Main focus of Brighton Branch
Our campaigning – which has a local, national and international focus – includes weekly and annual activities that run throughout the year, as well as other urgent and ongoing activism to support WILPF’s aims and campaigns.
Key local issues
Our focus and demonstrations recently have focused on a bomb-part factory, L3Harris, which is in Brighton, much to our disgust. This is where bomb release mechanisms are made for the bombs being dropped on Gaza and Yemen. The factory has been there for many years and there have been several long-term campaigns to get it closed down by various people and groups, and we have been involved with some of this activism. With the current campaigning, we are collaborating with a coalition of many others, prompted by the fact that the bombs are being used in the genocide of the people of Gaza, as we have a lot of action in the city in support of Palestine.
Other actions we are involved with include:
- actions in Brighton and in London with Extinction Rebellion (XR)
- demonstrations with Palestine Solidarity Campaign
- standing on the picket line in support of the nurses and doctors when they were on strike
Partnerships and collaborations
We work in partnership with the Quakers, Amnesty International, Stop the War Coalition, Brighton Against the Arms Trade (BAAT), the L3Harris Coalition, Palestine Solidarity Campaign, Defend the NHS and Extinction Rebellion (XR) Brighton.
Weekly events
Every Friday 13:00–14:00 Every Friday we hold a silent Women in Black Against War vigil at the Brighton war memorial, Old Steine. We started this vigil in October 2023, and intend to continue. Non-members also attend regularly, including people from the Quaker community, and all are welcome.
Annual events
January We commemorate and celebrate the UN Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons with a street stall, engaging with people and handing out leaflets.
January We hold a New Year party, and welcome members to gather together, and also to listen to a speaker.
March On 8 March, International Women’s Day, we have a stall to promote WILPF as part of a large local event.
May International Conscientious Objectors’ Day is on 15 May, and we run an event, often held with the Quakers at the local Friends Meeting House.
June We organise a stall on International Day for Children as Victims of War on 4 June where we can inform and engage with people to remind them about all forms of victimisation of child soldiers in violence and warfare.
July Brighton Branch joins many other groups, such as refugee support and climate justice activists, in holding a day to interact with many people in the gardens of the Royal Pavilion.
August We organise an evening event on 6 August to commemorate Hiroshima Day and sometimes also organise a walk along the seafront with banners, and lay flowers at the peace statue on Hove seafront.
August During the summer we have a garden party with a speaker at a member’s home. This is partly to raise funds to make our activities possible and also to gather together in the warmth hopefully!
September Some of us take part in demonstrating at the Defence and Security Equipment International (DSEI) arms fair in London’s Docklands, held alternate years.
November We hold an event on Remembrance Day on 11 November. This ends with laying our white peace poppy wreath at our war memorial.
November We usually have a stall or a vigil on 25 November for the International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women.
Branch news
Local Branch meetings
We meet in the Jubilee Library café area on the first Tuesday morning of each month at 10:30–12:00 and have an online meeting on Zoom on the same day at 19:00. This is so we can make sure that women who cannot attend in the daytime have the chance to go through what was discussed earlier and make their own contributions.
Contact details
Enquirers based in Brighton and the surrounding area are welcome to get in touch and arrange to have an informal chat with one of us before deciding to join.
Jenny Engledow, Branch Secretary, and representative on WILPF UK’s Executive Committee
Rebecca Johnson, Branch representative on WILPF UK’s Executive Committee
Anne Eggleton, Branch Treasurer
For all questions, please use our contact form or general email on the Contact Us page.
