Today is 4th July 2024, the date of the General Election. We wish all candidates the very best of luck , especially remembering our Patrons, former M.P.s Peter Kyle for Labour and Maria Caulfield for the Conservatives, both of whom are candidates for election today. Our Green Patron, Caroline Lucas has recently stood down from her service as a member of Parliament. We thank her…
This column by our trustee Andy Winter about the wonderful Valerie Mainstone was published in the Brighton Argus on 1st May 2024, Valerie’s 83rd birthday. See below or link to Andy’s blog. https://wp.me/pDTWu-2bD Valerie is a committed campaigner for memorials for women and has supported the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal since it was set up in 2018. She is often to be seen dressed as…
This powerful and moving poem was written by Cllr Mitchie Alexander and read by her at a special meeting of Brighton & Hove City Council on 14th December 2022. She read it in support of the motion to posthumously award Mary the Freedom of the City. Mary Clarke 1862-1910 The First Suffragette to die for the cause “I wear my purple sleeves with pride, You…
Mary Clarke is to be honoured by the posthumous award of the Freedom of the City, a wonderful tribute. The award is to be made at a special meeting of Brighton & Hove City Council at 3.30pm on Thursday 14 December at Hove Town Hall. Mary Clarke Statue Appeal Trustee Briony Goulden, and her two daughters Sophie and Lena, will receive the award on…
Black Friday is an Americanised term for a day of cheap bargains in the shops. It is a means of selling. The fact that this celebration of consumerism happens in November, the month of remembrance, is particularly galling for anyone wishing to remember the sacrifices made by suffragists and suffragettes and the terrible events of 18th November 1910, also called ‘Black Friday’. Three women died…
Brighton & Hove News reports that Brighton & Hove City Council is to discuss a proposal to give Mary Clarke the Freedom of the City (see below). The Chair of Trustees of the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal Jean Calder said: “This wonderful news. It is unusual for such an award to be considered for someone who is no longer alive, but it is an honour…
The inspirational Mary’s Lamp group at Balfour School has once again excelled in their fundraising efforts, raising £175 for the Appeal at the school’s Summer Fair. Led by River Isaac, our first Child Ambassador, they sold cakes, badges and pamphlets, ran a netball competition and handed out leaflets – and in a few short hours raised this wonderful amount. The group were ably assisted by…
Talk at the Dome 23 March 2022. We are delighted that Jean Calder, Chair of Trustees, has been asked to speak in the Founders’ Room at the Dome at 1.00pm on Thursday 23rd March. The theme will be “Mary Clarke, the Dome and the Suffrage Struggle”. This event follows last November’s very successful talk at the Jubilee Library. The focus of that event was on remembrance,…
Once again our Youth Ambassadors have made us very proud. Twins Izzie and Sophia Kilburn, our ‘oldest’ of our young Ambassadors, at just 14 years old, have reprised their feat of last year when, instead of receiving birthday presents, they arranged for friends and family to donate to the Mary Clarke Statue Appeal. This year they have done the same, raising a wonderful £130 for our…
Our inspirational young Ambassadors have once again triumphed in their fundraising efforts and have made a marvellous donation to the Appeal. River Isaac and her Mary’s Lamp girls’ group at Balfour School have organised a cake sale at the school, ably supported by teachers and parents. Many hours of baking resulted in record sales, with huge numbers of enthusiastic school students involved. The group has…