News Reports

We are proud to announce that Katy Bourne, the Sussex Police and Crime Commissioner, has agreed to become aPatron for the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal. Katy Bourne

O.B.E. is a Conservative politician and has served as the Sussex Police & Crime Commissioner (PCC) since 2012. She was  re-elected for a fourth term in 2024. She was raised and schooled in Sussex before graduating from Aberystwyth University. She still lives in mid-Sussex, is married to Kevin and has two adult sons. She was a successful businesswoman before entering politics.

Katy’s role as PCC is to hold the Chief Constable of Sussex Police to account for the performance of the Force, working to make the police answerable to the communities they serve. Katy is responsible for setting the strategic direction and priorities for Sussex Police through the Police & Crime Plan, which includes setting the police budget and local police precept.

Katy also has a statutory duty to commission support services for victims of crime and to deliver community safety initiatives. She is deeply committed to improve the criminal justice response to crimes such as stalking, sexual and domestic abuse and the exploitation and abuse of elders.

Katy said:

“I am honoured to take up the role of Conservative Patron for the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal. Mary Clarke was a courageous woman who gave her life fighting for women’s right to vote. Her determination and sacrifice remind us of the importance of standing up for equality and justice, even in the face of adversity. As Police & Crime Commissioner, I have seen how far we have come in creating opportunities for women in policing and public life, but we must never forget those who paved the way. Supporting this Appeal is about recognising Mary’s message and memory and ensuring future generations understand the value of democratic rights and the courage it took to secure them. I am delighted to help champion this important cause.” 

Katy opened the recent FiLiA international women’s liberation conference at Brighton Conference Centre, with a powerful speech in support of women’s rights. We were very grateful to Katy because we were able to follow this with an appeal for support for the statue which proved very successful.  

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. In Brighton & Hove it’s hard to meet anyone who did not know her. 

She was well known as a welfare rights adviser, a student organiser,  a peace campaigner and a health activist. In my mind’s eye I can see her now: teaching English in the Jubilee Library; setting the world to rights with friends in the Italian cafe; leafleting with peace campaigners on the Old Steine; demonstrating for the NHS in front of the County Hospital; running a stall in Brunswick Square; attending a meeting at the Unemployed Centre; jumping up to ask awkward questions in the Friends Centre; or pitching up at the Regency Town House for a meeting of the Women’s History Group with purple hair and a huge mischievous grin. I remember her as I saw her last, on a

sunny September Saturday, helping us petition for the Mary Clarke Statue in the Pavilion Gardens. Nothing could stop her, until cancer did.

She was a founder member of the Brighton & Hove Women’s History Group and one of its most avid campaigners for suffragette plaques.

She was there at the Brighton Centre on 18th November 2018 when we launched the campaign to get a statue for Mary Clarke. She was one of the Appeal’s most committed supporters. 

I knew her best as a campaigner for women’s rights and I suspect this is what mattered most to her. She was passionate about the need to commemorate women and celebrate their achievements. Like Mary Clarke, Valerie was a ‘late developer’, attending university as a mature student with huge success. Like her great friend, the local historian Val Brown, she was horrified by the loss of women’s history. That was why she campaigned so hard for blue plaques for women, especially for local suffragettes.

I remember once complaining to her that so many

obituaries are written for men and so few by and for women. She agreed and we joked that we should set up a group so we could all write our own.

We never did, but there’s no need for dear Valerie. We will not forget her. 

Jean Calder (19/10/2025)

Please also see an article about Valerie written with her input on 1st May 2024 for the Argus by Andy Winter, who is one of our Trustees.

Valerie Mainstone: a campaigner who remains a true colossus

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 opening session, just after Katy Bourne, Sussex

Police and Crime Commissioner, who opened the conference, followed by Jenny Stroud and Sue Delafons of the wonderful Brighton & Hove Women’s History Group.

Jean Calder said: “It was nerve-wracking speaking to such a huge audience, but it seemed to go well. There was a great deal of interest at our stall from women from all over the country – and the world. We spoke to women from from Devon to Corby and the north of Scotland, and from Australia to Canada and the DR Congo. Mary’s story fascinated them. Several said they were moved to tears by her courage and the fact she’d been forgotten. We believe the statue will be a huge draw to international visitors. Several promised they would come back to see it.”

FiLiA is a charity operating across many countries which campaigns, it says, “for a world free from patriarchy where all women and girls are liberated.” The people attending the conference heard from 250 speakers from around the world. In a series of talks and workshops, there was discussion of a range of topics affecting women – from maternity rights and birth defects due to industrial pollution, through to rape in war and all forms of sexual and domestic violence (or as some speakers called it ‘state-torture’ and ‘non-state torture’). The primary focus was on how to combat violence against women and girls.

In that regard, it was disappointing to witness each morning aggressive noisy protesters hurling abuse at the women going in to the Centre. They did not succeed in disrupting the conference and thanks are due for this to FiLiA personnel, Brighton Centre staff and officers of Sussex Police.

We are very grateful to FiLiA. Its remarkable work largely relies on the work of volunteers.  We know how difficult that can be, especially in such challenging times.

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, offered lifts and supported us at Brighton & Hove City Council events. Our only worry about Isaac is that he may not be a ‘student’ very much longer. 

Isaac Abatan is now a graduate. On 14 July 2025 he received his BA (Hons) in Politics, Philosophy and Economics at Loughborough University in the presence of his parents Kathy and Tunde, the former a trustee and the latter a stalwart volunteer. Isaac’s sister Isobel was also there.

Our hope now is that Isaac will undertake post graduate work, so he can carry on being a Student Ambassador.

Our warmest congratulations to Isaac and to all his family.

