Category Archives: News

The LGB&T Dorset Equality Network on the occasion of this very important day is pleased to share that our Chair John Hyde is fundraising for the Terrence Higgins Trust to support their very important work in Dorset and nationally.

On December 2nd the Network will be publishing on this website its ‘Open Letter’ to UK political party leads on LGBT & LGBT Allies support issues & requests for action request. On the 2nd December the Network will also be able to release phase 1 of the Network supported ‘Need to Know — Immigration UK’ information online resource.

Please watch this space for articles on the Open Letter and the information resource!

National award winning Chaplin’s Wine Bar — http://www.chaplins-bar.co.uk/ — has signed up with great enthusiasm to join the Ask for Clive campaign, through invitation by the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network. This sign up by Chaplin’s, and really welcome.

Network lead Alan Mercel-Sanca has worked for a number of years on diverse communities initiatives with Chaplin’s Wine Bar owner Harry Seccombe, and when Alan contacted Harry at the suggestion of Coastal BID on this important opportunity, the response was swift and a big YES! You can read more about Chaplins national level platform at its Awards Page.

Network lead Alan Mercel-Sanca has worked for a number of years on diverse communities initiatives with Chaplin’s Wine Bar owner Harry Seccombe, and when Alan contacted Harry at the suggestion of Coastal BID on this important opportunity, the response was swift and a big YES!

Mr Seccombe noted that Chaplin’s and our team are Proud to be welcoming to everyone, and that many of our local Boscombe & Bournemouth area LGBT community members are regular and warmly welcomed visitors at our venue (that includes fantastic music performances by for example local based renowned Trans community members), and we have in place for some years now the type of thorough safety supporting and reporting mechanisms that the Network insists on, and Ask for Clive is clearly taking such effective national level mobilising to achieve with the support of those like Alan and the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network. Well Done to Ask for Clive for their great work!

You can read more about Chaplins national level platform at its Awards Page.

Until the Network was connected with AfC, the Bournemouth, Dorset, Poole, Christchurch area was showing up in England as a major ‘black hole non-response bubble’ (with the honorable exception of Weymouth BID): the sign up by Chaplin’s is therefore, as a national award winning pub/bar & outstanding music venue, coming on top of other sign ups (such as Bournemouth & Poole College) secured by the Network.

The Network is very happy to share that it has been approached by Mr Ayrton McGurgan of the BBC 2 Mastermind Team to ask for our assistance on promoting outreach to potential contestants who are from our LGBT community, with the opportunity to participate in next year’s (2020) Mastermind, and to input to the famous Mastermind competition in regard to routes to effectively involve our community in its delivery — more on our guidance, which has been enthusiastically requested by the Mastermind team, to be provided here soon.

If you would like to apply to become a contestant, please email Ayrton ASAP at: mastermind.hth@hattrick.com An application form takes just 10 minutes to complete, The deadline for applications is Monday 25^th May although we have been advised that auditions will be starting in the next few weeks. All you need to apply is to be over 18 and a UK resident.

The Network salutes Hat Trick’s Hindsight Productions and Mastermind for contacting us and requesting our supportive guidance, which evidences their enthusiasm and earnestness in being truly reflective of our LGBT communities spectrum within our nation and society, and the invaluable part we contribute to both of the latter from national heroes such as Alan Turing to the arts, caring professions, culture, education and much more in national life and internationally.

At Westminster the Women’s & Equalities Select Committee (WOMEQ) has recently published its Health and Social Care & LGBT Communities inquiry report.  We were delighted to be requested to contribute to this report and to have our submission included in the published report.  You can read the report and our submission (essential and valuable reading for NHS organisations and social care providers in both the private and public sectors) through the links below:

https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201920/cmselect/cmwomeq/94/9414.htm#_idTextAnchor070    (Network contribution listed as Number 46.  http://data.parliament.uk/WrittenEvidence/CommitteeEvidence.svc/EvidenceDocument/Women%20and%20Equalities/Health%20and%20social%20care%20and%20LGBT%20communities/Written/90975.html

The Network was created originally out of community members representing dissatisfaction with the status quo where treatment of and engagement with LGBT communities and especially more vulnerable members and those with greater needs were concerned, by NHS and social care providers.  

