The Proud Trust, akt, LGBT Foundation, George House Trust and Manchester Pride are coming together for a festive gathering of Greater Manchester’s LGBT+ community at Manchester Cathedral – a space for celebration and inclusion.

We are stronger when everyone is included, and this event will be a celebration of all within our wonderfully diverse LGBT+ community.

Please join us for a joyful evening of Carols and readings.

This is a free event, with donations made on the evening supporting The Proud Trust, akt, LGBT Foundation and George House Trust charities, who work hard to keep our community safe and strong.

Donations can also be made when booking a ticket.

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/a-festive-celebration-of-the-lgbt-community-tickets-731148824817?utm_experiment=control_share_listing&aff=ebdsshios

Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us if there is anything we can do to make your visit more comfortable, email us: [email protected].

LGBTQ+ Coffee Mornings Tuesdays 10.30am – 12.30pm Ladybarn

Tea & Toast, Monthly Speakers, Everyone Welcome, £2 Donation, Ladybarn Community Hub, Royle St, M14 6RN

Village Church

A safe place for LGBTQ+ folk and allies welcome, loved & cherished just as we are

2nd & 4th Sunday of every month at 4pm (doors open from 3.30pm)

at The LGBT Foundation, Fairburn House (2nd Floor), 72, Sackville Street,

Manchester. M1 3NJ

All Are Welcome – Just Turn Up!

Contact: Paul on 07561 471185 or [email protected]

Challenging Hate Crime against LGBTQI People of Colour Workshop: Wed 25^th Oct, 12pm – 2pm

At The Met, Market Street, Bury, BL9 0BW

For Black History Month this workshop will focus on Hate Crime against LGBTQI POC, Find out more about this type of Hate Crime and local developments to combat it. Share your experiences of Hate Crime.

Lunch & Drinks Provided.

To Book email: [email protected]

LGBTQ+ Mental Health Webinar Focussed Upon Eating Difficulties. If anyone is interested in this area, here’s the link to find out more. CPD/attendance certificates provided! Do get in touch ([email protected]) if you have any questions:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/693544148217?aff=oddtdtcreator

Toxic: HOME Manchester, Now on Till – 28 October
Pulling back the glittery curtain of pride, brand new play Toxic from Nathaniel J Hall (First Time, It’s a Sin) reveals the impact of generational HIV stigma, racism, homophobia and toxic gender norms. Inspired by true events, Toxic celebrates the survival and resilience of the queer spirit.
https://homemcr.org/production/toxic/

A HOME Co-Commison:
Dibby Theatre is an award-winning national touring theatre company from Manchester. LGBTQ+ led they tell urgent and untold stories full of wit, grit and soul that surprise, challenge, entertain and inspire queer hope and resilience. With an extensive outreach and talent development programme, their work reaches beyond the stage to celebrate the diverse communities they serve. www.dibbytheatre.org @DibbyTheatre

North West Community Football League Try 11-A-Side! Open Football Session for All Genders

Whether you’re brand new to football, dusting off your boots after some time off the pitch, or are a confident player looking to get into 11-a-side, North West Community Football League invite you to join them in their open training session on October 21, 2023.

They’ll be running training sessions for players of different abilities, helping you to get ready to play 11-a-side.
After training, you’ll play some friendly matches to give you some match experience ahead of their inaugural season.

This event, and the North West Community Football League, is open to people of all genders. They aim to provide an inclusive, respectful, and fun environment to play competitive football.

Date: 21^st October 2023, 10am

Venue: Hough End Sports Centre, Manchester

Link: https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/try-11-a-side-open-football-session-for-all-genders-tickets-721478269927?aff=ebdssbeac&keep_tld=1

Manchester Frontrunners: Sunday Social Runs for Women, Trans & Non-Binary Runners

Manchester Frontrunners are proud to announce a new series of special monthly social Sunday runs for women, non-binary and trans runners. These easy social 5K runs, followed by cake or lunch, will be taking place at different locations across the Manchester area every month, starting at Alexandra Park at 11 am on Sunday 22^nd October & Sunday 26^th November.

As well as current club members, they’re also happy to invite anyone who may be interested in running with them. If interested, please e-mail: [email protected] for more info.

Pride in Leadership is a UK-wide network of over 1,000 LGBTQ+ business leaders and allies from across all sectors, shapes and sizes of organisation – www.prideinleadership.co.uk. It’s run by Matt Haworth & Claire Ebrey.

