Murals, mentoring and podcasting were celebrated with new community awards dedicated to rewarding action, not words last night.
Four community heroes from across East Brighton were celebrated in the inaugural set of awards from East Brighton Trust.
A dedicated volunteer, a community-minded support worker, a school mentorship scheme and an educational campaign group were all recognised for their contributions to East Brighton.
Christine Harrop from Craven Vale Association, who volunteers at the Craven Vale Food Bank, organises free twice-weekly gentle gym sessions, and has painted a community mural.
Presenting the award to Christine, Ty Goddard said: “I first met Christine as a volunteer for fair share.
“Your volunteering through rain, snow, and sunshine at the food bank has been enormous. Alan [Cooke] said in his nomination that Craven Vale, the estate is better because you are there.
“We wanted to recognise your just your tenacity, your generosity, your fundraising for the gym equipment, and also the painting of the mural.
“Thank you for what you do, the way you do it, and the action that you take on behalf of our community.”
Alan Cooke said: “We’re lucky to have so many community champions, but Christine is a number one.”
Another of the awards went to Maha Mustafa, nominated by Trust for Developing Communities (TDC) for her work in expanding their support to ethnic minority communities.
Her work running groups for the BME communities in East Brighton, including with the Act on Cancer Together project and social prescribing, has helped connect communities to links, services and resources.
Her nominator Athol Halle, chief executive at TDC said: “Maha has community spirit running through her.”
Further awards went to the mentoring scheme at Brighton Aldridge Community Academy (BACA), celebrating the early success of the year group wide mentoring scheme spearheaded by headteacher Jack Davies.
Mr Davies said: “When I went into the school, I felt that the students had had a bit of a rough deal with covid and coming into a school that was in special measures.
“We’re trying to provide aspiration to every single student that isn’t coming from a parent or a teacher but from an external entity, and that aspiration has built and built and built.
“I can guarantee you that next Friday when all my mentors come in, every one of my year sevens will be there. They’re excited to discuss what’s been going on.
“I have seen a huge change in our cohort. The average attendance of a year seven cohorts is around 90 percent of the country; we’re looking at 94 percent.
“My vision is that next year we do it with year seven and year eleven and then really focus on those academic outcomes as well, and end that stigma that a certain school can’t achieve well.”
Grant Philipps, a mentor on the scheme accepted the award – dressed in fancy-dress supplied by Gladrags for the event – on behalf of the mentoring scheme.
Winner of the final award was Class Divide, a grassroots campaign to improve educational opportunities for young people in East Brighton.
Their podcast was given a special mention for telling the stories of families and pupils in Whitehawk after the closure of East Brighton College of Media Arts (Comart), formerly Stanley Deason comprehensive.
Carlie Goldsmith, co-founder of Class Divide said: “We wanted to tell a story of what happens to a place where you lose a school, and actually, where you lose a school in the context of a longer history of educational inequality.”
Warren Carter, who sits on the boards of East Brighton Trust and The Bevy community pub said one project the community should collaborate on is a community pub in Whitehawk.
The inaugural awards were held at Moulsecoomb Primary School last night, with the Mayor of Brighton and Hove Lizzie Deane and Lloyd Russell-Moyle MP for Kemptown in attendance.
East Brighton Trust has distributed more than £800,000 through community projects in the east of the city.
Ty Goddard, director at East Brighton Trust said: “It’s the first year of these awards to celebrate the people, organisations and communities of East Brighton.
“These awards recognise the people who just get on with things to make East Brighton what it is. Action not words.”
I’ve had the pleasure of working with everyone here, and recognition for their contribution to their communities are extremely well deserved.