Blogs

I was born to West Indian parents in Birmingham 1967, and from the age of five to 15 I was raised by my father and stepmother. My relationship with my stepmother was very turbulent from day one.  One of my earliest memories is of her calling me a “girl’s blouse” or a “puff” due to […]

I have been raised in a culture where I was constantly reminded of how fair my brown skin was; and how lighter skin was more desirable than darker skin. I still remember the coarse feeling of my grandmother trying to rub my face with her chunni (a long Indian head scarf). It one of my […]

Carl Marshall, the first facilitator of the Married Men’s Group, talks about the group and its history.   How did the group come about? Well, in 2002, I left my marriage of 20 years as I realised that I was gay. I was very distressed, disoriented, and in need of support, and a friend directed […]

Today’s guest blog is brought to you by Noël Fanthôme. At the end of my last article, I left you with the image of my extensive sexual exploits having caused a computer to raise its electronic eyebrows, together with the sworn commitment to remaining celibate in order to maintain the principles of lockdown. My developing […]

By our Ageing Better Network Enabler (community development worker), Maria Hughes. Lockdown, self-isolation, shielding . . . if your job is to facilitate bringing people aged 50 and over together in social groups, to combat social isolation, a global pandemic can severely hamper your efforts. Research has shown that being socially isolated and lonely lead […]