The publication of the report is further evidence of the Network’s national level outreach, influence and activity where we have been establishing partnerships in a number of special thematic areas across the UK and in certain cases (our work on LGBT international community members and immigration), internationally.

The breadth and depth of our work over years in the Dorset area to mobilise the NHS to abandon ‘tick boxing’ and move to not only listening to the voice of need, often major need, of community members on the NHS services they receive in order to gain the confidence of the community, has been vindicated by the WOMEQ published report. To have shared our experience and NHS communication and lobbying for badly needed change and improvement at operational delivery, has clearly been a highly valued contribution to this historically important report in Parliament. 

The Network was recently approached by Penka Argirova, manager of Anglebury Court, Tricuro residential care home in Wareham, regarding invitation to develop the home’s LGBT equality & inclusion policy and related implementation practicalities at both staff and clients/residents level.  We were delighted to find that the request was made with seriousness and dedication with from the outset clarity that Ms Argirova was seeking to achieve meaningful actions that would and do have the confidence and enthusiastic backing of our LGB&T community. 

The policy referred to was created through the work of Network lead Alan Mercel-Sanca with Ms Argirova on behalf of Anglebury Court, with a view to this assisting development for Tricuro itself in regard to how its Equality, Diversity and Inclusion policy can be applied in real terms in homes like Anglebury Court.  The resulting policy for the latter s a realisable best practice standard, and involves all the essentials in terms of applying the policy in practice effectively. 

The Network commends Ms Argirova and Anglebury Court and looks forward to taking this collaboration on best practice on LGBT inclusion, including provision of supportive training and monitoring.  The home has also as a result through Alan’s invitation agreed enthusiastically to join the Ask for Clive initiative!

The Network is really pleased to share the exciting news that Coastal BID (Bournemouth) has signed up with great enthusiasm to the Ask for Clive initiative. We would like to thank the BID’s Operations Manager Ms Fiona McArthur for her support on this important diversity & inclusion initiative.

AfC participation gives premises, businesses, organisations, venues LGBT community witnessing credibility on their being genuinely welcoming to LGBT community members and offering safe, inclusive environments to visit, shop in, work in, with the knowledge that on their given premises, and working environment should anti-LGBT ASB (including ‘banter’) take place, that there is a point of contact (‘Clive’) they can ask for or go to for action to be taken.

Please watch this space for more news coming soon on sign ups! A big Thank You again to Coastal BID from the Bournemouth area LGBT community and the Network for their support through signing up to AfC!

Bournemouth & Poole College is pleased to announce the launch of the national anti-homophobia campaign “Ask for Clive”.

Launching across its sites at North Road and Fulcrum in Poole and Lansdowne in Bournemouth, the campaign shows solidarity against discrimination in the fight against homophobia and transphobia.

The College has a proud record of working with the LGBTQ+ community through initiatives such as the Space Youth Project (spaceyouthproject.co.uk/) and the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network (lgbtdorsetequality.network/, work which was initiated through the Olympics Legacy anti-homophobia in sport project and whose artwork and exhibition pull up panels were created by the College’s Art and Design students). 

“Ask for Clive” takes and shows evidence of the College’s commitment to LGBTQ+ inclusion as part of its broader stand against all forms of prejudice, including racism and dis-phobia. Going further than simply complying with legal obligations, the College celebrates diversity and inclusion in the learning environment and supports the good mental health and wellbeing of its staff and students.

Over the coming weeks, information about “Ask for Clive” will be provided to students. Posters and badges will also be displayed across all of its sites, reminding people of the College’s position on intolerance and prejudice and how incidents can be reported discreetly and safely.

Diane Grannell, Principal and CEO of Bournemouth & Poole College said:

“We are really pleased to be launching this national campaign at our College. “Ask for Clive” will provide assurance to all of our students and staff that intolerance and prejudice have no place at our College, and gives a mechanism to report any anti-LGBTQ+ incidents.

“We thank the LGB&T Dorset Equality Network for both introducing “Ask for Clive” and providing support to us on its delivery. Such independent and direct LGBTQ+ community support provides an all-important affirmation of our commitment against prejudice.”

