Natasha Walker was elected as Co-Chair of Switchboard, the national LGBT – Helpline on September 29 to join Nuala O’Sullivan.
New Co-Chair of Switchboard, Natasha Walker
IN the same year the nation celebrates 100 years of women obtaining the vote, history has been made at Switchboard – the national LGBT+ Helpline with the election of Natasha Walker as Co-Chair to join Nuala O’Sullivan, making history as the first time two women have held the posts of Co-Chair since national Switchboard began in 1974.
Earlier this year Switchboard’s membership changed the Article of Association, removing the fixed male and female Co-Chair roles, reflecting a less binary approach to gender and identity.
As the oldest LGBT+ helpline in the UK, Switchboard has a long history of being at the forefront of changes within the LGBT+ communities.
New Co-Chair Natasha Walker said:“It is such an honour and a privilege to be given the opportunity to run this organisation, and for the first time to have two women at the helm! It has been said that the milestones within the LGBTQ+ communities can be traced in the calls we have taken and I want to ensure that we are here for the milestones of the future, because there are still many more to come.”
Pictured from L-R: Craig Harwood, Jay Stacy and Scott Austin Shaw
Throughout 2018, Marine Tavern support MindOut, the LGBTQ mental health service, as their local LGBT charity to support with all year round fundraising.
Craig Harwood
Craig Harwood, chief charity fundraiser at the Marine Tavern said:“Previously we have supported bigger charities like Rockinghorse but we are a real locals bar and we wanted a small, local charity with a LGBTQ focus where our money would really make a difference. We came up with our top 3 charities and then asked our locals to vote – they chose MindOut! Lots of them have used MindOut services or know someone who has. We wanted to give mental health more attention as it is a hidden need. Half the effort is about raising awareness as well as money!”
Craig said that although it was sometimes stressful – it was a lot of fun planning events and doing things together at the pub.
“It has been really beneficial for our own mental health – many of us have had our own experiences of mental health difficulties and we know how important it is in our communities. My goal is to get local bars working together in unison to help make our community stronger.”
Whilst Craig has been leading the fundraising efforts he praised the bar staff and punters who have contributed and organised events themselves – particularly Scott Austin Shaw and Jay Stacy. “It’s a real team effort” he said.
“We did a boat race fundraiser three years ago and it all grew from there – we made friends and started thinking about other activities we could do as a way of coming together and doing some good for charity.
“I suffer from anxiety and depression myself and it’s still quite taboo. It affects work, social life and it’s important to break down the wall of silence. People don’t take it as seriously as they should. At our event for Liam a few weeks ago some of the performers were amazing and spoke out about their own mental health issues – it helps create community connections.”
So far the team have organised a sponsored bike ride across the South Downs, had regular pub quizzes, collection tins at the bar and a memorial event for one of the locals.
So far this year they have raised £3,132.64 for MindOut and have set themselves a target of £7K to meet before the year is out.
A spokesperson for MindOut said:“MindOut would like to extend a heartfelt thank you for all the wonderful efforts of the team at the Marine Tavern including Craig Harwood, Lee Cockshott, Matt Convery, Jay Stacy, Scott Austin-Shaw and all our supporters at the Marine Tavern – you are truly making a difference!”
Coming fundraising events at the Marine Tavern include:
♦ 1 day Brighton to Paris cycle ride in November 2018. To support the team (Craig Harwood and Jay Stacy) and donate via their Paris cycle ride JustGiving Page, click here:
♦ January 2019 – End of year hurrah! and final fundraising event for MindOut…watch this space..
Click here: To help the guys at the Marine Tavern hit their target by donating via their team JustGiving page.
The organising team behind Brighton Bear Weekend reveal the 2019 event will run from Thursday, June 13 to Sunday, June 16.
OVER recent years,Brighton Bear Weekend (BBW) has gone from strength to strength, and is now widely recognised as the one of the biggest and best bear weekends in the UK, attracting men not just from across Europe, but from all around the world.
