the group collects up to 50 elderly residents of Moulsecoomb and Bevendean from their homes in the community bus. They then enjoy lunch, bingo and a raffle as well as the chance to socialise and catch up with each other.

BACA Digital Media students were on hand during the day, filming volunteers, staff and pub regulars in order to make a series of short films.

The Mayor said: “There was a lot of wonderful entertainment and activities laid on for the evening, which was all great fun and also gave a taster of what the money and moreover the hard work and commitment of people in East Brighton has helped achieve.”

Sean Hambrook, East Brighton Trust director, said “Our party to celebrate giving £500,000 in grants was an absolute joy. The young, and not quite so young people from projects we’ve funded all enjoyed a fantastic evening and put on a superb show for everyone at The Bevy to enjoy. From Poets vs MC’s to breakdancers everyone had a wonderful evening. Here’s to reaching £1 million!”

To find out more about the East Brighton Trust, visit www.eastbrightontrust.org.uk