Latest People: Sea life centre, Vanessa Redgrave & Brighton Energy Co-operative
Design a pizza competition, the Sea Life Centre re-opens, plus Vanessa Redgrave & Brighton Energy Co-operative
The ‘design a pizza’ competition for Rockinghorse
In the run up to the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival’s ‘Spring Harvest’ in April, local primary school pupils were invited to get creative and design a pizza that represents Brighton. Over 600 entries were received with the final three on sale at Donatello during the festival. The winner on a public vote was the ‘Seafood Special’ featuring mozzarella, tomato and mackerel by Leo Simpson, shown here with festival committee member Andrew Kay, Sue Addis of Donatello and Analiese Doctrove of Rockinghorse. Leo’s pizza will be on the menu at Donatello from late May, with a donation from every sale to Rockinghorse children’s charity.
For details of the Brighton & Hove Food and Drink Festival ‘Autumn Harvest’ visit www.brightonfoodfestival.com
Brighton Energy Co-operative
Brighton Energy Co-operative raised £27,000 at launch of the city’s first community-owned, solar energy scheme. The Co-operative opened its share offer to raise £200,000 for its renewable energy scheme and by the end of the evening, the Co-op had raised £27,000 towards its target. Green MP Caroline Lucas and new leader of the council Jason Kitcat spoke in support of the Co-op and encouraged people to get behind the project. The council announced it would in principle invest in the scheme.
The money raised will be used to fund the purchase and installation of solar arrays on roofs owned by Shoreham Port, St George’s Church and City Coast Church (Portslade). In return for lending their roof space, they will receive discounted electricity for 25 years. Brighton Energy Co-operative will receive an income from the electricity generated from the feed-in-tariff, a Government-backed subsidy that’s guaranteed for 25 years.
Members of the public are invited to buy shares in Brighton Energy Co-operative, entitling them to a stake in the project. The minimum investment is £400, the maximum £20,000. Anyone interested in buying shares can read the prospectus on the Brighton Energy Co-operative website: www.brightonenergy.org.uk or request one from info@brightonenergy.org.uk.
The share offer will remain open until 29 June.
Vanessa Redgrave’s welcome lunch
Vegetarian restaurant Terre a Terre hosted a special welcome lunch for Brighton Festival 2012 Guest Director Vanessa Redgrave on Sunday 6 May. Her family, Brighton Festival commissioning circle members and some senior BDFL management were also in attendance.
Sea Life Centre re-opening
Brighton Sea Life Centre – the world’s oldest operating aquarium – reopened on Sunday 13 May after a six-month closure to carry out over £2 million of refurbishment and improvements. Celebrating its 140th anniversary this year, the Centre is back to its original splendour after months of painstaking renovation of ornate Victorian carvings and fluted columns by a team of specialist stonemasons.
In addition to resident giant green sea turtles Lulu and Gulliver, tropical sharks and hundreds of other sea creatures from shrimps and starfish to seahorses and cow-nosed rays, will also see a new Jellyfish Discovery attraction.
Photos: copyright Julia Claxton
