Welcome to the all new ‘Our Voice’ Magazine! In this issue we have put together articles and stories to get not just the people who use the BUCFP thinking, but also the whole of Brighton. Poverty and unemployment is, as we know, an issue that affects so many Brightonians. The Unemployed Centre works hard to alleviate and assist the plight of Brighton’s unemployed on a daily basis. One of the features of this month’s issue is the exciting new project which is getting underway under the stewardship of Jen Sanders.
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Send your letters and comments to our mail box:
ourvoicemaggroup@gmail.com Printed with the charming help of the Resource Centre
DISCLAIMER The opinions in this publication are those of individual contributors and not necessarily those of the BUCFP. :o)
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The AMEX RE-DEVELOPMENT
BUCFP KEY FIGURES
29 years old 10 staff 200+ Volunteers 10 Paid Workers +
Cleaners 6 Language Tutors 37 Classes & Activities 12 Child Crèche 10 work areas
Those who do not move do not notice their chains. Rosa Luxemburg
Each month AMEX and their contractors hold an open meeting to update residents of the sites progress and to listen to comments. Also present are local councillors and council employees. The current stage involves many lorries a day as they dig out the chalk to lower the foundations. Criticisms of noise and dust were raised. The building contractors, Sir Robert McAlpine, replied that they worked within legal limits, use a street cleaner, manage lorry movements and offered office space for affected home workers.
Nuestra Voz:
There is also a planned Charter, where contractors and agencies agree to good working practice and consideration of the impact to the public. The Charter was proposed following residents experience during the recent Royal Sussex hospital works. The aim is that by involving all parties and considering residents, that building works are better integrated and inclusive. Public meetings are every last Wednesday of the month at Carlton Hill School, see website for contact details:
Spanish for Our Voice
Your thoughts on what
Our Voice is: > > > > > > > > > >
To keep up with on-going changes at the centre as well as projects. Opportunities for any/all centre users to express their thoughts and feelings. A bulletin or notice board for people to get involved with. A great way to publicise activities. To know what is going on; future events and a diary. Be a bit of amusement and entertainment for people while they are waiting. To highlight issues and campaigns Explains what’s going on at the Centre. To tell people about courses and if there are any changes. All about you…
Share your thoughts with us at: ourvoicemaggroup@gmail.com
Why Action for Access? We love the Downs! Action for Access organise monthly walks on the local Downs, to involve as many folk as possible in experiencing, enjoying and understanding this dying landscape. We walk, talk and enjoy the wildlife, flowers, insects, the history and geology of the area, whilst also relaxing in its peace. Can we leave the future of this fragile landscape to politicians and landowners? Come along to meet a friendly bunch of like-minded folk and have a blooming Grand Day Out. Action for Access is a Brightonbased campaign group aiming to highlight Access and Conservation Issues on our local Downs. Our focus is on Access Land, the areas designated as ‘Open Country’ by
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the Countryside Rights of Way Act 2000. We argue that these places were restricted at the time, both in number and in size, by landowners’ objections and by the opaque and closed process by which Natural England chose them. In Brighton and Hove, for example, only 220 ha of land were designated Open Country, a mere 2.6% of Brighton’s local authority area – and much of this was open to the public already! What’s more, many of these places remain today practically in accessible, fenced in with barbed wire and lacking stiles or signs, leaving members of the public to think that they may not walk there. Some are little more than ‘islands’ in the midst of swathes of private property, so that trespassing is the only way to reach them. Still others are being allowed to ‘scrub up’, making them impenetrable but also
potentially disqualifying them as ‘Open Country’ in the future. Our next walk is Saturday 21st August, Mount Caburn. For more info please email. Kim
la nostra voce:
Have you thought of becoming a trustee of th BUCFP?
Italian for Our Voice
Have a chat to one of the existing trustees (their photo’s are on the wall behind the Tea Bar) about what this entails. New trustees will be voted in at the AGM (Annual General Meeting) in late November.
