On Saturday 2nd October we had a family fun session in the beer festival tent. Parents could sample the beers, but the focus was on activities for children with food and soft drinks.

The Hanover Centre will be the hub for Brighton’s 10:10:10 day of action with information and advice to help you cut your carbon emissions. This is part of 10:10, an international, UK and city campaign to encourage people to sign up in 2010 to cutting their carbon emissions by 10% within a year.

Doors open upstairs at the community centre at 3pm. Then at 4pm “Connected” is a new show by local outfit Moving Sounds that presents some of the causes and consequences of climate change and broader ecological issues in a fun and entertaining way, followed by a workshop on the issues raised, using discussion, mind-mapping, music and performance.

And the date? … 10th October 2010, of course.

A quick check with our ticket sellers this morning revealed that there are NO tickets left for Friday.

The good news is that tickets for Saturday are still available from 4 of the pubs on Southover Street – Sir Charles Napier, Dover Castle, The Geese and The Greys – the Evening Star in Surrey Street and the Hanover Centre office. Bring your friends along for a great night out. Afro-Caribbean food will be supplied by Bisi Alaba, renowned festival caterer, and we’ll have a full range of real ales, ciders and perries as well as the famous Butler’s Wine Bar.

This year’s poster is now available (main graphic courtesy of Ric Blow). Please feel free to download and display it for us!

(Click on the thumbnail to see the full poster, then right-click and save the image.)

Supporting our beer festival is probably the most enjoyable way of letting people know about your commitment to the local community. For just £50 you have sole sponsorship of a barrel of beer, cider or perry. 800 people will see your name on the barrel and in the tasting notes, and we’ll display your poster on our sponsors wall. Local freelancers and small businesses will be pleased to hear that this year we’re also offering some entry-level sponsorship opportunities, starting at just £25.

All sponsors are invited to join us for an exclusive tasting on Friday 1st October from 6 pm. At 7pm the doors open to the public and you and your guests can join the best and liveliest party in Hanover.

Hanover Community Association is independent of council and government grants and relies on voluntary fundraising to keep our “village hall” running. We are extremely grateful for the support we’ve received from so many businesses and enterprises over the years, but there’s always room for more!

If you have any questions, please speak to Pam Chapman (HCA Treasurer) on 01273 606324 or 07974 691091.

And please contact Pam if, like Barrie Alderton and HR group, you’d like your business to be associated with a specific aspect of Hanover Beer Festivals – anything from volunteers’ food and T-shirts to lighting, stewarding, stillage and marquees – or any of the charity’s other activities.

Click here to download a sponsorship form.

Our real ale festival is the Hanover Centre’s biggest fundraising event of the year and we need extra hands and muscles….

Please note – no experience is necessary for any of the jobs listed here, just enthusiasm and a smile!

This year’s festival runs from Friday 1st to Sunday 3rd October. Please contact Iain at the Hanover Centre (01273 694873) to let him know what time you can offer between September 27^th after the marquee goes up until Sunday 3^rd when we clear up.

Top Ten Tasks for volunteers are:

1. Site set up (Tuesday onwards, and especially Friday morning)
2. Check condition of souvenir glasses
3. Collect equipment and printing from Resource Centre (Thursday or Friday)
4. Cover a slot on the Beerwatch rota (Wednesday afternoon to Friday morning, marquee)
5. Serve on the main bar (Friday and Saturday, marquee)
6. Serve on the wine bar  (Friday and Saturday, hall)
7. Hand free glasses to customers (Friday and Saturday, gazebo)
8. Stewarding (Friday and Saturday, all areas)
9. Pack down  (starts 10.30 Sunday morning)
10. Supervising take-outs (Sunday from 11.30 am — if there’s any beer and cider left)

And if anyone is available on Tuesday 5^th October to return hired equipment to the Resource Centre, that would be great!

A new beginners’ Body Control Pilates comes to the Hanover Centre this Autumn on Monday evenings. Katie Bringloe is holding a taster workshop on Monday 20th September between 6 and 7pm and classes will follow on weekly after this. Further information from Katie on: 07702 884 866 or email: katiebringloe.pilates@gmail.com

If you are interested in Pilates classes at The Hanover Centre and can’t make a Monday evening, Jan Davies has classes on Thursday and Friday evenings and Saturday mornings. Further information from Jan on: 07904 187 257 or email jandavies891@btinternet.com.

In case you haven’t seen any publicity or read the Hanover Directory lately, our AGM is on Tuesday 7th September – see the poster for details. We were hoping that Caroline Lucas MP would make it to the meeting, but she has confirmed that she has to stay in London for an important vote on employment rights for public servants.

We’ll have the usual AGM business and then  a panel of councillors to answer your questions. Hope to see you there!

We are pleased to be hosting another basket making workshop with Louise Paul in the upper hall on Thursday 2^nd September, 11am — 3pm.

For more information and to book a place, contact the Hanover Centre office.

Calling all babies and toddlers (and their mums and dads). On 2^nd September Jackie Chase will be back with her Da Capo Music for Kids sessions on Thursday mornings at 10.30.

These award winning music workshops for babies and toddlers are a good foundation and tremendous fun! Music activities are extremely good for children’s development from the start of life, and a great place for parents to meet others too. Jackie has 27 years’ experience and three awards for her teaching.

For further information contact Jackie on 07799 564620 or 01273 601804; or visit www.brightonmusicforkids.wordpress.com.