Christmas networking on 22 November. For both events, use the promo code early10 for a little discount. https://prideinleadership.co.uk/upcoming-events/

The EY Foundation and Youth Advisory Board are pleased to invite you to an exciting event, ‘Overcoming Barriers: The Future of Work for Young People’
This event, facilitated by members of the Youth Advisory Board, will draw upon the youth voice work of the EY Foundation over the last year, and question what is the future of work for young people from low-income backgrounds?

Paying particular attention to technological developments, participants will hear from young people and experts about their experiences with these changes. The event will explore the impact these advances will have on this group of young people, and what we could do to overcome these potential barriers, for employers and young people alike.
Date: Thursday 2nd November 2023
Time: 3pm-5pm
Location: 2 St. Peter’s Square, Manchester, M2 3DF
Hope to see you there for some interesting discussions.
To RSVP for this event, please click here!

The Whitworth art Gallery are showing the short film Permissible Beauty, 2^nd November 6pm.

Permissible Beauty, is a short film that responds to the absence of Black Queer visibility in our national story, exploring and celebrating what is unique about British Black and Queer identity.

The link to the Eventbrite is:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/permissible-beauty-film-screening-with-qa-tickets-725980165217?aff=oddtdtcreator

Black Beetle Health Health Equity and Advocacy Conference
LGBTQ+ BPoC Health Equity and Advocacy Conference
Dates: Thursday 16th and Friday 17th November
Time: 9:30am-4pm
Location: Wilson Suite, Holiday Inn, 25 Aytoun St, Manchester M1 3DT
Attendee tickets: Free
Exhibitor tickets: Between £30 and £50 for a table at the conference, depending on your organisation (see below for more info)
The two-day event will cover our programme, H.E.A.T (Health Equity and Advocacy Training).

This accredited 7-module course is designed for practitioners engaging with LGBTQ+ Black and People of Colour across health, wellbeing and equality.
They developed H.E.A.T. to: Facilitate improved understanding of the issues that contribute to health disparities for LGBTQ+ BPoC, Create a space for meaningful discussion around the decolonisation of theories and practices that have impacted LGBTQ+ BPoC in healthcare.

Exhibiting at the Conference
They will also have an exhibitor space at our conference for any health, wellbeing or equity organisations and grassroots groups to share information and resources.
Tables are limited and prices range from £30 to £50, based on the size of your organisation.
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/lgbtq-bpoc-health-equity-and-advocacy-conference-tickets-727371266037?aff=oddtdtcreator

LGBT Foundation “The Community Café”
Every Saturday, 12pm – 4pm
Have a brew and a chat with other LGBTQ+ people at their sober space, located in the heart of Manchester’s Gay Village
Fairbairn House, 2^nd Floor, 72 Sackville Street, Manchester M1 3NJ
www.lgbt.foundation

The Rainbow Lottery is the UK’s first weekly lottery that raises money for the LGBTQ+ community. Their hope is to make a difference to our over 100 good causes across the country, so they can carry on their vital work – which helps us all.
For more info: www.rainbowlottery.co.uk To start supporting causes in OUR community purchase your ticket here:

https://www.rainbowlottery.co.uk/referral/1754044334/1961609853

LGBTQ+ Inclusion Training with LGBT Foundation
The LGBT Foundation Training Academy runs ten-modules focused on LGBTQ+ inclusion

I just wanted to introduce you to LGBT Foundation’s Training Academy, which is for anyone wanting to increase their knowledge and confidence of LGBTQ+ inclusion at work, at home and in the community.

They offer a range of modules and packages to support your learning, no matter how much prior knowledge and experience you have with LGBTQ+ people.

Training modules are online, live, interactive group sessions with the opportunity to ask questions throughout and anonymously.

By completing all 10 Modules individuals have the opportunity to become a Champion and receive an award of Bronze, Silver or Gold as recognition of their learning. They can also become a member of The Training Academy Champion Alumni Network. They’ve worked with a diverse range of organisations in the public and public sector and all have reported high satisfaction rates, increased knowledge and confidence and feel more equipped to support their LGBT customers and colleagues.

“As an older, cis, straight person, I have had little personal contact with the LGBT community until the last few years. And with a passion for inclusion, this was something I really needed to remedy. However, I was really anxious about getting things wrong, and this made me hesitate about even applying. I’m so glad I did!” – Training Academy Champion

For more information go to Training Academy: get in touch with them at [email protected] or fill in the enquiry form here if you’d like more information.

