The community centre and café opens its doors on Pride Saturday, and it is thanks to a small team who have given months of their own time to make it happen.
It has been a busy week at the Ledward Centre, with the volunteer team pulling out all the stops to get the café ready to open on Saturday, 1 August. Co-directors Billie and Ellie, together with long term volunteers Keith and Joel, have been working consistently behind the scenes so the venue could reopen and stay rooted in the community for the long term. They are very excited to be able to invite everyone back this weekend.
The Ledward Centre and café will be fully open to the public on Pride Saturday, 1 August, running from 12 - 6pm, and again on Pride Sunday, 2 August, from 10am - 4pm. Expect a wide selection of hot and cold drinks, cakes, pastries and snacks, plus baguettes, salads, sandwiches and jacket potatoes, with kids lunches and meal deals available too.
And there is plenty to enjoy once you have got your order. A proper coffee machine is now turning out the good stuff, there is brand new air conditioning throughout the building, and comfortable furniture has been dotted around so you can settle in and stay a while.
Shelves are also stocked with a wide selection of free to access fiction and non-fiction books, including a strong showing of currently published LGBTQ+ titles and new work by local authors, so there is always something new to pick up while you are there.
this weeks up to date selection of LGBTQ+ authors & cosy nooks to read them
Beyond Pride Weekend, the space is also opening up for bookings. Private daytime bookings will run from 9am - 6.30pm every Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, while evening bookings will be available from 6.30 - 10.30pm, Monday through Saturday.
Ellie Matthews, co director, wanted to say a heartfelt thank you to everyone who has helped get the centre to this point. “We would like to express our sincere thanks to our incredible volunteers, supporters and friends who have helped us immeasurably throughout the past year,” she said.
“We simply could not have done this without you. while there have undoubtedly been some extremely challenging moments along the way, the kindness, encouragement and practical support we have received from so many people has helped us to keep going, even when things felt particularly difficult.”
She added that the messages of support flooding in over recent weeks had meant a great deal to the team. “We have also been incredibly touched by the many lovely messages of support we have received over the past few weeks,” she said.
“Knowing how much the Ledward Centre means to people, and how much people want to see it succeed, has meant an enormous amount to us. After everything it has taken to get to this point, we are incredibly excited that we can welcome everyone back through the doors of the Ledward Centre. We cannot wait to see the building full of people again and to begin this next chapter together.”
Coffee, air - con, sofas, chairs and sit up tables
The centre is already buzzing with activity ahead of the café reopening. Before the doors open to the public, Gaydio, the UK's LGBTQ+ station, and the Gaydio Academy will be running their intro to radio and podcasting course at the centre, thanks to funding from the National Lottery.
Hosted at the Ledward Centre, home to Gaydio's Brighton studios, the free course gives aspiring radio presenters, broadcast journalists and podcasters the chance to gain first-hand experience of working in the industry, taught by broadcasting experts covering interviewing, presenting, audio production and digital storytelling, with participants creating their own content throughout.
Lee Barnes, senior academy lead at Gaydio, said the timing could not be better. “We're delighted to be bringing another academy course to the Ledward Centre, especially in the week leading up to Brighton Pride,” he said. “It's fantastic to be delivering the course from our south coast studios and giving people the opportunity to learn from broadcasting experts.
"The Ledward Centre plays such an important role in providing an inclusive space for the community, and we're proud to be working together to help make it an even bigger hub for LGBTQ+ voices, creativity and storytelling in Brighton.”
Pride Weekend at the centre will also carry a moment of reflection and community. On Sunday, 2 August, the Village Metropolitan Community Church will hold their Pride Service at the centre from 6 - 7.30pm, with guest speaker and leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, Bella Sankey, joining for the evening.
Regular opening hours will then begin from Thursday, 6 August, with the café open every Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 10am - 6pm.
Fancy being part of it?
None of this happens without volunteers, and the Ledward Centre is actively looking for more people to join the team. If you would like to get involved, it only takes a few minutes to complete the online volunteering form or you can ask about opportunities in person at the centre during opening hours.
For more information, follow the centre's socials on Insta, Facebook or others @theledwardcentre. For more details on gaydio, visit gaydio.co.uk, and for more on the Gaydio Academy, visit gaydio.academy.
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