26/09/2019 – Scene Magazine – From the heart of LGBTQ+ Life

“Everyone is welcome here”.

THIS is the message from Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust (BSUH) as it submits an application to gain one of the UK’s most prestigious markers for LGBT+ workplace equality.

In February this year, BSUH made a clear commitment to building on its impressive performance in Stonewall’s 2019 Workplace Equality Index (WEI) scheme, where it was ranked 143 out of 445 entrants.

“This was an excellent foundation and starting point, but we wanted to go further.”

Denise Farmer, Chief Workforce and Organisational Development Officer for BSUH said: “We made a firm promise to our staff, and to our patients, that we would act on Stonewall’s guidance to improve our score and continue to make our trust better all the time.”

Since February, BSUH has worked at pace to address Stonewall’s recommendations. A few examples of work evidenced in the WEI Top 100 application include:

Partnering with Brighton and Sussex Medical School to run an LGBT+ focused healthcare learning and development seminar programme, tackling health inequalities experienced by LGBT+ individuals
Updating important Trust documents using gender neutral language, ensuring that they are equally applicable for all members of staff
Launching an LGBT+ Mentoring programme, addressing a national trend for LGBT+ staff to lag behind non-LGBT+ colleagues in workplace pay or progression
Publishing Staff Stories from LGBT+ colleagues throughout the organisation, supporting visibility of LGBT+ individuals at all levels from ‘Board to the Ward’
Progressing towards a pioneering approach to public sector recruitment, supporting all forms of diversity in the trust’s supply chains.

“This has been a substantial programme, and while there is still more to do, I’m proud of everything that we have been able to evidence,” continued Denise.

“Our focus is always on improving patient care. To do this, we need our staff to feel supported, to experience the benefits of working for a diverse organisation and to know that we do everything possible to help them deliver their best work.

“We have built on the work we launched last year to improve the workplace experience of our BME colleagues. That work is ongoing and everything it taught us has enriched our Stonewall application. This trust is on a journey of continuous improvement, and we are using every tool at our disposal to accelerate our progress.”

Central and North West London NHS Foundation Trust and University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust are the only NHS Trusts to appear in the list’s top 100.

The scores for this year’s WEI applications will be announced by spring 2020.

More information about support for LGBT+ individuals at BSUH can be found online: www.bsuh.nhs.uk/lgbtq.

Following Brighton & Hove Pride’s amazing celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Stonewall Inn uprising in New York City that ignited and inspired the global Pride movement, Brighton & Hove Pride announce they have raised a fantastic £217,432.50 for local good causes.

Photo: James Daly

EVERY year the city of Brighton & Hove is awash with rainbow flags as businesses show their support for Pride and our LGBT+ communities and an estimated £20.5 million is brought into the city’s economy with visitors spending money on accommodation, retail, food and drink over the Pride weekend.

Brighton businesses within the Pride Village Party footprint contributed £125 per day (small venue) or £250 per day (larger venue) that helped raise £7,520 towards the Pride Social Impact Fund.

Bucket collections on the Pride Community Parade raised £768.

Legends was again the biggest LGBT+ business supporter contributing £3,504.74 in fundraising and £5,000 in sponsorship.

This year, Brighton Pride introduced the Pride City Angels scheme to engage with businesses across the city to help support community fundraising and projects all year round. The launch of Pride City Angels saw a first year sign up of 26 businesses with founding members contributing £1,000 each, bringing in a further £10,750.

Paul Kemp

Paul Kemp, Pride Director, said: “With increasing costs this year for cleansing and security resources and the uncertainty around Brexit that adversely affected sponsorship income, it has been a really challenging year for Pride. This year Pride are thrilled to have raised over £200,000 which will be distributed to local charities community groups and projects through the Brighton Rainbow Fund, the Pride Social Impact Fund and Pride Cultural Development Fund.

“With over £922,000 raised under the current organisation, Pride are very much on target to reach £1million fundraising for good causes by 2020, the 30th Anniversary of Brighton & Hove Pride.”

Brighton & Hove Pride is the UK’s biggest Pride Festival operated by Brighton Pride CIC, a not for profit community organisation. All tickets revenue raised goes directly to the operational and running costs of producing the Pride Festival, Pride LGBT+ Community Parade, Pride Village Party and community fundraising, with £1 for every paid ticket going direct to the Brighton Rainbow Fund who give grants to LGBT+ organisations that deliver effective frontline services to LGBT+ people in the city.

How the funds will be distributed
• Brighton Rainbow Fund: £165,724.50
• Social Impact Fund: £20,958 (plus £10,000 roll over from 2018)
Total SIF fund allocation for 2019: £30.985
• City Angels: £10,750.00
• Pride Solidarity fund: £10,000
• Cultural development fund: £10,000