Proud 2 b Parents Training:

Proud 2 b Parents offers a range of training to support your organisational development in regards to the inclusion of LGBT+ parents/ carers and their children, whilst providing practical ways to develop and change practice. Our training has been developed through research and the lived experiences of our service beneficiaries. They have shared their own experiences and wanted to ensure service change, inclusivity and affirming LGBT+ environments were at the heart of our training packages. We also know that our training builds, ‘Confidence in working with LGBT+ clients’, whilst providing insight and ‘understanding of how difficult and challenging it has been for parents/carers’.

“The training has given me more confidence in asking questions sensitively to gather an understanding of a family and not feel that I am expected to always know the answer/circumstances. It’s OK to ask.” Said one attendee.

Here’s an overview of some of their training packages:

Including LGBT+ Parents/Carers and Their Children Training:

Target Audience: Health care settings, service providers, corporate organisations, and family based services

Focus: This specialised training program equips participants with the knowledge and skills to create safe spaces for LGBT+ parents, carers, and their children. It emphasises understanding the unique challenges faced by these families and provides practical tools for inclusive practices.

Including LGBT+ Adopters and Foster Carers Training:

Target Audience: Adoption and fostering agencies.

Focus: Tailored for professionals working in adoption and fostering agencies, this training program addresses the specific needs of LGBT+ adopters and foster carers. Participants gain insights into creating supportive environments for LGBT+ individuals navigating the adoption and fostering processes.

Trauma-Informed Practice, Including LGBT+ Parents/Carers and Their Children Training:

Target Audience: All service-providing agencies and organizations working with families and children.

Focus: This training delves into trauma-informed practices, emphasising the intersectionality of trauma and the LGBTQ+ community. Participants learn how to approach service delivery with sensitivity, understanding the impact of trauma on LGBT+ parents, carers, and their children, and how to create an LGBT+ affirming environment

Wigan: A Fair & Inclusive Borough: All Different All Equal
A decade ago, Wigan Council re-imagined their relationship with their residents and their approach. A movement for change emerged – ‘The Deal’.

A key principle cross-cutting all priorities is fairness and inclusion, ensuring everyone has the same opportunities and people feel like they belong and are included.

This equality engagement project – All different, All equal.

To build on the new era conversations to identify the next steps in working together for a better borough, the Wigan Equality, Diversity and Inclusion Steering group (a voluntary, community, faith, public and social enterprise network to champion equality within the borough), supported by Wigan Council, and the projects facilitators (Happy Smiles CIC and Everything Human Rights) are hosting this engagement project to build a fairer and more inclusive borough.

The difference it will make

The engagement project aims to co-design a new Wigan borough approach to address inequalities, celebrate diversity and promote inclusion by:

understanding our communities better
understanding where inequality exists, how it is experienced and how we can work together to address it
to agree a set of boroughwide priorities we can work on together.

There will be many ways that you can get involved.

Phase one, will be open conversations with all residents and partners to collect initial ideas, thoughts and hopes. This will be done through a survey, outreach engagement, talks with community groups and stakeholder conversations.
Phase two, will be an event and further targeted conversations to learn more about the key themes heard during phase one.
Phase three, will be conversations on prioritising actions identified in phase one and two.

Background information

They understand that the meaning and understanding of equality, inclusion and diversity can differ from person to person. However, they thought it may be useful to try to offer an example of what they could mean, to add a little background to the engagement.

Equality, is about ensuring that every individual has an equal opportunity to make the most of their lives and talents. It is also the belief that no one should have poorer life chances because of the way they were born, where they come from, what they believe, or whether they have a disability.
Inclusion, is the culture in which the mix of people can come together, feel comfortable and confident to be themselves, and work in a way that suits them . Inclusion will ensure that everyone feels valued.
Diversity, is about what makes each of us unique. This can include our backgrounds, life experiences, perspectives and beliefs, all things that make us who we are. This could include age, sex, socioeconomic background, religion, education, sexual orientation, gender identity, ethnicity, disability, faith and life experience.

Register here for the event:
https://participate.wigan.gov.uk/en-GB/events/a8363b62-8cd9-4598-85fb-3e8f5a24c200

Survey / Study / Consultation:

Study ON LGBTQ+ Alcohol & Drug Use

My name is Matthew, and I’m a trainee psychologist – currently studying for my doctorate in Clinical Psychology.

If you are 18+ and live in the UK, and identify as LGBTQ+, please consider taking part in my research study about alcohol and substance use.

