A competition called Make Brighton Rock has been set up to find new ways to improve Brighton – with a reward for those with the best ideas.

Make Brighton Rock is asking for ideas to be submitted which will then be voted upon by the public. On 14th February 2011, the ten most popular ideas will be reviewed by a panel of judges with three winners receiving £1,000, £500 and £250 in cash. Their winning ideas will be presented to relevant industry partners such as the NHS, police and council.

Two of the ideas that have caught Mike’s attention so far are:

Picnic on the Prom

“All of the residents of Brighton and Hove are invited to join their friends and neighbours for a giant communal picnic on the promenade one day in the summer. Just turn up, bring your own food, set up a portable table and chairs, throw down a towel, or do it in style on a rug (a-la-Glyndebourne). Local hotels and restaurants can occupy “commercial areas” where they can join in and set up tables and chairs for customers or invitees. Entertainmernt can be provided by street performers (remember those great street entertainers who used to roam the streets in the Festival – “The Streets of Brighton”). Some areas could also be themed on entertainment – Jazz, classical music, rock etc. This could be the longest linear picnic in the world.”

The rebirth of bottle-free water

“Introduce elegantly designed drinking fountains in the town, allowing everyone to have a free drink and at the same time helping the environment. Saying ‘no’ to the bottled water (a major cause of plastic going to landfill).”

Mike will be following the competition with great interest and looks forward to reviewing the winning entries.

See Make Brighton Rock for details.