As part of our mission to reach out to the localities and new groups of people, the LGBT Hub has arranged some new events, and we’re looking for the opportunity to arrange more.
In January we held a social in Northfield for the first time. The weather was very cold and threatening to snow, but this didn’t put off our participants, who were very pleased to be able to meet somewhere local. They enjoyed the venue and each other’s company, and will be meeting again in February and March on the fourth Tuesday at the same place: Allegro Lounge; same time: 7.30pm. The group is now called Northfield Rainbows.
In February, we are working with the Quakers of the Central England region to hold a meeting at the Peace Hub, which is in the city centre. We’ll be exploring the acceptance of LGBT+ people within Quakers, and to find out how Ageing Better in Birmingham can support groups and activities to increase connections between people.
Following on from an event with Royal British Legion at their Drop-in Centre in New Street, we will be organising more informal coffee mornings for LGBT veterans and allies.
We now have a new meetup in Sutton Coldfield! The Sutton Coldfield LGBT+ Social met in March and will meet again in April.
We are talking to a group of volunteers in Castle Vale who have formed Together in Pride North Birmingham. They are looking to host a monthly workshop discussing issues with the LGBT community in the area and hosting an event in May for LGBT at their creative arts event.
If you’re interested in an LGBT social event in your part of Birmingham, please get in touch. Contact me, Maria Hughes on 0121 643 0821 or mariahughes@blgbt.org.
New Groups
Northfield Rainbows is a social group for LGBT people and allies living in or near Northfield, meeting on the last Tuesday of the month.
InteGreat Theatre is a Deaf & hearing Theatre Company, based in Birmingham. They have applied to the Ageing Better Fund for a new project and our fingers are crossed!
The Pool & Karaoke group meeting at The Fox has now joined the Ageing Better family and further activities are now being planned.
LGBT Line Dancing and LGBT Table Tennis have also joined the Ageing Better family and we look forward to promoting these fun, fitness activities to the 50+ community.
Group News
TranSpectrum is now meeting again, every third Thursday at the LGBT Centre. Louie, who organises TranSpectrum, has written about their experiences and why the group is so important, which you can read in the ‘Focus On’ section below.
For Transgender Day of Visibility, 31st March, Trans Central are collecting McDonald’s full loyalty cards offering free hot drink, to give to the homeless. These complete loyalty cards will offer the chance of a homeless person claiming a hot drink and time with warmth and shelter whilst they drink their beverage (possibly in the middle of a freezing night). Trans Central members also aim to feed the homeless once more on our special day: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Transgender_Day_of_Visibility.
The Ageing Better LGBT Housing Group is taking part in the LGBT Housing Conference at the end of March. Housing and care providers, community groups, academics and the general public are invited to this event, to look at the housing-related needs of LGBT people, showcase good practice and network with each other. The keynote speakers will be Tina Wathern from Stonewall Housing and Andy King from the University of Surrey – and the Ageing Better LGBT Housing Group will also have a platform, to ask our audience: what should our Top 10 priorities be?