There is a distinct lack of research into alcohol and substance use that looks at the experiences of the separate sections of the LGBTQ+ population, and the past and present experiences that may shape the way in which substances are used. I hope to use my research to inform further our knowledge of the factors that influence alcohol and substance use for LGBTQ+ people and increase the way in which health services assess alcohol and substance difficulties for the LGBTQ+ population. You can take part in this study regardless of whether you drink alcohol or use recreational drugs.

The study is an anonymous survey and takes 10-15 minutes to complete: Please see attached:

https://uelpsych.eu.qualtrics.com/…/SV_6xLebFIbJGZbKYe

HERE-Bi is an eight-week, self-esteem therapy intervention for young bisexual people who have experienced non-suicidal self-injury urges, thoughts, or behaviours. The research study will be looking at how feasible the sessions are.

Are you..

16-25 years old?
Identify as bisexual or as being attracted to more than one gender?
Have experienced thoughts or urges to self-injure or have self-injured within the last 6 months?
Able to attend an online group once a week for eight weekly sessions of 90-minutes?

Please email [email protected] for more information, or search @bisexualMH on Twitter for updates! Participants will be reimbursed for their time and participation.

Salford City Council:
Every two years Salford City Council asks residents about their key priorities. These priorities will shape how the council plans their annual budget and allocates resources.

They are currently refreshing these priorities to ensure they continue to reflect the needs and aspirations of local people and communities.

They are committed to ensuring residents are at the heart of everything they do, and this survey provides residents with an opportunity to get involved and have their say on the things that matter most to them.

The survey can be accessed here: https://shaping.salford.gov.uk and is short and easy to fill in.

LGBTQ+ Housing and Homelessness Study:
Two universities in Wales are carrying out a national LGBTQ+ housing and homelessness survey. It’s open to anyone over 18 in the UK who identifies as LGBTQ+ and is open till the end of October.

LGBTQ+ housing/homelessness across the UK (qualtrics.com)

Are you LGBTQ+, aged 18 or over, and living in the UK? They’re trying to find out more about the problems LGBTQ+ people have with housing, and how well housing services work to support LGBTQ+ people.
This is the largest survey of it’s kind! They will be using the findings to try to improve housing and homelessness services, to make them better for LGBTQ+ people who need to use them.

If you are aged over 18, identify as LGBTQ+, and live in the UK please complete the survey! You don’t need to have been homeless to take part.
The survey is part of a bigger project. They’ll also be sending out FOIs to Local Authorities and doing face to face interviews. They’ll be writing a report, as well as publishing academic papers- let them know if you’d like a copy of the report.

The survey will take about 10 minutes to complete. You will be asked questions about where you live, about yourself, and about your housing situation now and in the past. The survey will be open until 31st October 2023.
They will be very careful with the information you give them: it will be stored on Cardiff Met secure servers. They will anonymise your responses and they will make sure that you cannot be identified.
The study is led by Dr Edith England (Cardiff Metropolitan University) and Dr Neil Turnbull (Cardiff University). For more information about the study, or to discuss any concerns, please email Edith: [email protected].

Job Vacancies:

LGBT Foundation:

Find out about the latest job vacancies with the LGBT Foundation:
https://lgbt.foundation/jobs

Greater Manchester Lieutenancy Office

Accountant and Administrator
An exciting opportunity has arisen for an experienced and organised individual to join us at the new Greater Manchester Lieutenancy Office. The Lord-Lieutenant of Greater Manchester is seeking to appoint a Part-Time Accountant and Administrator from October 2023.
The Role
We are looking for an Accountant and Administrator to join our Team on a part-time basis and to work 22.5 hours over three days (Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday). The office is open during office hours from Monday to Thursday inclusive.

The successful candidate should be confident, well organised and have previous experience within a similar role. Confidentiality is a key characteristic of this position.
Salary
The role is offering a salary of £25,000 (£41,667 pro-rata) for the right candidate.
How to apply
https://manchesterlieutenancy.org/the-lieutenancy/job-vacancies/

akt is currently recruiting for a Digital Caseworker and a Youth Engagement Worker, both supporting LGBTQ+ young people who are homeless or at risk of homelessness.

Here’s the link to the role on our careers page with all the details:

Careers | akt

Volunteering Opportunities:

Just Like Us
Just Like Us are recruiting LGBT+ young adults aged 18-25 across England and Wales to become Just Like Us ambassadors and be the representation they needed when they were younger.

