Once bitter rivals who fought on the beach in Brighton, now old mods and rockers are back in town and working together to raise money for charity.
Even councillors agreed that this is the time for action as they gave their backing to Mods Aid, a fundraiser being organised for next spring.
This year’s event raised £8,000, according to Sussex Homeless Support founder Jim Deans as he addressed a Brighton and Hove City Council committee meeting at Hove Town Hall yesterday (Thursday 14 September).
Mr Deans told the council’s Culture, Heritage, Sport, Tourism and Economic Development Committee that Mods Aid also brought wider financial benefits for Brighton and Hove – and didn’t “close the city down”.
He asked the council to help the organisers to set up a secure campsite for Mods Aid next April as well as for future events.
Mr Deans said: “I hope councillors noticed that the increase in Mod activity last bank holiday saw the city crammed with events and people.
“2024 is the 60th anniversary of the mods v rockers clashes. Now, mods and rockers have grown out of the shenanigans seen 60 years ago. We are friends now and share many fundraising events.
“I am asking the committee to support this huge increase in tourists and take advantage of free promotion.”
Labour councillor Alan Robins, who chair the committee, said that members of the council events team would look at ways to support Mods Aid.
Another Labour councillor Ty Goddard said that he was impressed with the work that they were doing – and that he heard from Mr Deans regularly as his ward councillor.
Councillor Goddard: “These festivals are self-generating. That’s what’s really important. These come from the Brighton and Hove community.
“We’ve just had – this weekend – the Speed Trials. These are tip-top events, not global brands.
“The economics for the charities and voluntary sector are profound but also the spend here in our hospitality sector.”
The next Mods Aid event is planned for Sunday 7 April at the Concorde 2, in Madeira Drive.
There’s something very very wrong that our very own homeless are supported by donations and events like the Mods and Rockers coming to Brighton & Hove managing to raise a wonderful amount of £8,000.00 whilst this government shells out £6,000,000.00 a day,..A DAY!!!….to house illegal immigrants, all men in most cases, all strong and able, now complaining what they have is not good enough.
Can you imagine what enormous help and benefits Jim Dean’s and his helpers would be able to give our homeless with just one day’s immigrant expense, ONE DAY’S, thats all.
£6million pounds for those who need and deserve it a thousand times more than any illegals.
Batpoo bonkers is this country’s system.
Shame on you for hijacking such a positive event to spout your xenophobic rubbish, spreading fear, division and hatred. Really, get a life. I know Jim and his volunteers, they’d be appalled by this comparison.
Nothing xenophobic about that comment, absolutely true, it is costing £6m per day to house migrants while our own homeless are left on the streets. I don’t see any migrants in doorways sleeping on cardboard boxes, name calling and been in denial is part of the problem.
How’s this untrue some come from Albania which isn’t a war torn country
Oh, do shut it. Finding waaaaaaacism in any comment regarding ILLEGAL immigration.
SMFH 🙈
Hi Visser, are you a Refugee or a migrant. Most UK subjects understand the need to support Refugees. Unfortunately the UK government is hopeless at stopping illegal economic migrants. The net migration figure for UK in 2022 was over 600,000. Our population has increased by over 3 million since 2010. This has a massive impact on our environment and infrastructure. If we separated England from the rest of the UK, we would be the third most densely populated country in Europe. We have to ensure that the lives of everyone here, black, white, everyone, are comfortable. However, if we continue as we are, it will be far from it. Whatever your circumstances I hope the world is not cruel to you.
How correct you are, great work from these mods and rocker events, but really should not have to happen, keep going thou as this country doesn’t seem to want to look after its own homeless people at all,these boat people always seem to be young fit men very strange not sure what happens to the women
Mods and bikers do lots of charity work which I support it’s to show kindness in a cruel world we all need to in the times we are living in there’s still good out there but it’s getting harder to find even a small good deed goes a long way even just a smile can make someone’s day
I’m surprised that Bricycles, Sustrans and the tattered remains of the green Übermensch aren’t already on here condemning these events as planet destroyers…
“Green Ubermensch”a bit of a mis nomerI think “green ubermenace”is more appropriate.also just as anything to do with Woke and the cretininous cancel culture cancer should be classed as censorship.
Jim Deans and his crew are some of the best people you could wish to meet if homeless or living on the bread line. God bless them.
The days of punch up between Mods & Rockers are long gone!
I think both groups combined would be more worried about Brightons average tanked up underage teenagers, drunk on cheap cider from off licences happy to sell to them!
There’s also too many bars not questioning the age of these youths who once plastered, are just looking for trouble!
No! Mods & Rockers are the least of Brightons worries!
“Green Ubermensch”a bit of a mis nomerI think “green ubermenace”is more appropriate.also just as anything to do with Woke and the cretininous cancel culture cancer should be classed as censorship.
Myself and partner always travel down to Brighton each August bank holiday for the meeting of Mods from all over the country and Europe it’s a trek from pontefract west Yorkshire but it’s worth it,the atmosphere is second to none and the money spent in the hospitality sector and good causes is well worth it keep up the good work don’t put obstacles in its way and we will keep turning up,
i class Brighton as my second home
All the best.
Colin and Jennifer
Pontefract scooter club.
You guys are always welcome to our city Dave the Mod, South Coast Mods Group
The comments made me think I was reading another local rag, so a relief when I saw yours.
Thank goodness for people like you. Obstacles are none, you clearly loved it.
“the Speed Trials. These are tip-top events. ”
If you look at photos of the speed trials there are maybe 2 or 3 hundred spectators
The hottest weekend of the year , the last weekend before schools go back and the beach behind it is deserted , closed off to local residents , Local businesses were shut-down for safety .
They say it started in 1904 and is the longest running motor event so we can’t stop it. Except it started in 1904 then didn’t run again for 20 years, didn’t run much during the 30’s depression, World War 2, the 1980s fuel crisis , Covid……
In an increasingly crowded City , Madeira Drive should be turned into a local park for locals not sold to be used as a half-***** racetrack for a half-***** motoring event