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We Must Remember Them! 

On August 8, 1928, a decade after the end of WW1, the British Legion (as it was then called) organised for veterans and war widows to visit the battlefields of the Somme and Ypres before marching to the Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres.

EXACTLY 90 years later, thousands of representatives from the Royal British Legion recreated the 1928 Pilgrimage visiting the same battlefields and then, on August 8, 2018, paraded their branch standard and a wreath along the same route to the magnificent Menin Gate Memorial in Ypres, Belgium, for the One Hundred Days Ceremony to commemorate the last 100 days of World War 1 and represent an entire generation that served while defending their country.

Myself and Maria Baker, who sits on the grants panel of the Rainbow Fund here in Brighton, were privileged to be invited along to watch and be part of the moving ceremony along with other LGBT+ representatives from the armed services, media organisations and Stonewall, the national equality charity.

As members of the public and military veterans gathered in Ypres Market Square on August 8, they were able to view the parade on large screens erected in the Market Square the One Hundred Days ceremony taking place under the Menin Gate Memorial

Over 1,100 standard bearers paraded through the streets and Market Square of Ypres, followed by 1,100 wreath layers to the ceremony taking place under the Menin Gate Memorial, which included addresses from the Bishop of Carlisle and the Archbishop of York.

A message from the Queen ended with the words: “As you stand together at the Menin Gate and in Flanders, it is my sincere hope that the ceremony provides a thought-provoking opportunity to assist in your own acts of Remembrance”, and then, as the Last Post sounded, red petals fell from the roof of the memorial during the two-minutes silence, creating a very special and moving moment that words can’t convey..

After the 1,100 wreaths were laid, the parade of Standard Bearers returned to Market Square to huge acclaim from the gathered crowds for an afternoon of exhibitions and musical performances by the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines Scotland, the Central Band of the Royal British Legion and the London Welsh Male Voice Choir, who all performed magnificently.

Maria Baker and Susan Coleman in the Market Square at Ypres
Maria Baker and Susan Coleman in the Market Square at Ypres

The Royal British Legion are in the process of creating an LGBTQ & Allies Branch here in Brighton. Susan Coleman, well know locally in Brighton is the newly appointed Staff Champion for LGBTQ and Allies liaison for the Royal British Legion, to help the process move forward.

They are holding a meeting to discuss forming the branch on Saturday, September 15 at 2pm at the Royal British Legion Pop In Centre, Hyperion House, 100-101 Queens Road, Brighton, BN1 3XF.

Following the meeting, an application to form a new branch will be submitted to the Royal British Legion Membership Council for consideration. Everyone is free to attend. If you are already a member of the Royal British Legion you will, if you wish, be able to transfer your branch membership to the new LGBTQ & Allies Branch once the application has been discussed and accepted by the Royal British Legion Membership Council.

Photographs by Matt Alexander and Mark Allan

News from the Rainbow Cafe

Clare Plumley, Switchboards new Rainbow Cafe Development Worker gives an update at what has been happening at the Rainbow Cafe in the last 6 months.


THE Rainbow Café is an exciting initiative from Switchboard for LGBT+ people living with dementia or memory loss and their friends, families and carers.

THE aim of the project is to raise awareness of dementia within the LGBT+ communities and hope that both LGBT and non-LGBT services will have a better understanding of the specific and unique needs of LGBT+ people living with dementia. We are indebted to the Rainbow Fund for supporting the work we are now doing on this.

The Rainbow Café was launched with an opening event in February at Brooke Mead (the new extra care housing accommodation opened by Brighton and Hove City Council) in Albion Street, Brighton. As part of this launch, the awarding winning play The Purple List: A Gay Dementia Venture, was performed by Ian Baxter. This was a 35 minute one man performance exploring the highs and lows of the lives of the same-sex couple, Sam and Derek who live with the reality of dementia. The performance was followed by a Q&A session, a chance to hear about the Rainbow Café and a buffet lunch generously provided by Lunch Positive (www.lunchpositive.org/) a lunch club for those affected by HIV. I thought I’d update you on where we are 6 months down then line.

Since the launch the Rainbow Café has met monthly and has so far included a mixture of practical activities, conversation and information such as drama improvisation, a Q&A session about dementia with an occupational therapist and an illustrated talk about the film Carol.

Participants have been a mixture of people living with dementia and their carers and also those interested to learn more about the condition and about memory loss. As a result of this we’ve decided to offer two strands to the Rainbow Cafe, one with a mixture of activities for people with dementia and their carers and one which is for people concerned about memory loss to come and ask questions to professionals in the health and social care field.

None of us want to think too much about ageing or what happens to us later on as we need extra care but the Rainbow Cafe hopes to address some of these fears. In addition to providing a drop-in space for people with dementia to attend it also is setting up information sessions to answer some of the questions people might have regarding what happens as we get older and encounter memory loss and who might provide support for us.

There will be a session for people with concerns over memory loss and dementia which will cover the following areas: What is the difference between cognitive decline due to ageing and dementia, when should people take their concerns or worries further? If they think that they or a loved one may have dementia what do they do, what is the process for diagnosis?

Clare Plumley
Clare Plumley

Some LGBT+ people are estranged from their families or might not want them involved in their healthcare, they may well be single and have a ‘family of choice’ instead. So the second information session is to address concerns faced by people who might not have a partner or family member available to them to support them through later care. How in a situation where there is no ‘next of kin’ can a friend be recognised as the person’s carer, point of contact, how might a friend get Power of Attorney, how does a person with dementia ensure their care needs are directed by a trusted friend?

It’s really important that the specific needs of our communities are recognised so I hope that these discussions will inform both us and the communities in current and future conversations with health and social care providers and commissioners.

Please email: rainbow.cafe@switchboard.org.uk if you would like more details about the Information Sessions.

If you or a loved one have a diagnosis of dementia or are waiting for one and would like to go along to the monthly Rainbow Cafe please call me on 07395 425710 so I can take some details from you, get to know a little more about you and talk with you about what we are doing in the sessions.

‘Bella’s Bitches’ win jackpot at Bear-Patrol quiz night

Fifteen teams battled it out at the Bear-Patrol Pride Quiz on Thursday, August 2 at Camelford Arms, raising £636.00 for the Rainbow Fund.

BELLA’S Bitches came out top of the class and also won the cash bonus prize of £300.

Chris Gull Chair of Rainbow Fund said:  “What a great night and what a fantastic total.! This event, and others organised by businesses and organisations across the city, prompted by the message of “A Pride with Purpose”, demonstrate what a difference community fundraising makes to the projects and organisations who deliver much needed services. This will be distributed to LGBT/HIV organisations in the September grants round.”

The Rainbow Fund give grants to LGBT/HIV groups who deliver effective front line services to LGBT+ people in the city.

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