Lordshill Road Runners, a community running group based in Southampton, have raised almost £900 for local charity Yellow Door, helping to support people affected by domestic and sexual abuse. The group first fundraised for the charity in September, when members took part in a 10k run in aid of...
Local Heroes
Reader’s letter: Thanks from Southampton Ukulele Jam for helping us support some of the the city’s most vulnerable
By SUJ – Southampton Ukulele Jam. Hello, we’re Southampton Ukulele Jam! Remember us? Back in August we embarked on a challenge: to set a UK record for the longest jam a jam has ever jammed, whilst raising as much money we could for four Southampton charities. We played our...
Celebrating securing the future and the 57th birthday of The Joiners
By Sally Churchward. “It’s all about solidarity and community.” Ricky Bates, venue operator and promoter of The Joiners (and the wider Southampton music scene) summed up the feeling in the room at the St Mary’s venue last night. He was addressing the capacity crowd who had come together to...
Winchester’s Blue Apple Theatre brings inclusive performance to China
Photos by: Li Xiaocao. Winchester-based Blue Apple Theatre has recently returned from an international collaboration in Beijing, where Artistic Director Richard Conlon co-directed an inclusive adaptation of Journey to the West with Chinese partner Intellectual Heart Theatre Company. The production, staged at the Luminous Festival in China’s 798 Art...
Southampton Ukulele Jam vs The UKe-athon – charity fundraiser smashes target
Over the weekend (Saturday the 9th to Sunday the 10th of August 2025) Southampton Ukulele Jam (SUJ) overwhelmingly accomplished a most marvellous thing. By playing their ‘tiny toy instruments’ for 30hrs 1min and 25secs continuously, with only 30 secs allowed between each song and 5 min break every hour...
Southampton charities to get a boost from ukulele record attempt
As we previously reported Southampton Ukulele Jam (SUJ), the hardest working ukulele jam in Southampton, are planning to set a UK record “The UKe-athon: Longest Marathon Ukulele Jam (UK)”. All proceeds will be shared between No Limits (Southampton), Yellow Door, The Society of St James and Mountbatten Hospice. You...
Interview: Ricky Bates of legendary Southampton venue The Joiners
Words: Darren Grayer. Pictures: Chris Moorhouse. The recent news that Southampton music venue The Joiners is in line to be granted funding from the Music Venues Trust was gratefully received by everyone involved in running it as well as the hundreds of music lovers who regularly attend gigs there....
The Joiners, Southampton, included in community ownership campaign
Music Venue Properties (MVP), the pioneering Charitable Community Benefit Society created by Music Venue Trust (MVT), has announced the launch of the next phase of its ground-breaking ‘Own Our Venues’ project — a bold initiative to secure the future of a further seven iconic grassroots music venues (GMVs) across...
Inside Southampton’s protest in support of trans people
By Sally Churchward. Photos by Lily Scott and Sally Churchward. “Like the sun, we will rise above this darkness” – a message of hope rang out across the crowd gathered in the early afternoon sunshine, at Watts Park, Southampton. And many did feel a renewed sense of hope,...
Welly announce biggest headline shows to date, bringing them to Southampton in October
Following the release of their debut Big In The Suburbs LP in March this year, which itself followed the epic precursor singles Shopping, Soak Up The Culture, Deere John, Cul-De-Sac, Big In The Suburbs, The Roundabout Racehorse and It’s Not Like This In France, Welly continue their journey across...