Beacon Hub Brighton

Beacon Hub Brighton Eco-education & Visitor Centre focused on the conservation of the natural world. Please support our project by donating via our website PayPal button.

Beacon Hub Brighton is a Charitable Incorporated Organisation (CIO) Reg. Charity No. 1159583, which exists to develop a conservation education centre and to extend the Beacon Hill Local Nature Reserve. The reserve runs adjacent to the villages of Rottingdean and Ovingdean and within the boundary of the South Downs National Park. It is supported by Friends of Beacon Hill, a constituted group of ent

husiastic local volunteers, working to maintain and promote the nature reserve

On the southern edge of the nature reserve is an 18 hole pitch and putt golf course which has fallen into disuse after it became uneconomic for the former lease holder to sustain as a viable business. The land belongs to Brighton & Hove City Council. In the north east corner of the golf course is a building which has previously been used as a café, toilets and golf kiosk. Beacon Hub Brighton has proposed to the council that it take over the lease and that the land be absorbed as a contiguous part of the nature reserve. It also proposes that the existing building be redeveloped into a 'hub' for community and educational use in relation to the ecology of the nature reserve and neighbouring beach which is a newly designated Marine Conservation Zone . Beacon Hub Brighton intends to create a classroom/exhibition space/venue/refreshment kiosk to generate income. We believe that the location offers a natural gateway into the South Downs National Park and potentially, a focal point and centre of excellence for the local (UNESCO) Biosphere initiative. At just a short bus ride from central Brighton, Beacon Hub Brighton will offer a unique opportunity for city dwellers of all ages to engage with and learn about the special chalk grassland and chalk reef environments and their wildlife.

Nice graphic!
17/05/2026

Nice graphic!

Five insects most people kill on sight that were already handling the pest problem.

The spray wasn't necessary. They got there first.

🌿 Ladybug larvae — black with orange spikes, shaped like tiny alligators. They crawl through aphid colonies eating hundreds before they pupate. Most people don't recognize them as ladybugs.

Hover fly larvae — small green or translucent grubs on the same leaves as aphids. The adults look like tiny bees and pollinate constantly. Two beneficial life stages in one species.

Lacewing larvae — brown, covered in debris they pile on their own backs as camouflage. Underneath, they're hunting aphids, mites, and scale insects faster than most sprays work.

Parasitoid wasps — tiny, non-stinging. They lay eggs inside aphids and caterpillars, which turn into papery brown "mummies" stuck to leaves. Spotting those mummies means the job is already done.

Ground beetles — fast, black or iridescent, found under stones and pots. They patrol at night eating slugs, snails, and cutworms.

Five pest patrols. All working without being asked 🐾

We look forward to seeing some of you at our volunteer Hub Scrub today. 10am-3pm. Nicer weather! 🌦️ 🌞🌤️
17/05/2026

We look forward to seeing some of you at our volunteer Hub Scrub today. 10am-3pm. Nicer weather! 🌦️ 🌞🌤️

Volunteers needed for our Hub Scrub tomorrow! There’s some painting, weeding and cleaning still to do. We would love you...
16/05/2026

Volunteers needed for our Hub Scrub tomorrow! There’s some painting, weeding and cleaning still to do. We would love your help if you can space an hour or two. Free hot drinks, cakes and smiles for all volunteers.

Wear work clothes and sturdy shoes if you want to walk on Beacon Hill after.

We got so much done with your help at the last one. Every hour of your time donated gets us closer to opening our doors again.

The Green Centre - Brighton
RubyMoon Gym To Swim
The Living Coast Unesco Biosphere
The Deans Beach & Environment Volunteers
Rottingdean Smugglers
Sussex Wildlife Trust
Sussex Dolphin Project
Roedean Cafe & Mini Golf Course
Rottingdean and Saltdean Lions Club
Rottingdean Arts
Brighton Downs Alliance
Plastic Free Ovingdean
Rottingdean Heritage
Plastic Free Rottingdean
A Drop in the Ocean Brighton
Brighton Repair Café
Plastic Free Brighton&Hove
Beach School East Sussex




We're going for it again on Sun 17th May if you've got a bit of free time to donate? Our charity needs to complete its maintenance schedule before we can open our doors again. Come and join in the team spirit. Do a bit of weeding, cleaning or painting and we'll supply the tools, paint, hot drinks, cake and conservation conversations. See you at the hub! Just turn up! It's fun :)

The Deans Beach & Environment Volunteers
Rottingdean Smugglers
The Living Coast Unesco Biosphere
Sussex Wildlife Trust
The Green Centre - Brighton
RubyMoon Gym To Swim

15/05/2026

Shocking, but children need to be informed that this is crime at local schools and youth settings.