Just Like Us ambassadors deliver talks and share their stories in schools. In doing so they bring much needed representation to LGBT+ young people and empower non-LGBT+ pupils to be proactive allies. Ambassadors can also use their voice by writing articles for established publications like Gay Times, speak on panels, access specially designed skills workshops and an LGBT+ career mentoring programme. The opportunities are endless.

Perhaps best of all ambassadors form a supportive community of over 220 LGBT+ young adults all committed to building a more inclusive world.

“Just Like Us has given me community, amazing opportunities to step out into the professional sphere and the confidence to know that what I have to say can have a positive impact on others”- Alexa, Just Like Us ambassador.

If you or anyone in your networks might be interested you can sign up here to find out more about our upcoming volunteer training events (online and in person options available)

LGBT Foundation:
Are you passionate about supporting LGBT communities? Do you want to help LGBT Foundation create a fair and equal society where all lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people are able to reach their full potential? At LGBT Foundation we are happy to start recruitment again for volunteers to join our team as we continue to make a difference during the Coronavirus pandemic.

LGBT Foundation have a very simple motto – we’re here if you need us. And that applies to everyone in our beautifully diverse communities. If you’re young, we’re here for you; if you’re older, we’re here for you; if you’re a person of colour, we’re here for you; if you’re a man, a woman, or non-binary, we’re here for you; lesbian, gay, bi, trans – however you describe yourself – we’re here for you. If you need help, if you’re struggling, if you need a friendly face or reassuring voice, we are there for you if you need us. We are all family – and at LGBT Foundation, everyone is welcome.

Below you can find information on the programmes recruiting at the moment, the role profiles for the various different volunteering roles and how to apply. https://lgbt.foundation/regular-volunteering-roles

Canal St VIP Card:
Over recent weeks, several comments have been made about some difficulty in finding or checking which venue partners are listed with unique special offers for card holders to enjoy and benefit from.
So, they have simplified the process and it is now easier to quickly find your favoured venues as all are listed alphabetically.
They have also added some new card partner offers too.
Buying or renewing a card is also quicker to do.
Need to buy or renew your card? To buy card and phone together
They are delighted to confirm that they have made another donation to George House Trust this year, directly from increased sales of the card and phone covers.

Gay Pride Shop & The LGBTQ+ Book Shop
The UK’s largest LGBTQ+ store in located in Afflecks in Manchester city centre and online at www.gayprideshop.co.uk. Over 7000 items in stock, with their profits shared with Manchester charities. They also cater for large corporate orders, for items such as lanyards, flags and badges, with corporate discounts available. For corporate/business orders, please contact [email protected]

REWARD of up to £2,000 for key information on those involved in a series of attacks on the Clonezone Store in Manchester’s Gay Village.
Do you know anyone who was involved? Tell the independent charity Crime Stoppers what you know and stay 100% anonymous. www.crimestoppers-uk.org 0800 555111

If you feel that you no longer wish to receive these emails, PLEASE let me know, I would hate to think I am bombarding you with information that you don’t require and it is just blocking up your inbox. (I won’t be offended).

Remember, if you have events or information you wish to share across Greater Manchester then feel free to send that over to me to be included, I send this email out to over 2000 contacts which in turn gets sent out through their networks: [email protected]

Kind Regards

Carl Austin-Behan OBE DL

Pronouns: He / Him / His

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Sponsorship

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LGBTQ+ Community Network Newsletter

Consortium: For Stronger LGBT+ Communities Sector News: October https://mailchi.mp/d22e12936362/oct23?e=4ef77ba796 GM Equality Alliance Bulletin: Issue 75, October 2023 https://www.gmcvo.org.uk/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=9700

Save The Date: A Festive Celebration of the LGBTQ+ Community. Monday 18th December, 7-9pm

Wigan: A Fair & Inclusive Borough: All Different All Equal A decade ago, Wigan Council re-imagined their relationship with their residents and their approach. A movement for change emerged – ‘The Deal’.

Consortium: For Stronger LGBT+ Communities Sector News: October
https://mailchi.mp/d22e12936362/oct23?e=4ef77ba796

GM Equality Alliance Bulletin: Issue 75, October 2023
https://www.gmcvo.org.uk/civicrm/mailing/view?reset=1&id=9700

Save The Date: A Festive Celebration of the LGBTQ+ Community. Monday 18^th December, 7-9pm

Wigan: A Fair & Inclusive Borough: All Different All Equal
A decade ago, Wigan Council re-imagined their relationship with their residents and their approach. A movement for change emerged – ‘The Deal’.