One volunteer’s account of the temporary crèche accommodation. Summer is upon us once more. Days are brighter and nights are longer. The temporary, new premises seem to have been remarkably successful. Judy, Lesley and their team of stalwart volunteers created a safe, fun environment. There could be only six children and two volunteers. Adults were freed up to do cleaning and repairing equipment. The small group brought some differences to the dynamics. All the children engaged with one activity and two, sometimes three adults participated and supported their play. In a larger group, the adults will usually work independently while the children split into small groups at the various activities. Keeping to the familiar routine helped me to adapt to the new surroundings. I hope others found this helpful too. We soon knew where everything was, but I still walked the wrong way to the toilet, next door, I tried not to say too often “ask Judy or Lesley”.
It was a hive of industry at the crèche. We were planting, ready for the allotment trip. A beautiful picture was created for the exhibition; tissues were transformed into blossom; owls and otters shelter under branches of the painted tree. There was heaps to be excited about, moving to the new improved crèche. We knew there would be a toilet and changing facility within the playroom and a quiet area as opposed to a separate room. This would mean work and dedication from Lesley, Judy and willing volunteers. If the transition to the downstairs playroom could go so smoothly, then so would going back to the new! I have already mentioned that summer is here which makes me want to start singing Lesley’s favourite “You are my sunshine”. It also means that it is summer outing time. In July, there will be fun and frolics at Washbrooks Farm. This involves children and adults piling on a Double Decker bus and embarking on adventures with animals and a tractor ride!
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Leads the Brighton Benefits Campaign A public meeting to launch this campaign was held on Friday 5th February in the Brighthelm Centre. As I entered the Brighthelm I joined a queue for a meeting of the Regency Society and was briefly disorientated by the number of large elderly men in blazers with highly polished buttons and the absence of donkey jackets… fortunately I quickly escaped the Regency period and took the stairs to the second floor and a bright, hot and sparsely populated room. More people – including quite a few (unofficial) representatives from the Centre trickled in and the meeting began at 7:30 with Caroline Lucas, Green MEP and prospective parliamentary representative, welcoming her invitation to become involved with the campaign.
We need to begin a debate about the whole benefits system: do we really want to degrade benefits in order to reduce government debt? Her short speech emphasised the importance of showing solidarity and mobilising: the government had bailed out the banks with billions but were unwilling to support vulnerable people, even the million people who have become unemployed since the crisis began. Recent ‘welfare reform’ has introduced tougher rules for parents, more sanctions, increased stigmatisation, and limited the time available for job hunting before sanctions are applied. For an example of the government
approach, the European Court had recently ruled that stripping benefits from claimants who had spent time abroad was a gross injustice and breach of EU law. The agenda of privatisation and marketisation was still on. Ms Lucas ended by emphasising how we need to begin a debate about the whole benefits system: do we really want to degrade benefits in order to reduce government debt? The agenda is all about spending cuts but we need to move the agenda onto the tragedy of unemployment, the necessity of giving people a living wage, and how we can empower and support vulnerable people. The room had filled up – some 60 people – by the time the second speaker, Jenny Hyde, PCS branch secretary at the DWP in Brighton, rose to speak. She gave an impassioned speech about the difficulties of her union members: over 180 changes to policies and procedures in the last year, far more unemployed people needing help, staff cuts, poor pay. All recent recruits are on short term contracts which will finish in November, regardless of circumstances: the conclusion Ms Hyde drew was that the whole Job Centre Plus service is being sliced up for privatisation and contracting out. A ballot for strike action across the entire sector is currently running and Ms Hyde urged us all to support her members in their fight against cuts and the attacks on their pay and conditions. The final speaker, Nick Skelton, was a spokesperson for the benefits campaign. He outlined the reasons for the launch: rising unemployment, appallingly low levels of benefits, the government’s obsession with workfare schemes, and the legislative changes either planned or recently implemented that will have such a negative impact on claimants. Mr Skelton made an extensive critique of New Labour policies and then closed the formal part of the meeting. Questions from the floor took some 45 minutes and covered a wide range of topics and concerns. It seemed – to me, at least – that although there was widespread agreement about the problems, there was no clear strategy for overcoming them. A march for jobs will take place at the Level, other meetings are planned, and several speakers mentioned the Trade Union & Socialist Coalition (TUSC), a relatively new federal organisation that plans to fight parliamentary elections this year (see www.tusc.org.uk for more details). On the evidence of this meeting there is widespread and heartfelt anger at the behaviour of successive governments scapegoating benefits claimants but no obvious way to effectively express this anger; nor a clear way to generate activism amongst those most downtrodden and crushed by the system. BUCFP still want to be involved in campaigning for better benefits: if you have any ideas how we could best do this or you want to be involved, please speak to Peter or Julie. Peter Sutcliffe
GET INVOLVED!
