Imjustbrighton

ImJustBrighton: The One Man Story Behind Brighton’s Authentic Voice

Brighton has always been a city that feels alive. On any given day, the seafront hums with music, laughter and the salty wind rolling in from the Channel. Its streets, splashed with murals and chatter, move to a rhythm of their own inclusive, colorful, a little chaotic, but full of heart. Yet for thousands of locals, one name man

ages it better than any newspaper or influencer page: ImJustBrighton. Behind this digital lens stands Abdou El Wahid Graichi Cucarella, known across the city simply as Tim. He is the founder, editor, videographer, writer, designer, and voice of Brighton’s most followed independent community media platform. His journey from a teenager cleaning offices to the creator of a brand recognized across the south coast is a story of persistence, creativity and belonging. A Life Rewritten: From Spain to Sussex

Tim was born in Spain in 1995, to a Spanish mother and an Algerian father. For most of his childhood, his father was only a name a figure that existed somewhere far away. Then, when he was fifteen, a message arrived on Facebook that would change everything.

“My father reached out after so many years,” he recalls. “We started talking, and eventually he invited me to come to the United Kingdom to meet him. I was nervous, but I went.”

That single online message would rewrite the course of his life. He arrived in the UK expecting a visit; instead, he stayed. At first he lived in Haywards Heath, later moving to Burgess Hill. The language barrier, the culture shock and the financial strain were constant companions. He worked wherever he could early mornings cleaning offices, long shifts at Domino’s
Pizza, sometimes juggling both in a single day while finishing school. There were moments,
he admits, when he felt completely lost. “Those years were hard. But they also built me. When you come from nothing, you learn to make something out of small things.”

Whenever he could afford a train ticket, he travelled to Brighton. The city’s openness, its
eccentricity and coastal light spoke to him. “Brighton felt free,” he says. “You could be
anyone here. The sea, the people, the golden hour it all felt right.”

By his early twenties, Tim had saved enough to move to the city that had captured his
heart. “It still feels like the best decision I’ve ever made,” he says with a smile. “Brighton
gave me a place where I finally belonged.”

Capturing a City Once settled in Brighton, Tim became a familiar face with a camera in hand. He recorded everything: street performers, protests, sunsets, chance encounters. His friends often
joked that he was always outside filming something. Social media was changing quickly, and Brighton with its street art, politics and beach life was perfect content material. Before ImJustBrighton, Tim had already built a small personal following online. But something about self-promotion no longer felt right. “I didn’t want it to be about me,” he explains. “I wanted it to be about the city. Brighton had its own personality funny, weird, beautiful, chaotic and I wanted people to see that.”

In 2019, he launched .in.brighton on Instagram, posting short clips and photos that
captured the city’s quirks. It was a playful experiment that quickly took off. By 2021, Tim was ready for something bigger a project that reflected both his creative eye and his
community spirit. In August 2021, he officially launched ImJustBrighton. At first it wasn’t a business; it was a
passion project. The name carried two meanings: showing Brighton exactly as it is unfiltered and the idea that one person, “just Brighton”, could represent the collective
character of the city. He designed the branding himself: a bold red box shouting BRIGHTON, anchored by a
seagull hovering above the sea. Over time, that simple image became one of the most
recognizable symbols in the local online space. From Passion Project to Platform

Today, ImJustBrighton is described on its website as “Brighton’s authentic voice unfiltered,
local, real.” It’s more than a tagline it’s a promise. The numbers tell their own story. The Instagram account attracts around
138 000 followers, the page about 73 000, .in.brighton has over 36 000,
TikTok more than 14 500, and Threads about 18 000. Combined, the brand reaches
hundreds of thousands every month. Meta’s professional dashboard recorded over 26
million views in the last ninety days, with strong months reaching thirty million. Yet ImJustBrighton remains a one person operation. Tim films, edits, captions, subtitles,
schedules, posts, responds to direct messages, liaises with police and media, and
manages collaborations entirely on his own.

“People assume there’s a team,” he laughs. “There isn’t. Every video, every reply, every
idea it’s me. That’s why the connection with followers feels so real. They know it’s
personal.”

In an era when most media outlets rely on teams of reporters, editors and social
strategists, the scale of ImJustBrighton’s impact is remarkable. It’s a grassroots newsroom
powered by authenticity and community trust. The Brighton Feed Everyone Checks

Open Instagram or Facebook on any given day and ImJustBrighton is likely at the top of
local feeds. Fires, collisions, police activity, protests, restaurant openings, gigs nothing
escapes its lens. Tim never studied journalism formally. “I finished school later here in the UK,” he explains.
“Everything I know about storytelling, I taught myself.”

His approach is simple but effective: be fast, be fair, and be human. Locals often send
him footage and tips; he verifies them before posting, adds clear captions, and ensures
sensitive content is handled responsibly. Many of his clips are only a few seconds long, but the combination of speed, accuracy and
community spirit makes them highly shareable. People across Brighton now check
ImJustBrighton before traditional news outlets. It’s not just media it’s conversation.
“I think people trust it because it feels local,” Tim says. “It’s not about chasing clicks. It’s
about showing what’s really happening.”

