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New ME Guidelines launched

The Sussex ME Society has welcomed new management guidelines for health professionals caring for patients affected by Myalgic encephalopathy(ME) or Chronic fatigue syndrome(CFS).

Colin Barton
Colin Barton

The guidelines were launched last week by the British Association for CFS/ME (BACME).

The Sussex ME Society, was founded 28 years ago, is a member organisation of BACME as is the NHS specialist CFS/ME Service based in Hayward’s Heath that has a staff of seven and receives 40 new referrals per month from local GPs.

The guideline covers both therapy and pharmacological symptom management.

Colin Barton, chair of the Sussex charity, says: “We very much welcome this guide that is the first of its kind and will help doctors and therapists across the county to manage people with this debilitating illness that could ease their suffering and lead to better outcomes for many of them.”

Dr Alastair Miller, Chair of BACME and Medical advisor to the Sussex ME Society, said: “The new guidelines meet a considerable need for a practical, clinical, treatment summary for all healthcare professionals working with patients suffering from this complex condition to follow. By bringing together specialists from different services and backgrounds, our guide provides a concise consensus for broader treatment; building on the knowledge of existing documents.  ME that can sometimes follow a viral infection or trauma and is classified as a neurological disorder affects around 6,000 people in Sussex including those from the LGBT community some of whom are housebound and in need of care.”

For more information about Sussex ME Society, click here:

 

 

Celebrate! LGBT history project in Cumbria

CELEBRATE is the first project to uncover and explore the living history of the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual & Transgender (LGBT) communities in Cumbria.

CELEBRATING

The project was developed by OutREACH Cumbria and Tullie House Museum & Art Gallery Trust and supported by Heritage Lottery Fund.

CELEBRATE want to hear your memories, and collect photographs and other objects reflecting the lives of LGBT people in Cumbria.

A  touring exhibition is planned for 2016 to share those stories. The collection will also be housed in Tullie House Museum & Art  Gallery and Cumbria County Archive.

Who are CELEBRATE looking for?

♦ People who are enthusiastic about uncovering the LGBT history in Cumbria and able to contribute their time.

What tasks will CELEBRATE give to the volunteers?

♦  They are recruiting volunteers to help them collect stories, objects and images from participants across the region between late March 2015 and Spring/Summer 2016.

♦  Some of the volunteers will also take on tasks of documenting the objects and images, developing the exhibition and promoting future events.

CELEBRATE  are also looking to provide opportunities for volunteers to utilise their particular skills.

What training and support are there for the volunteers?

♦  Volunteers will be trained in Oral History collection (a certificate will be presented upon completion) as well as basic museum and archive acquisition knowledge.

♦  For first-time volunteers, they recommend attending the free ‘Essential Skills for Volunteers’ sessions provided by Cumbria Council of Voluntary Sector (CVS).

♦  The Project Coordinator will support the volunteers throughout the process, and will attend meetings and interviews with the volunteers around the region when needed.

How much time are the volunteers expected to commit to the project?

♦  CELEBRATE expect each volunteer to commit a minimum of 20 days throughout this project, including days spent on trainings. So that’s approximately 2 – 3 hours a week.

Are there any requirements?

Yes, but only a few:

♦ Able to travel
♦ Able to attend the initial meeting and the training session in March
♦ Able to use computer for communication by emails
♦ Good communication skills
♦ Pass the DBS Standard checks
♦ Also because the volunteers will be working remotely and with digital devices, ITC knowledge and skills would be highly desirable.

How to get involved?

If you would like to be a volunteer for CELEBRATE, email: tonial@outreachcumbria.co.uk

For more information about CELEBRATE, click here:

Or telephone: 07956 336872

University of Sussex expansion plans approved

 

Planning Inspectorate upholds University of Sussex, Sussex Masterplan which will see a £500 million investment in the local economy.

Simon Kirby MP for BrightonKemptown & Peacehaven
Simon Kirby MP for BrightonKemptown & Peacehaven

Hundreds of permanent jobs and increased student housing provision on the University of Sussex campus will be created as part of the scheme.