PUBLIC MEETING THURSDAY 23rd SEPTEMBER 2010 @ 6.30pm in the Friends Centre Speakers include Caroline Lucas & PCS Reps brightonbenefitscampaign.wordpress.com
7 Caroline Lucas MP meets the poor and commits herself to helping to Brighton’s most vulnerable
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aroline Lucas, prospective Green candidate for Brighton Pavilion and European MEP and Councillor Ian Davey visited two homeless residents, George and Diane, at a ‘temporary hostel’ on Saturday. They both expressed “shock” and “outrage” at the living conditions of the Helgar Trading Ltd owned hostel, a company in receipt of hundreds of thousands pounds of taxpayers money every year.
gurgles mysteriously with a smell of sewage. In the room there is not enough space in a room for a sofa, so the wearied and tenants, one of whom has mental health problems, have developed back problems from watching the television, with only one channel, from bed. George and Diane are not in a partnership but a carer-caree friendship, yet have been housed together in just one room since their eviction.
Caroline was shown by George and Diane the squalid living conditions of Horror at both the living conditions tenants in the hostel on the seafront. The of the residents and the fact that the two residents have been living in the owners of the disgusting hostel make temporary accommodation since their thousands off the back of society’s eviction at the hands of Moat Housing most vulnerable Association over a year ago, the Council having failed to re-house them ever The living conditions caused Caroline since. Lucas to express her horror at both the living conditions of the residents and the The hostel charges residents a ‘top up’ fact that the owners of the disgusting fee of £12 from the tenants every week, hostel make thousands off the back of yet gives an absolute minimum to society’s most vulnerable. tenants in terms of living conditions, with stale smelling rooms and corridors, “The living conditions I have seen here pigeons constantly defecating outside the are scandalous,” said the Green MEP. basement room window, water dripping “The most shocking aspect of what I from the ceiling, a freezing cold kitchen have seen here is that the owners of this in the winter, with very damp walls with hostel give absolutely nothing to the plaster falling off, a shower into which residents yet must be making hundreds of neither George or Diane can fit so they thousands of pounds, all at the taxpayers are unable to wash, a shower which expense.”
Caroline also expressed her shock at the fact that Moat Housing Association and Brighton and Hove City Council’s Social Services Team had reassured George and Diane that they would put their belongings from their old property into storage for them, only for the removal company to destroy all of their possessions, even personal belongings of emotional value, such as pictures of Diane’s daughter and letters. Having seen the squalor in which George and Diane are forced to live everyday, she committed herself to doing all she could to assist them in moving out of the property and into better accommodation and resolved to ensure that Brighton’s authorities are made fully aware of the scandalous attitude of Helgar Trading Ltd towards Brighton’s homeless, the conditions of their hostel and the injustice that the proprietor is making thousands of pounds off the plight of those without choice in Brighton, those without access to permanent accommodation. Express your views at: www.carolinelucas.com/cl/survey.html
8 Jen Sanders is the Project Leader for
Tarner Stories A new 2 year Heritage Lottery funded project looking at the Tarner area of Brighton. We took the time to ask her about herself and the project. What’s the project about We are looking at the changing shape of the Carlton Hill area from the slum clearances in the 1930’s, 1950’s and 1960’s. How this particular part of Brighton has developed and evolved. Many people moved from this area out to Whitehawk and Moulscoomb when Carlton Hill area was demolished and rebuilt. We are hoping to trace those who used to live here before, during and after the changes and compare their stories with those that live in the area now. Using photography, interviewing, writing and recording we are encouraging members of the community to get involved with creating an Oral History of this area Where is the Tarner area? And how did it come about? Good question!!! The council came up with the name Tarner, when it began its neighbourhood renewal process, as it was the name of the park in the centre of the area. It was hoped that the name would be inclusive to lots of different smaller resident groups. It includes area of deprivation and social housing. Part of the project is to look at this area but also to look at the old parish boundaries that divided up the area back in the 1930’s as well. We are interested to hear about what you think makes up the Tarner area? What is Oral History? Oral history involves the recording preserving and understanding of Personal stories and memories about the past. These can be collected using video and voice recorders and used to make books, online interviews or films. Oral history forms an important collection of events from the past and although not always historically accurate form a rich and colourful picture of how life used to be. Oral history can also include songs folklores and myths.
