Our volunteer, Valerie Mainstone has died. I find it hard to say, even more difficult to believe. She was so very alive in every thing she did. In the days following he death I’ve walked around the city and almost everywhere I have gone I’ve remembered Valerie there. Valerie was a community activist of extraordinary commitment and belonged to a huge number of local groups.…
The Mary Clarke Statue Appeal had a prominent stall at the recent FiLiA international conference held from 9th to 11th October at the Brighton Centre, attended by 2,400 women. As a direct result we raised over £1250 in individual donations. We are so grateful to FiLiA for the platform it gave us. Our Chair Jean Calder was invite to speak for 10 minutes in the…
We are so proud of our patrons and ambassadors – especially our Child and Youth Ambassadors who have done so much to raise awareness of Mary Clarke’s life, as well as fundraising for us. We’re especially proud right now of our first Student Ambassador, Isaac Abatan. Isaac was also our first male Youth Ambassador. He has helped run fundraising events, carried heavy equipment for us,…
Our thanks are due to Amelia Hill, Senior Reporter at The Guardian, who this weekend on 21 June 2025, published a substantial article about Mary Clarke and our appeal for a statue. The article was published online and in print, where it took up almost a whole page, with many photographs attached. The primary focus of the piece was our struggle for funds. Many donations…
Those of you reading this will probably know that since the Appeal was set up we have consistently argued that the statue, when it is made, should be situated in the Gardens of the Royal Pavilion, near the entrance of the Museum and its modern education block. We wanted a safe site where school parties, families and tourist groups could gather, absorb information, listen to…
After an exhausting, but very successful year serving as Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Cllr Mohammed Asaduzzaman and Most Ara, his wife and official Consort, this week stepped back from their mayoral duties. Mohammed will of course continue as a councillor for Hollingdean and Fiveways, while managing “Mohammed Spice of Life” in the Market. Over the past year, the couple have had to carry out…
We are proud to announce that Baroness Jenny Jones of Moulsecoomb, has agreed to become a Patron for our Appeal. She will take the place of her Green Party colleague, our long-standing former Patron, Caroline Lucas. Jenny Jones was born on the Moulsecoomb estate in Brighton, the daughter of a hospital cook and a dinner lady. She has two daughters and lives in London. Jenny worked from a young…
We are sad to announce that Caroline Lucas, one of our earliest supporters and a founder patron of the charity, is to stand down. This follows her decision to not to stand again as Green Party Member of Parliament for Brighton Pavilion at the 2024 General Election. Caroline was one of the most hard working and conscientious politicians we ever met. Despite her prodigious work…
People visiting Brighton’s award-winning Jubilee Library in the past six months will have noticed that our maquette of Mary Clarke is displayed with other items in the large glass cabinet in the Foyer. It was there for Women’s History Month in March and for November’s month of remembrance, including the U.N. International Day Against Violence Against Women and the 16 Days of Action that followed…
The Mary Clarke Statue Appeal has had many wonderful and inspirational supporters and donors. Few more committed and generous than Penny Iveson, someone many local people will remember as a brave and life-long campaigner for women’s rights. Very sadly Penny died last week at the age of eighty, after a long struggle with cancer that tragically affected her sight and balance and stripped her of…