New community group for Afro-Caribbean and South Americans finds a home at the Brunswick Hotel

ACES Bridlington Club and Friends by the Sea has been set up by Rosalind O’Dean to support people in Bridlington and East Yorkshire of Afro-Caribbean or South American descent. Photo: Harrison Leisure

Meeting in the first floor dining room of the venue, ACES Bridlington Club and Friends by the Sea has been set up by Rosalind O’Dean to support people in Bridlington and East Yorkshire of Afro-Caribbean or South American descent.

Meeting between 11am and 3pm on a Saturday two or three times a month, the fledgling group is in the process of setting up as a charity and is already organising sports and social events, including the first Afro-Caribbean and South American food banquet on Saturday, October 29, as well as a Macmillan Coffee Morning.

The first meetings have already hosted people from many different countries such as Barbados, Jamaica, Armenia, Kenya, Guyana, Central Guinea and the Punjab and from across the UK.

Rosalind said: “While we are focused on Afro-Caribbean and South American communities on the coast, our aspiration and aim is to help absolutely anyone in the local community that needs assistance; we are inclusive of everyone based on peace, unity and respect.

“ACES is not part of or affiliated with BLM/Black Lives Matter as we fundamentally believe all lives matter.”

Michael Harrison, owner of Harrison Leisure, the Bridlington-based hospitality group which operates The Brunswick Hotel and which has donated the room use free of charge, said: “Bridlington is such a warm and welcoming town, something that I’ve felt ever since I moved here in the early 1980s.

“We wanted to help Rosalind in her ambition to start the group and give the group and its members a head start in feeling like they are part of the community and that they have facilities right here in the middle of town which they can come and call their own.”

For anyone who would like to support ACES for free, the group is registered with Easyfundraising (visit tinyurl.com/2s4dxfyc).

Rosalind added: “All you need to do is sign up and remember to use Easyfundraising whenever you shop online.

“These donations really do mount up, so please sign up to support us.”