Trans project celebrates 15th anniversary

Clare Project celebrates fifteenth anniversary with a reception at Marlborough Theatre.

The Clare Project started in 2000 and the first meetings took place at the Shadi Danin clinic on New Church Road, Hove.

Shadi, a specialist in treatments for skin and hair, had a number of trans people attending her clinic for treatments and so she encouraged them to meet up, get to know each other and offer support to each other.

She offered a room at her salon in Hove for the first meetings of the new group to take place. The Clare Project was born and it was good to see Shadi at the anniversary 15 years later.

The evening was compared by Clare Project secretary Kim Curran who stood in for current chair, Dr Sam Hall who was ill. Speeches were given by Clare Project facilitator Rosemary Allix, backbone of the groups weekly Tuesday drop-ins at the Dorset Gardens Methodist Church; author and founding member Alice Purnell OBE; former Chair Steph Scott and poet extraordinaire Alice Denny.

The Clare Project is a self-supporting group based in Brighton and Hove open to anyone wishing to explore issues around gender identity.

Their main activity is a weekly drop-in every Tuesday, which aims to provide a safe and confidential place for people to meet with others to share their life experiences, and find information, support and companionship. A facilitator and a psychotherapist are at the drop-in each Tuesday.

Whilst the group is mainly attended by transgender, transsexual and gender dysphoric people, they aim to be all-inclusive as they recognise the complexities surrounding the issue of gender identity. The project has no religious affiliation.

Wendy Byrne baked a celebratory fruit cake to mark the special landmark occasion and photographer Stella Michaels took pictures of the event for a planned exhibition.