Getting On in Bowthorpe

I am representing the Norfolk LGBT Project on the Getting On In Norwich Steering Group, a partnership of loads of organisations who are preparing for a Big Lottery Project to tackle social isolation amongst older people. We're using an ABCD asset mapping approach. ABCD = Asset Based Community Development. It's a grassroots system of working with local people to map their communities and the things that keep them well and keep them connected. I made a little movie of the first workshop in Bowthorpe.

Stop Homophobic Bullying Education Pack Launched

I developed a new education pack called STOP HOMOPHOBIC BULLYING that we launched at Sheringham High School with Year 8 pupils as part of Hate Crime Awareness Week. The pack includes stories from young, local LGBT people who have experienced bullying (taken from a brilliant booklet that the Norwich BLAH Youth Group created a couple of years ago) and activities to make young people think about how they could support friends being bullied. It also offers ideas for how to challenge the use of the word ‘gay’ as an insult. The lessons went down well with pupils and comments on the feedback forms included, 'perfect', ‘it’s brilliant, keep it as it is’, 'there is nothing to make it better.' There were several calls for 'more sweets' so I'll bear that in mind!!

 

You can read more about the pack on the international Gay Star News website where over 2,000 people shared the post on facebook!

Proud Schools at Norwich Pride

I organised a multimedia exhibition in Fusion in the Forum called "Proud Schools". It showcased all the different ways Norfolk schools are tackling homophobic and transphobic bullying in the classroom and the playground. I made a 15 minute film featuring eight different schools. The exhibition was opened by two of my heros - Rita Adair, Senior Educational Psychologist at Norfolk County Council who has done so much to tackle bullying in Norfolk schools; and Elly Barnes, a pioneer who runs training courses all over the country to make schools more LGBT-friendly. Hundreds of people visited the exhibition including lots of the kids in the film. We had some brilliant feedback.

 

Dandifest!

The Norwich Dandies have organised an amazing festival st St Margarets Church of Art and they asked me to make a couple of films for them. This one is of the opening night and features Vince Laws performing his "My Mental Helmet" poem. Check out my YouTube site to see their "Dress, Pose, Paint like a Dandy" movie.

A new job with the Norfolk LGBT Project!

I have got a little part-time job! For the next year I will be working 10 hours a week as the North Norfolk BLAH LGBT Youth Development Worker. The job involves setting up a Youth Group for young lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people and those questioning their sexuality and gender identity; as well as running LGBT awareness raising sessions in schools and youth groups. Here's a pic of a flag a child made at Angel Rd Junior school. We did a lesson based on the rainbow flag and I asked them all to make flags that represented who they are.

Premiere!

Great coverage of the Great Yarmouth Equal Lives Youth Forum Launch in the local paper.