Campaigns that Created a Buzz

Beyond breaking news, ImJustBrighton has become a powerful tool for community
engagement and small business promotion. One of the most talked about moments for
ImJustBrighton came recently in 2025 with the launch of Brighton’s 50p Pizza Week, in
collaboration with NeoTaste and The Admiral Pub in Elm Grove. He promoted it heavily across his platforms, and the response was explosive. Queues
formed outside The Admiral, and the offer went viral across the city. Media coverage
followed: The Argus, Brighton Journal and Sussex. News all ran features crediting
ImJustBrighton for the visuals and community reach. Soon after came more collaborations a £5 Katsu promotion with Wabi Sabi Hove, and
regular features spotlighting independent cafés, restaurants and bars. Each campaign
followed the same principle: celebrate independents, create value for locals, and give
Brighton a reason to smile during a difficult cost-of-living period.

“It’s amazing to see a post turn into real world action,” Tim says. “A short clip or a meme
can literally bring people through a restaurant’s door. That’s what makes it special.”

When National Media Take Notice

What started as a local social page has grown into a recognised media source for both
regional and national outlets. Sky News credited ImJustBrighton for exclusive images used
in a story about hundreds of teenagers attending a house party in Worthing. Jam Press has
repeatedly licensed Tim’s videos, particularly around the Union Jack flag incidents stories
later syndicated to national newspapers. Major outlets including the Metro, Daily Express, and The Independent have all run
articles based on ImJustBrighton’s content, covering protests, disturbances and viral
Brighton moments. One post even caught the attention of Elon Musk, who discussed
Brighton’s flag controversy on X, giving the story international reach. Locally, The Argus regularly uses his content from the 50p Pizza Week to incident clips
along the seafront. Brighton and Hove News famously debunked a viral “machete on the
bus” video originally shared by Tim, explaining that the weapon was a plastic toy. News now even maintains an I'm Just Brighton section, recognizing how closely the two
brands are connected. When something happens in Brighton, there’s a good chance it appears on ImJustBrighton
first and then everywhere else. The Look and Feel of a City

Part of ImJustBrighton’s success lies in its strong visual identity. The seagull logo, the sea
blue background, and the bold red “BRIGHTON” box are instantly recognisable. The
branding feels street level, independent and honest mirroring the city itself. Tim designed the visuals from scratch. “I wanted it to look like Brighton feels,” he explains.
“Bold, coastal, a bit cheeky, but always welcoming.”

There are several variations of the logo from hand drawn seagulls to sleek black and white
formats but the brand’s voice remains constant: loud, friendly and rooted in real life. The name ImJustBrighton also carries deeper meaning. It suggests humility as much as
identity Tim isn’t claiming ownership of the city; he’s reflecting it. “I’m just Brighton,” he
says. “The same way everyone who loves this city is.”

From Page to Business

What began as a creative hobby has now evolved into a registered company:
IMJUSTBRIGHTON LTD. The platform remains fully independent but operates
professionally, with growing partnerships and revenue streams. Tim is also a proud member of the Brighton Chamber of Commerce, connecting his
brand with local businesses and organizations. His next step is to expand the
ImJustBrighton website to include:

• Press release and PR services for local brands who want to reach his audience.

• SEO, content creation and brand design support for small businesses, and
strategic digital growth services to help local brands increase visibility and
engagement across social media and search.

• A Brighton directory of independent venues a digital map of cafés, bars and shops
featured on his pages. Even as he plans to spend part of his time in Spain with family, his focus remains on
Brighton. “I can run everything remotely,” he says. “The technology allows it, and the city
keeps inspiring me from anywhere.”

The Human Behind the Handle

Despite millions of monthly views, Tim keeps his work grounded in community. His
followers aren’t numbers; they are neighbours, business owners, friends and fans who
send him stories and thank you messages daily. Many credit ImJustBrighton with building a
stronger sense of local pride.

“I don’t see it as journalism in the traditional sense,” he admits. “It’s more like storytelling. Brighton gives me stories every day I just help people see them.”
His commitment has earned admiration from across the UK’s creator community. Where
other pages chase viral trends, ImJustBrighton maintains an authentic voice that reflects
everyday life not manufactured content. That honesty, combined with the humor and grit of
Brighton itself, is what keeps people coming back. Impact and Legacy In less than five years, Tim has built one of the south coast’s most powerful
independent media brands entirely by himself. From a teenager cleaning offices to a content creator
whose footage is used by Sky News and national newspapers, his rise mirrors Brighton’s
own character: bold, unconventional and full of resilience. The numbers speak volumes hundreds of thousands of followers, tens of millions of views,
and daily engagement from residents who now treat ImJustBrighton as part of their routine. Campaigns like the 50p Pizza Week have driven measurable traffic to local venues, while
constant community reporting has informed, entertained and, at times, protected the
public. More importantly, ImJustBrighton has changed how locals see themselves. It’s not just a
news feed it’s a mirror of Brighton’s identity: proud, diverse, and unapologetically real.
“ImJustBrighton isn’t just my project,” Tim reflects. “It belongs to everyone who loves this
city. I might be the one running it, but it only works because of the community behind it. In
the end, I’m just Brighton and so is everyone who calls this place home.” Tim ongoing goal
is to make his Google Knowledge Panel richer and more accurate, ensuring that the
story of ImJustBrighton fully represents its real journey from a one man creative idea to an
influential community platform that shapes how Brighton is seen online and beyond. Epilogue: Brighton’s New Voice

In an age when local journalism is shrinking and trust in media is fading, ImJustBrighton
stands as proof that one person with purpose can still make a difference. It’s raw, it’s
human, and it’s powered by community spirit rather than corporate budgets. From the buzz of the Lanes to the calm of the pier at sunset, from breaking news to shared
jokes, Tim’s platform captures the essence of a city that never sits still. Brighton may have
many voices, but none echo quite like this one just Brighton, through one man’s lens.