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 have followed and are still coming in. We are so grateful to Amelia and fellow journalist Susanna Rustin, who put us in touch with her.

We desperately need to increase donations if we are to have any chance of unveiling the statue in good time for the 2028 centenary of all women getting the Vote. We call on supporters to raise awareness amongst their friends and colleagues – and also to let us know of individuals, businesses, trade unions, professional bodies or community or faith organisations that could help us.

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 tour guides and pose for photographs, before entering the Museum itself.

On behalf of the trustees I now need to inform supporters that, after much soul searching, we have decided to give up the idea of placing the proposed statue of Mary in the Pavilion Gardens. As you may know, this proposal had very widespread community and political support. However, it was resolutely opposed by the trustees of the Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust, who were and are anxious to safeguard the Regency design of the gardens. We hoped the trustees might change their position once their multi-phased Heritage Lottery grant was secured, but this did not prove to be the case.

We have come to the conclusion that even if planning permission were to be granted for the site, we could be subject to challenges and delays. We fear that uncertainty about the site may already have negatively affected our funding bids. We do want to ensure that the statue is funded and unveiled ideally next year and certainly in good time for the 2028 centenary of all women achieving the Vote.

We have been in discussions with the City Council and other

bodies and now propose to submit a planning application to place the statue in New Road, just outside the Pavilion Gardens, directly opposite the entrance to the Theatre Royal. Sophie Denney, the Theatre Director has kindly given her support.  Brighton & Hove City Council continues to give us all-party support, which is wonderful. The Dome and Festival Trust are supportive of this proposal, as is The Royal Pavilion and Museums Trust. Nevertheless, we are aware that our decision will disappoint some supporters.

We are grateful to the Jubilee Library for agreeing to display

our bronze maquette, made to the design of the proposed statue, in the foyer cabinet, where it is seen by many people.

Fundraising continues to be a challenge, having been affected first by Covid and then by the cost of living crisis. We have £20,000 of the £60,000 we need to commission the statue, but are struggling to raise the final £40,000. We are exploring every option for funding that we can, from CIL and Section 106 money (via the City Council and local developers) to approaching businesses and trusts.

Unfortunately our bids to for Heritage Lottery and Arts Council funding failed. Both bodies expressed real interest in our community and schools work, but seemed reluctant to fund a statue.

We now hope that greater certainty about the new proposed site (along with  recent endorsements) may make our bids more attractive to heritage and arts trusts – and possibly local businesses, though we know many are struggling. We believe that if we can raise our bank balance to at least £40,000 we will be able to launch a final crowd funding appeal.

As always we would be grateful if supporters could suggest any local businesses, trusts or individuals who might be interested and able to help.

We would also welcome new volunteers, especially any able

to help staff  information and fundraising stalls at the Open Market, fairs and community events. If you can hand out leaflets, get signatures on a petition or shake a collection tin – or use your car (if you have one) to move equipment – we need you. Do get in touch at jeancalder.mcsa@gmail.com.

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 a difficult balancing act, fulfilling mayoral duties while continuing to run the business. Throughout, we can attest that Most has continued to make some of the best samosas in the city.

Mohammed has long supported a statue for Mary Clarke and was delighted when Mary was posthumously granted the Freedom of the City, the only woman so honoured. He has now suggested a portrait for her, inside the historic Brighton Town Hall.

Cllr Asaduzzaman said:

“Mary was so important for democracy. I would like to see a portrait of her inside the Town Hall among all the others. We gave her the Freedom of the City, but it isn’t enough that her name is listed on a board. She should have a portrait.”

A portrait of Cllr Asaduzzaman was recently unveiled at the Town Hall, painted by art student Lucy Dixon. 

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 age mucking out horse stables, to be able to ride horses. Later she was  employed as a crafts teacher, secretary, book keeper, shop assistant and office manager. She became a mature student, then at forty five, graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Archaeology. Thereafter, she spent nearly 10 years working as an archaeologist.

In politics, Jenny served as Deputy Mayor of London; Deputy Chair of the London Assembly’s Police and Crime Committee; Green Councillor for Southwark Council; and Chair of the Green Party of England and Wales. She served on the London Assembly from 2000-2016, working on housing, policing and civil liberties, cycling and walking, road safety and the legacy of the 2012 Olympics/ Paralympics. In the 2000 – 2008 London administration, she was Chair of the London Food Board and the Mayor Ken Livingstone’s Green Transport Advisor, advising him on sustainable forms of transport. In 2004 she was named as one of 200 ‘women of achievement’ by Buckingham Palace. 

When the Green Party was offered its first seat in the House of Lords Jenny Jones was selected by a vote of all party members. Introduced on November 5th 2013, she took the title Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb.

Jenny said: 

“It’s a huge honour to be asked to be a patron of the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal. At a time of increased misogyny in society, remembering our incredibly brave Suffragette sisters who suffered for their cause is even more important. A statue to the first woman to die in the campaign for a vote for women, Mary Clarke, would be a reminder to all of us that a vote is precious and must be used.”

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 load, if we asked for her support, she would always be there, helping in whatever way she could. If she was unable to be present she would find some other way to assist. 

We understand Caroline’s decision to withdraw and wish her well in all she chooses to do next. However, we will miss her very much. We are so thankful for all she has done for us.

We are proud to announce that Caroline’s hugely experienced political colleague Baroness Jenny Jones of Moulsecoomb, has now agreed to become a Patron. There will be a further news report about Jenny.

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 it.

We are so grateful to the Council’s Library Services for the help they have given us. We are also delighted to announce that we have been given permission to continue the display. 

It is a marvellous means for us to display the valuable bronze maquette, which was partially funded by Council funds, in a secure setting. It also helps children and others to access information about the suffrage movement, while providing details about the Appeal.