Cancellation notice: Just a reminder that tomorrow’s Paddle Out Protests in Brighton & Rottingdean have been cancelled i...
15/05/2026

Cancellation notice: Just a reminder that tomorrow’s Paddle Out Protests in Brighton & Rottingdean have been cancelled in respect of the tragic loss of 3 young lives off Brighton beach earlier this week. Our sincerest condolences go out to the families involved.

A grand entrance! Not really! We're launching our 'Gate Fundraiser' with a whooping £250 donation from an anonymous loca...
11/05/2026

A grand entrance! Not really!
We're launching our 'Gate Fundraiser' with a whooping £250 donation from an anonymous local resident. We need to raise a further £2,750 to get our entrance cleared, cleaned and a brand new galvanised steel swing gate & locking post installed. Can you spare the price of a pint or more?! Could you do a little whip round in the pub for us? Or maybe even a sponsored swim/walk/run/bake/litter pick?

Just sharing this post would be a great help. Tell your friends a our story - if you know it. We are a group of local residents who took over the lease of this lovely little 1960s former golf cabin and supported Rottingdean Parish Council to add the former golf course to Beacon Hill Local Nature Reserve. Any and all support is greatly appreciated! We want Beacon Hub to open its eco- education classroom and Beacon Hub Cafe Kiosk to the public again. We can't do that without a grand entrance! :)

Please donate whatever you can via our PayPal Donate button here https://beaconhubbrighton.org/support-us/ Thank you!




A little list of the wonderful local organisations that we have worked with or have supported our charity in some kind way. We've been at this since 2014 - we're not giving up now!

The Green Centre - Brighton
The Living Coast Unesco Biosphere
Sussex Wildlife Trust
Sussex Dolphin Project
Rottingdean Smugglers
Rottingdean and Saltdean Lions Club
Rottingdean Arts
Rottingdean Heritage
Rottingdean Village Cinema
Plastic Free Rottingdean
Plastic Free Ovingdean
Plastic Free Brighton&Hove
RubyMoon Gym To Swim
A Drop in the Ocean Brighton
CPRE Sussex
Beach School East Sussex
Brighton Downs Alliance
Brighton Peace and Environment Centre
Brighton Repair Café
BrightonFreegle
Plastic Free Ovingdean
Roedean Cafe & Mini Golf Course

We're going for it again on Sun 17th May if you've got a bit of free time to donate? Our charity needs to complete its m...
06/05/2026

We're going for it again on Sun 17th May if you've got a bit of free time to donate? Our charity needs to complete its maintenance schedule before we can open our doors again. Come and join in the team spirit. Do a bit of weeding, cleaning or painting and we'll supply the tools, paint, hot drinks, cake and conservation conversations. See you at the hub! Just turn up! It's fun :)

The Deans Beach & Environment Volunteers
Rottingdean Smugglers
The Living Coast Unesco Biosphere
Sussex Wildlife Trust
The Green Centre - Brighton
RubyMoon Gym To Swim

We seriously hope so!
02/05/2026

We seriously hope so!

Badger Trust is cautiously optimistic that the badger cull has ended. Unfortunately we are not receiving any response from APHA however with no new licenses being approved in Cumbria and a move to a vaccination program, it's looking like the cull has ended!

Over 247,000 badgers have been killed during the English badger cull, and it's important to state that just because there is an end now, that does not mean that badger culling won't come back in the future. Badger Trust will continue to campaign for a permanent end to the cull in England and campaign against the start of a cull in Wales.

Thank you to every supporter, individual, organisation and charity that has fought for the end of the badger cull. To those who started this battle with us but whom we have lost along the way. This result is not due to one organisation, but to the huge amount of people that have come together to speak up for our native badgers and their protection.

We hope this is the end of the badger cull in England, but we're not done yet!

Address

Rottingdean Golf Pavilion, Marine Drive
Rottingdean
BN27HG

Telephone

+447767341059

Website

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Beacon Hub Brighton posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category