Local group gets celebrity support

A Shrewsbury group is excited to announce that it has gained support from both Sandi Toksvig and Peter Tatchell in order to help promote itself and its work.  Group members met up recently with Sandi (after her show at Theatre Severn) and Peter (at the Cinema in The Square during The Rainbow Film Festival) and chatted with them both about the development of the group so far. Both offered their support to help promote future work.Local group gets celebrity support

The group is called SAND which stands for Safer Aging, No Discrimination and has been formed to raise community awareness and help local authorities, care providers and carers to address the fears and discrimination that may be experienced by older Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transexual people and carers by overcoming prejudice in care, stopping negativity, protecting those who are vulnerable and encouraging openness about specific LGBT needs.

SAND started when a group of strangers went to see the same film. As part of LGBT History Month, the Shropshire Rainbow Film Festival screened Gen Silent, a thought provoking, sometimes shocking film about the experience of older LGBT people and care services. The film consisted of a set of interviews with older LGBT people in Boston, USA and got the group thinking about how things might be for older LGBT people in this country, and particularly in Shropshire where we all live or work. They agreed to get together and very soon SAND was formed.

Their website www.lgbtsand.wordpress.com  pulls together information from all over the UK (and some beyond) which can/will inform better practice amongst care providers – and lead to better experiences for LGBT people.

SAND are looking for:

• older LGBT people in Shropshire who are willing to talk to us about their experiences, hopes and fears of care provision
• care home providers, matrons, support workers in Shropshire who are happy to talk to us about their needs and provisions
• people who are passionate about equalities and knowledgeable about health and social care policy – at national and local levels
• people in Shropshire who are willing and able to help us do our research

If you would like more information or think you might be able to help support SAND you can contact SAND members via their website www.lgbtsand.wordpress.com or through Facebook or Twitter ‘lgbtSAND’. They would love to hear from you.