Once again in 2019 there will be a full programme of fun events which will be announced very soon – so now is the time to book your hotels, flights and trains – and most importantly, book Monday, June 17, 2019 off work!
Graham Munday
Chair of BB, Graham Munday said:“The whole team is looking forward to a great weekend in June next year with a whole host of events to keep you entertained. At the last one we raised £10,600 for good causes.
“Don’t forget that we have more events throughout the year, and you can stay up to date with all BBW 2019 news on our website, brightonbearweekend.com”.
As always, BBW will be proudly supporting the Rainbow Fund, which gives grants to local LGBT+/HIV community groups and charities who deliver effective front line services to LGBT+ people in Brighton and Hove.
Chris Gull
Chair of Rainbow Fund, Chris Gull, added:“The Bears are at it again! The Rainbow Fund appreciates the trust that Brighton Bear Weekend place in us to distribute the funds that they raise over the weekend to the many vital local LGBT+ and HIV projects that apply to us for grants. These grants make a huge difference to the lives of many in our communities, and are only possible because of the funds raised by LGBT+ volunteers”
For more information about Brighton Bear Weekend, click here:
LIGHT sculpture,Freddie Moorhead is staging an exhibition of his work at the Totem Galleryin Worthing till October 18.
The work being exhibited has all been created in the last three months and includes collage, photomontage, photo collage and totem sculptures.
The totem sculptures were also in the Worthing Light Festival (highly commended by the judges who included Ali Lapper).
Freddie said: “One of my pieces of work is a collage of photographs that I took of a time when I worked in Novinki in Belarus at a hospital and orphanage which was less than 128 miles from Chernobyl. I was fortunate to be able to take photographs of some of the children affected by the catastrophe that happened there and this piece of work is in the present exhibition. Hopefully this will raise again the almost forgotten issue of birth defects which continues to the present day, thirty years on from the disaster.”
Event: Freddie Moorhead Exhibition
Where: Totem Gallery in Worthing 7-8 Haverscroft Buildings, North Street, Worthing (just down the road from Lidl)
When: Till October 18 on Wednesdays, Thursdays, Fridays and Saturdays
Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents launch the Naked Rugby Players Calendar 2019 at Bar Broadway on Saturday, October 6 from 9pm.
THE Naked Rugby Players 2019 are made up of six inclusive clubs from across the UK. Each team offered up their time and spaces (as well as stripping) to help raise money for their own clubs and the Balls To Cancer charity.
A spokesperson for the Sea Serpents, said:“We are delighted to offer ourselves for this calendar – some of the guys wanted to do a calendar, and this gives us the opportunity to do so while supporting Balls to Cancer, who are primarily raising awareness of male cancers and education of the issues surrounding them.
“The calendar includes six gay and inclusive rugby clubs and photographs are taken inside and outside at our home rugby clubs. We acknowledge Hove RFC’s relaxed attitude to this (and hope that they will buy calendars).”
The calendar will get its official Brighton launch on the evening of October 6 at Bar Broadway where you can meet the guys in the flesh, find out about the fun they had baring all and most importantly buying a calendar!
“We’re not just telling you the contents of our dreams last night – this is an actual thing, and it’s glorious.” – GayTimes
Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents are Sussex’s first fully inclusive rugby club, encouraging gay, bisexual, and trans guys to learn, experience and play rugby in a non judgmental atmosphere. They welcome along to join them, anyone who shares their vision.
They are the 2018 Bingham Cup Challenger Bowl champions, and have been voted Brighton’s Favourite Sports Group at Gscene magazine’s Golden Handbags award ceremony for the past 2 years.
The Sea Serpents are sponsored by Bar Broadway, and are members of the Sussex RFU, the RFU and IGR – the body that encourages inclusive rugby around the world.
For more information about the Sea Serpents RFC message their Facebook page email: info@bhssrfc.com Or click here:
Event: Official Launch The Naked Rugby Players Calendar 2019 featuring Brighton & Hove Sea Serpents RFC
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