The university is due to increase its numbers by 6000 to 18000 students over the next few years and want the campus at Falmer to be expanded to accommodate the extra students, with around 4000 new flats being built.

The Sussex Masterplan produced by the University of Sussex was originally rejected by Brighton and Hove City Council. Council officers withdrew their objections when the plans were referred to the Planning Inspectorate.

Simon Kirby, MP for Brighton Kemptown & Peacehaven is pleased the plans have now been given the go ahead.

He said: “It is fantastic news that the Masterplan has been approved and that this expansion can now go ahead.

“Sussex had already been given approval to take 6000 new students. The university plays a very important role in our local economy, both directly and indirectly, and it is right that it be able to expand to enable it to keep up with other leading universities and maintain its reputation as a centre of research excellence.

“I am always aware that any new development needs to be appropriate and so I have always argued that the accommodation needed to support these extra students should be built on the campus, to reduce pressure on family homes in the city, particularly in areas such as Moulsecoomb and Bevendean.”

RadioReverb call out for new DJs and shows

 

Brighton’s community radio station, RadioReverb, is calling out to everyone in the local area to become part of their broadcasting team.

RadioReverg

The volunteer run station’s aim is to offer radio that reflects Brighton and Hove’s diverse communities, interests and events and they are looking to expand their roster of DJs and new shows to reflect this.

WEB.200
Melita Dennet

Melita Dennet, Chair of RadioReverb, explained: “We’re looking for talented people with ideas for shows that reflect the ethos of Reverb, the diverse nature of the city and the wonderful communities across the area.

“We exist to make radio that does not sound like mainstream radio, we want people with something unique to offer Brighton & Hove.”

In their search for new shows, RadioReverb is hoping to find a variety of ideas to rival their already unique line-up which includes Frockabilly, the UK’s only female fronted rockabilly show, Out in Brighton, the only LGBT radio show in the city and Time for T, which is the UK’s only transgender show on FM radio.

The main focus of the search is for speech-based shows that reflect Brighton and Hove’s diverse communities, interests and events or that are made by and for people currently under-represented on radio by virtue of gender, race, sexuality, ability, age etc.

There will also be space for speech or music-based shows that focus on a specific subject or genre which is not currently represented either in RadioReverb’s output or on mainstream radio.

To be part of this new opportunity all you need is a great idea for an original radio show and RadioReverb will ensure you receive industry standard training from their award-winning trainer, Kathy Caton.

Melita added: “We are looking for originality, we want DJs and people with strong connections to what’s happening in Brighton & Hove and what makes the city tick.”

RadioReverb is the 24 hour community run radio station for Brighton and Hove. All shows they produce are open for sponsorship from local businesses.

To discuss sponsorship support of RadioReverb, click here:

 

Pride clean up completed

Cityclean staff worked around the clock over the Pride weekend to keep the city and St James Street clean.

Pride Cleanup

For Cityclean, Pride is the busiest weekend of the year and extra staff were employed by the council’s refuse, recycling and street cleaning team  to work over the weekend and additional rubbish bins were installed along the route of the procession.

A team of street cleaners followed the Carnival of Diversity Pride Parade to clear rubbish from the streets.

Other Cityclean staff worked in day and night shifts over the weekend, finishing at around 2am each morning.

A total of a 120 tonnes of rubbish was collected from the streets and litter bins, the most ever collected. It’s the equivalent of 12 dust-cart loads or one day of rubbish that the council collects across the entire city.

The clean-up finished with jet washing of streets and pavements.

Cllr Gill Mitchell
Cllr Gill Mitchell

Councillor Gill Mitchell, chair of the environment committee, said: “Our street cleaners do a tremendous job to keep the city clean during the busiest weekend of the year.

“We would urge everyone to support them by disposing of their litter responsibly – putting it in one of the litter or recycling bins; or by taking any rubbish home with them.”

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