How did it come about? People who have worked and used the centre over the years thought it would be a great idea to research the area that the centre is based in. The area has changed so much over the years What do you hope to find? We are looking for people that used to live in the area before it was demolished and rebuilt in the 1930's. We would like to interview them and record their experiences. We would also like to hear from those of you that now live in the Tarner area. I’m sure the comparisons of then and now will make really interesting reading.
When does it begin What do you hope to find It was officially launched it on 15th July at BUCFP which will give people a better idea of how the project will take shape. Like all social history projects, you never know what you are Watch out for posters in the centre about the launch and how to going to find. A project like this can trigger peoples memories get involved and unearth all sorts of things from their past Ration books, medical records, newspapers, photographs film.
How can I get involved?
excited about what we will uncover.
In lots of ways, we will be taking photographs and putting together a book– telling the story of this special part of Brighton and making an exhibition of our findings. Right now, we need your help to unearth those stories. Do you or anyone you know live in Tarner? Do you know anyone who used to live here? Perhaps they moved to another part of Brighton. Everyone has a story to tell and we would love to hear from people who have called Tarner home. Would you like to learn more about the history of Tarner? Have you ever though about how people lived in these streets in years gone by or why a road got its name then this is for you. You will get training and plenty of support.
How do you see the project developing? When you begin a 2 year project you never quite know what you will find - this is the exciting thing about Oral History.
Do you like talking and listening to people? You could be part of our interview team, talking to past and present residents. You won’t have to do this on your own. You will be part of a team that works together, offering encouragement and new skills.
What’s the most interesting story that you have unearthed I interviewed an elderly gentleman recently about his experiences of living in Brighton. He used to work in the ports in Ports lade and got to learn the basics in European languages from the ships coming in from Spain and France - he was able to make an additional income by proving a shopping service for the ship workers!! I was interviewing a lady who used to be part of the Land army. She told me about how they would collect up the damaged vegetables from the farm and swap them for new stockings to wear to the local dances!!
Do you have to live in the Tarner area to get involved? Not at all... The project is open to anyone wanting to learn more about the area.
A man came to fix my aerial and we got chatting about the project and it turns out that his extended family used to Live in the Tarner area - once you get talking to people whether its in a bus queue or in the local supermarket its amazing what stories arise. We are hoping to gather lots of stories, objects and images and with writing workshops put together a book and an exhibition that will be available to for all to come and see and learn more about this hidden area of Brighton.
Do you need to have experience in Oral history? No, the most important requirement is enthusiasm and desire to talk and listen to others experiences. You will For more information, please contact Jen at be given training. tarnerstoriesproject@hotmail.com.
How much time do I have to give to the project? For information about BUCFP, visit the website As much or little as you can afford. The project will be www.bucfp.org, call 01273 671213 or email run over 2 years so there re plenty of opportunities to info@bucfp.org. get involved. What’s in it for me? There are opportunities to learn new skills with workshops in Photography and Oral History The chance to work with others in interviewing and editing, Join the writing workshop help to promote the project Administration, and web site management. But most importantly to learn and contribute to a project that seeks to unearth untold stories of a local area in Brighton. Tell us about yourself and why you got involved in this project I came to Brighton in 2002 to do a degree in visual performance. I got involved in collecting stories and memories after discovering oral history with other organizations. Edited stories and memories of peoples experiences forms a large part of my work as an artist Tarner Stories is an exciting opportunity to get involved in a project from beginning to end and I’m
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The Council says; “We Don’t Exist” Homelessness and bad housing is an endemic problem in Brighton. There are some committed volunteers and organisations dedicated to providing assistance to the homeless population of Brighton and Hove. Laurence England tries to find out the truth about homelessness in Brighton. Russell, Neil and Michael are all street homeless. Brighton and Hove City Council have refused them all housing or accommodation since they do not have a ‘local connection’. A ‘local connection’ means that homeless people must have family in Brighton in order to be considered for social housing. Even though temperatures have dropped to below freezing this winter, these men were refused Council help. When temperatures drop to -1 degrees Celsius the First Base Day Centre in Montpelier Place opens its doors for the night. Every night at 7 pm, 52 weeks a year, the homeless of Brighton and Hove are fed with sandwiches and given coffee and soup near the Peace Statue by the seafront. Michael, reflecting on what help is available to the homeless said, “Sleeping in 0 degrees or even 1 or 2 degrees Celsius is pretty terrible as well, you know. All we have is a sleeping bag. The council do nothing for us. The Soup Run does more for us than anyone else. It is a Godsend, literally. We’d be lost without it.”
