Penny Pepper, Kev Towner and Theresa Hodge

Campaign for access for disabled people

HAVE (Hastings Access to Venues and Events) are launching a newsletter, progressing its ambition to promote further access and inclusion for the disabled people of Hastings and St Leonards, focusing on festivals, events and the lively music and arts scenes.

The launch of HAVE will take place on Saturday, 10 February 2.30pm at Mungo’s Café, Marine Parade. You are cordially invited you to join the launch and meet the founders!

The debut newsletter gives a history of how HAVE formed four years ago, as an informal collective and a Facebook page. There’s a feature on last year’s events, what HAVE got up to, another on Hastings United FC and its access – along with terrifying toilet tales – and info of where to find them! We also encourage submissions from readers.

Contact Information: theresa@disabilityinclusion.co.uk / Tel:0333 5779874

The founder members are:

• Kev Towner: local legend and long time hero of disability access and activism, Kev is regularly sampling Hastings’ celebrated music scene – where access allows. He sings in a community choir and follows in his father’s folk footsteps singing at folk clubs. He is also a volunteer for several local groups and has a huge enthusiasm for making sure disabled people can access the many events that take place.

• Theresa Hodge: Theresa, who runs the CIC Disability Inclusion, is a powerhouse of advocacy and commitment to making information available to local disabled people so they can choose to engage in all the rich activity Hastings and St Leonards offers. From her many years experience in the field, she knows that solutions can be simple and that dialogue and collaboration are key.

• Penny Pepper: (HAVE editor) Writer and performer, Penny has associations with Hastings and St Leonard’s that go back to the 60s when she paddled on the beach. She has performed at The Stables Theatre, run open mic poetry events in St Leonards, and told naughty stories for Hastings Short Story Festival. She headed the bill at Slam Dunk poetry night in November 2017. Access and inclusion is at her core.

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