9th April:
Mike
Weatherley roars for the Bears
Brighton
Pavilion Conservative Parliamentary Candidate, Mike Weatherley,
is leading a campaign to help the Brighton Bears Basketball team, asking the
Council to provide specific support.
Following
the Bear’s triumph over Leicester, they have clinched the British Basketball
League title, Mike said: “Congratulations to Nick Nurse and the whole team.
I am absolutely delighted and want to do all that I can to ensure this is
a springboard to greater achievements. I
will be working with my Conservative colleagues on Brighton and Hove City
Council to highlight the benefits that the Bear’s bring to this city and
supporting them in pushing for whatever assistance the Council can give to the
team. Basketball is a sport that
can be enjoyed by the whole family young and old.
It is totally trouble free (just compare the number of police on duty at
a Basketball game to those at football games!) with the emphasis on family fun.
The Brighton Bear’s team have shown how dedicated they are not just to the
game, but to help out in the community as well.
Therefore it is high time the council gave higher recognition to this and
not only helped find a suitable permanent venue but also give financial
incentives for the time the Bear’s remain at the Brighton Centre. I want to
see the Bear’s go from strength to strength.
They're a great asset to the city, attracting basketball fans from all
over the country.”
The
Brighton Bears are major ambassadors for Brighton and Hove and have put
considerable resources into their development – and into the City through
various youth projects. But the issue of finance is a major obstacle for the
team. And central to that issue is the Brighton Centre – both in the rent they
need to find for every home game and will they have a home should the Brighton
Centre close for redevelopment in 2006/07. In order for the Bears to remain playing at the highest level
in Europe (and the only UK team playing in European competition at the moment),
they do need some assistance with certainty of where they are playing.
A
major cost item for the club is the Centre rental – which of course goes into
the City coffers. This is not suggesting this resource is given free –
although given the amount of prestige the team brings to the City and all the
work there already do there would be a case to consider this. Any rebate /
allowance given to the team would in return for work done in the community,
working with the Council to decide where best this community support can be
targeted. And it should be remembered that the city gains in many ways other
than just Centre rentals – for example, parking revenues, concession holders
like the food and drink sales and other spin offs from having a major sporting
association with a successful team.
Mike
said: “The Bear’s have been amazingly successful over recent years.
2003-2004 national cup winners, 2003/2004 the only team in Europe,
finishing 3rd in their group, making a big impact in Europe, with Brighton being
respected has having a championship basketball team.
Runners up in the BBL Trophy and on track to be BBL league champions. With all the school and community work that the team does it
is high time the council sat up and took notice of their achievements and showed
more support.”
Brighton
Bear’s give free match tickets to schools and have enabled the family learning
unit of the Council, to provide learning to kids from deprived areas, along with
their Mum and Dad before matches. They
have given the free pre match coaching and tickets as an incentive to learn and
boost their SATS results. This has
been particularly welcomed by a number of schools.
Also, the team visits local youth clubs to ensure that youngsters are
kept off the streets and do not fall into a life of crime.
Brighton
and Hove Conservative Group on Brighton and Hove City Council have tabled the
following motion to be debated at the full council meeting on Thursday April
22:-
"This
Council congratulates the very successful Brighton Bears Basketball Team on
being the 2003/4 national cup winners, the only British team in Europe
(basketball's equivalent to football's European Champions League), finishing
third in their group and for being this
seasons British Basketball League champions.
The
Brighton Bears undertake a voluntary coaching scheme within local schools and
the community. The home matches
attract a family audience with the Bears encouraging youngsters to participate
and become involved in the sport.
Taking
into consideration the above and having regard for the immense national media
publicity generated by the Bears for the City we need by Council action, to:
1.
Acknowledge that Brighton Bears make an important contribution to the
sporting well-being of the City and act as ambassadors for Brighton and Hove.
2.
Enable them to play all their games in the City, especially their five
important European games which by the rules of that competition require playing
on a Tuesday in a stadium holding at least 3,000 spectators.
3. Offer a further subsidy (by way of reducing further the charges) for the hiring of the Brighton Centre.
4. Ensure Council involvement in negotiating a new home base for the Bears when the Brighton Centre closes.
Conservative
Group Leader, Garry Peltzer-Dunn commented: “I am delighted that the
Conservative Group has stepped in and is leading the way to do what we can for
the team. This is of course something the Labour administration should have done
– but hasn’t. Basketball is a
sport that can be enjoyed by the whole family young and old.
The Brighton Bear’s team have shown how dedicated they are not just to
the game, but to help out in the community as well.
Therefore it is high time the council recognised this and not only helped
find a suitable permanent venue but also to give financial incentives for the
time the Bear’s remain at the Brighton Centre. We want to see the Bear’s go
from strength to strength.”
Mike
added: “Lets all get behind one of the most successful sporting teams in
Brighton and Hove. I look forward
to the Bear’s going on to glory in Europe and retaining their BBL title next
season. I urge the city council to
wake up and start showing the support the Bear’s deserve.
Before it is all too late.”
Other Contacts:
Councillor Garry Peltzer Dunn, Brighton and Hove City Council
Conservative Group Leader
Garry can be contacted on
01273 291186 or email garry.peltzer.dunn@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Councillor David Smith,
Brighton and Hove City Council Conservative
Group Leisure spokesman
David can be contacted on 01273 291206 or
email david.smith@brighton-hove.gov.uk
Tim Maskell, Operations Director for the Brighton Bears