Neil continued to speak on behalf of himself and his friends. “At Christmas, the Soup Run was still there, with hot food because of the time of year and we were even given an envelope with £10 each in it as a Christmas present.” Every night at 7 pm, 52 weeks a year, the homeless of Brighton and Hove are fed with sandwiches and given coffee and soup near the peace statue by the seafront. This is done by volunteers from St Mary Magdalen Church and volunteers from outside the Church who wish to join in and help to feed the hungry of Brighton. Tonight it is 7 degrees outside, but it will rain. Russell went further; “The Council say that we don’t exist, if we have no local connection. Much of the YMCA is empty, meanwhile. I walk around Brighton and there are so many empty buildings which could be used as a hostel for us.” Neil continued, “The council claim that there are seven street homeless people in Brighton. This simply is not true. Last night there were ten or eleven of us where I was sleeping and that is just me.” Another street homeless man, Jez, said, “I was with two others.” Michael said, “There were seven of us last night where we were.” Russell said with frustration, “We are just a blot on the landscape!” Jez, as he turns to leave after the Soup Run shouts to me, “I was born and bred in this area and I can’t get anywhere to live!”
th
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Malcolm Williams died on August 24 . He had bowel cancer which had been diagnosed only 10 weeks earlier. His very moving funeral was at the Downs Crematorium on September 10th, with many of us from the centre in the congregation.
He was a regular at the centre for some years. Malcolm was a volunteer in the Tea Bar, kitchen, allotment, front office, country walks, and eventually became a Trustee. He had a wide knowledge of Sussex history especially Lewis and Brighton area, and was member of one of the Lewes Bonfire Societies. We knew him as approachable, friendly and very supportive of new volunteers. In our next issue we would like to print your memories of Malcolm; for example any act of kindness which was important to you. Please contact us at our Thursday morning meeting, email or leave a note in the magazine file in the front office.
Desiderata Go placidly amid the noise and haste, and remember what peace there may be in silence. As far as possible, without surrender, be on good terms with all persons. Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant, they too have their story. Avoid loud and aggressive persons; they are vexations to the spirit. If you compare yourself with others, you may become vain and bitter; for always there will be greater and lesser persons than yourself. Enjoy your achievements as well as your plans. Keep interested in your own career, however humble; it is a real possession in the changing fortunes of time. Exercise caution in your business affairs, for the world is full of trickery. But let this not blind you to what virtue there is; many persons strive for high ideals, and everywhere life is full of heroism. Be yourself. Especially, do not feign affection. Neither be cynical about love, for in the face of all aridity and disenchantment it is perennial as the grass. Take kindly to the counsel of the years, gracefully surrendering the things of youth. Nurture strength of spirit to shield you in sudden misfortune. But do not distress yourself with imaginings. Many fears are born of fatigue and loneliness. Beyond a wholesome discipline, be gentle with yourself. You are a child of the universe, no less than the trees and the stars; you have a right to be here. And whether or not it is clear to you, no doubt the universe is unfolding as it should. Therefore be at peace with God, whatever you conceive Him to be, and whatever your labors and aspirations, in the noisy confusion of life, keep peace in your soul. With all its sham, drudgery and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world. Be cheerful. Strive to be happy. Max Ehrmann c.1920 Max Ehrmann wrote many poems, although none became well known until after his death. Aside from Desiderata his most famous poem is A Prayer, written in 1906. Max Ehrmann originally copyrighted Desiderata in 1927 as 'Go placidly amid the noise and haste'. Ehrmann included Desiderata in a Christmas message to his friends in 1933. US Army psychiatrist Merill Moore wrote in 1942 to Ehrmann that he used the Desiderata poem in his therapy work, and also wrote to Ehrmann in 1944 suggesting that the poem should be bottled and sold as 'Dr Ehrmann's Magic Soul Medicine'. The Desiderata is Latin and means 'Things that are yearned for', which in the context of the poem more closely means 'essential things'. Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry kept a Desiderata in his office. The Desiderata is a simple positive credo for life.