Zachary Rumble, Vice President for Equality and Welfare for the College’s Students’ Union said:

“We are really happy the College is launching this campaign. Equality is important across the college and especially to us in the Students’ Union. We’re really looking forward to seeing what this partnership brings.”

From the Network:

It was really good to be at the Lansdowne Campus of Bournemouth & Poole College today for the launch of the Ask for Clive initiative, with college Principal Diane Grannell, Lloyd Perry, Head of Student Support at BPC and Zac and Gabriel of the college Students Union.  I am really Proud of the college for the enthusiasm it has shown to back and comprehensively implement Ask for Clive coming to the students and staff of its two great campuses, having worked with BPC now for a number of years on some major projects that have gone on to achieve national importance and success. 

Ask for Clive is unique in taking to a whole new level the College’s commitment to equality, anti-discrimination and to support for and respect concerning its diverse communities (LGB&T, ethnicities, global cultures, disabilities) in terms of safety and welcome!  Bournemouth & Poole College joining Ask for Clive sends out a very clear message across the whole of Dorset & South West England, that on its premises anti-LGBT ‘banter’ and other forms of prejudice ASB are not welcome and only harm the teaching & learning environment!  The LGB&T Dorset Equality Network & broader LGB&T community & LGBT ‘Allies’ salute the College’s participation in the Ask for Clive campaign initiative.

Alan Mercel-Sanca. Initiator & Lead Officer, LGB&T Dorset Equality Network

The LGB&T Dorset Equality Network on behalf of the LGB&T community is delighted that Dorset Children’s Foundation (https://thedcf.org/) has at our invitation joined the Ask for Clive initiative.

The welcome I received from Patsy and the DCF team yesterday at their main shop in Boscombe to deliver training for AfC delivery was a fantastic experience. 

Learning about this exceptional charity’s approach to welcome and inclusion for LGB&T community members was inspiring, and so different to those organisations and businesses that just go through the ‘tick box’ motions on LGB&T and broader diverse communities safety and inclusion needs. Well done DCF!!

Alan Mercel-Sanca.  Initiator & lead: LGB&T Dorset Equality Network.

“We are absolutely delighted to have been invited to be part of the ‘Ask For Clive’ initiative. We firmly believe that this is a powerful and practical tool that we can take into the heart of our community to combat discrimination of any sort. The Dorset Children’s Foundation welcomes people from the LGB&T and All Communities and wants everyone to feel safe and respected within our spaces.”

Patsy Hallmey Co-Founder 

The Network is very pleased to share news of the sign up of three sports organisations: Ability Counts Football, Parley Ability Counts, and Parley Ability Counts Youth .

‘Football has a remarkable ability to both bring people together, but also to be a reflection of divisions & discrimination in society.

As the largest team participation team sport in the country, & with over 8 million people regularly participating, it is important that football takes the lead in creating a suitable environment for all to be able to both enjoy & to feel safe when playing, regardless of culture, colour religion, sexuality or disability.

This is equally as true in Ability Counts (pan-disability) football, & at Parley Ability Counts, we have always endeavoured to create that ‘safe environment’ & culture, as it is crucial that the LGBT community are not only well-represented & have a voice, but also afforded the same opportunities as all players – be it ‘mainstream’ or disability football.

The ‘Ask for Clive’ campaign enables all of the Parley players to both know that they can play in a safe & friendly environment, & also know that there is a safe reporting mechanism for either inappropriate behaviour or comments, or to flag-up if they feel that they have been discriminated against.

Football is a force for good, but for it to be truly inclusive, everyone has to feel safe, & a full part of the game.’

Rob Amey. Ability Counts Football, Parley Ability Counts, and Parley Ability Counts Youth

The Network has provided a ‘need to know’ information resource on LGBT engagement for these three sports organisations, which are very appreciative of its practical value & quality. It is being used to support existing equality & inclusion training, for monitoring and to assist on celebrating the best practice LGB&T and broader diverse communities support and engagement taking place at Ability Counts Football, Parley Ability Counts, and Parley Ability Counts Youth .