The Brighton Connectiv: January 2024
A celebration of dynamic 'doing' by and for people who live, work, love, build and collaborate in Brighton & Hove. Use this news to reach out and build a connected web.
Brighton-based Into Games has launched a 2024 ‘Gameplan’ to begin tackling social mobility in the UK games sector. It’s a big rallying-call to one of the UK’s fastest growth industries.
The BBC have profiled Brighton & Hove as a fast emerging ‘major player’ in the UK’s games industry.
The Hidden Talent Project launches early this year in Brighton to help startups and job seekers. Portslade-based training provider, Functional Skills UK, has been awarded funding from the UK’s Digital Growth Grant. Supported by Barclays Eagle Labs Ecosystem Partnership Programme and funded by the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, this project is focused on driving social mobility through tailored training and mentorship. More soon.
Local business talent Lyndsey Clay (Brighton Connected), Pippa Moyle (City Girls Network), Tanya Petherick (Club Central) and Sophie Lee (Electric Peach) have all made the f:Entrepreneur #ialso list of the Top 100 Female UK Entrepreneurs.
TrustedHousesitters, the Brighton-based subscription platform for people who want someone to mind their house while they are away, has announced £80m of new investment with customers now in 140+ countries.
In November, Sussex’s inaugural TeenTech Festival saw children from 20+ schools join Amazon, Bletchley Park Trust, Boeing, BT, Creative Assembly, HADO AR Sports, Rampion Offshore Wind, Ricardo, Universal Quantum, Gatwick Airport and many others at the Amex Stadium to explore the future of work.
HackSussex is the annual hackathon that takes place at the University of Sussex. Students from across the UK work on new projects over 24 hours, competing for prizes. The next one is in February and they are looking for sponsors.
University of Brighton business and law students are offering 200 hours of support to local businesses and charities who have a project that needs developing or piece of research undertaking. Deadline to register interest is 19th January.
Brighton & Hove Sixth Form College (BHASVIC) and development consultancy always possible have collaborated on a free leadership skills programme for the local visitor and hospitality sector - funded by the Department for Education and Sussex Local Skills Improvement Plan.
Brighton & Hove has been identified as a significant ‘creative district’ in the latest analysis of the creative industries by the UK Policy & Evidence Centre. The ‘Geographies of Creativity’ report was co-authored by Dr Josh Siepel from the University of Sussex.
Plunge Creations, whose creative workshop is in Portslade, were behind the spellbinding Christmas tree of books at St Pancras International Station for their client Hatchards Bookstore.
Brighton & Hove’s Mr Football, Tony Bloom - owner and chairman of Brighton & Hove Albion - is to receive an MBE from the King in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to football and the city of Brighton & Hove. Back of the net!
Celebrated children’s author, and writer of the London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony (and that Paddington sketch for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee), Frank Cottrell-Boyce will be the Brighton Festival guest director for 2024.
Brighton Girls school and Brighton & Hove Albion Foundation have teamed-up to create the city’s first ever weekly football club for any 4-15 year old girls who want to play.
Brighton-based digital artist and filmmaker, Duncan Thomsen, is getting international recognition for his AI-generated visions of UK cities in 2050.
Another gong for Liam Hackett, founder and CEO of Ditch The Label, the Brighton-based anti-bullying charity, who gets an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to young people. Maybe this is a label worth keeping.
Volunteers from QueenSpark Books’ Archives Alive project have created nine free history walks that you can take around the city at your leisure.
£1.7m of grant-funding is being made available for a wide-range of Brighton & Hove projects to help build a thriving city, via the UK Shared Prosperity Fund.
The Sussex Digital In-Reach Team provides a free online platform on which care providers across Brighton & Hove and Sussex can access free advice and support on technology, digitisation and data protection. It is run by care providers for care providers.
Grassroots groups in Brighton & Hove encouraged to apply for funding for projects that improve the health and wellbeing of LGBTQ+ people.
Jane Cleary, a consultant midwife at University Hospitals Sussex NHS Foundation Trust has been honoured with the prestigious Chief Midwifery Officer award for her significant and outstanding contribution to her industry.
The Community Solar Accelerator was a grant scheme run by Brighton Energy Co-op between 2021 - 2023 to provide match-funding to businesses wishing to go solar. 33 grants to local businesses amounted to £714.400. The total solar electricity generated by these systems will be 2,414,000 kWh per year (saving 848 tonnes of carbon). There is still some funded support available.
A recent University of Brighton graduate, Alice Coomber, is getting national recognition for making window blinds from waste supermarket carrier bags.
US website CleanTechnica likes Brighton & Hove City Council’s electric bus plan.
Brighton Gin’s Kathy Caton also gets an MBE in the 2024 New Year Honours for services to trade and community, recognising her LGBTQ+ rights activism as well her business success. Chin chin!
Brighton & Hove is the UK’s 4th best city for chocolate lovers, apparently.
AI-driven pies and pints appear to be going down well at the Amex Stadium.
Sessions, the food brand licensing platform, pulls out of food halls in Manchester and London, but cites Shelter Hall on Brighton beach as a continued success.
🤝 Movers & Shakers
Jess Gibbons moves from Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole Council to become the new CEO of Brighton & Hove City Council.
Fabia Bates moves from Community Works to become CEO of The Clocktower Sanctuary.
Ex Gomez rockstar and music industry campaigner Tom Gray has been selected as the Labour Party parliamentary candidate for Brighton Pavilion.
Laura Barban moves from Brighton Chamber to become Events & Projects Manager at The Love Local Jobs Foundation.
🎙️ Podcasts born in Brighton & Hove
charting 20 years since city status, with an investigation into Brighton & Hove’s economic and cultural opportunities and challenges
personal stories of life growing up in Whitehawk, East Brighton, and how local government decisions have led to decades of education inequality
local businesses and celebrities give their top tips on making the most of Brighton & Hove’s eclectic food, drink and nightlife scenes
Well-known couple from the city’s arts and tech scenes - Chris and Rifa Thorpe-Tracey - share their week’s adventures and observations on culture
Popular business connector, Sam Thomas, interviews local entrepreneurs and high-achievers about their personal and professional stories
Brighton businessman and charity leader, Gary Peters, draws on his own experience, and that of his guests, to explore 21st century leadership
The Official BHA Albion Podcast
The club’s official regular update on everything Seagulls, including the team’s first travails across Europe
Staff from Kemptown’s infamous wine shop talk through their favourite vintages, bargains and rare finds from across the wine world
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