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The Centre allotment is looking fantastic at the moment, thanks to a lot of hard work from the volunteer group. Some volunteers have worked so much land that we are having to expand our plans for planting! The two small ponds are brimming with tadpoles, and we have spotted frogs, slowworms and a huge family of tiny lizards since the winter finally ended, as well as many birds and insects. So far this season we have planted rocket, leeks, beetroot, runner beans, artichokes and potatoes. At the same time we have planted some really unusual fruiting bushes and trees, such
as Salt Bushes, Strawberry Trees, tadpoles, and we have spotted Chilean Guava and Greengages. Add frogs, slowworms and a huge to this more familiar fruits such as family of tiny lizards currant bushes and raspberries, and our existing plants such as plums, cherries, Plans for the future include finishing apples, and medlar and you can see our shelter, putting up a blackboard we have a fantastic variety going for messages and jobs to do, creating a already. site plan of planting, getting some picnic tables and benches, building a On the herb front we have not got going with our annuals yet, but we do compost toilet, using painted panels to create an especially warm area have lots of cuttings going of (microclimate) for the fruit trees, rosemary, red and white sage, making a nice shaded area for the very lavender and thyme. Various really hot weather, and of course, harvesting useful wild plants like our site too, and eating the produce! including mullein, golden rod, wild mustard, comfrey, nettles, borage, mallow and many more.
We are having to expand our plans for planting! The two small ponds are brimming with
Introductory work days are every Monday, leaving the Centre at 12.30pm to walk up there together.
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The Charms of St Ann’s Well Gardens Are you looking for somewhere quiet to take your children, have a coffee and a chat, rest in the sun, meet a friend, stroll among flowers and trees? What a choice you have in Brighton. Here is one garden really worth a visit. This is a lovely peaceful park within easy reach of Western Road, even with a pushchair. There are woods with undulating paths, lawns, a scented garden, a conservation area, a cafe with excellent food, a fishpond and
separate playgrounds for children and toddlers.
owned by George Smith, a very important pioneer in the development of the film industry. The garden is named after a He used part of the original chalybeate spring (chalybeate pumphouse as a laboratory for his means “iron bearing”) There experimentation. He also opened many of these streams in Sussex, the grounds as a pleasure garden which are easily recognized by the with such attractions as hot-air rusty colour of the water. balloons, parachute jumps and a small monkey zoo. In the 18th Century the owners of the land built a pump room over Brighton Council bought the land the well and developed a very in 1908, the pumphouse was popular spa. By the early 1890’s demolished in 1935 and there is the water flow was so reduced now a mock well-head where the that the spa had to be closed spring emerges. down. Soon after, the land was
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B.U.C.F.P. Cafe: (A healthy Vegan Meal served at 1pm on weekdays) Welfare Rights: 67617 1 (10.30 - 4pm) Family Support: 671213 (Joy) Computer and Internet access (When Courses are not in session) 35p per hour Here are some ‘Useful Numbers and Help lines’ for you… Samaritans 01273 772277 MIND 01273 749600 Alcoholics Anonymous 0845 7697555 Survivors Network 01273 203380 Shelter 01273 234737 St Patrick’s Homeless Hostel 01273 733151 Citizens Advice Bureau 0845 120 3710 Cocaine Anonymous 0800 6120 225 HIV & AIDS Helpline 01202 311166 Missing Persons Helpline: 0500 700700 Women’s Refuge Project: 01273 622822 Victim Support: 01273 234009 National Debt line 0808 808 4000
Belittling others is no pastime for those convinced of their own standing. Alain De Botton
15 Notre Voix: French for Our Voice
Onze Stem Dutch for Our Voice