off the scene
from June 2008

Bradford’s lgb community can expect a boost to activities and services available to them at the Equity Centre as a result of an increase in permanently-employed staff. Previously the centre has relied mostly on volunteers. Finance for the new staff has come from the National Lottery’s Big Lottery Fund and the Bradford and Airedale Primary Care Trust (BAPCT). The Lottery money secures the operation of the Centre for the next five years.

Run by the charity Equity Partnership, the Equity Centre is now managed by Dave Forrest (pictured), who has joined from Volunteering England as Strategic Development Manager. Rachel Nauwelaerts is now a full time Group Development Worker, responsible for the development of the various specialist groups to which many of Bradford’s lgb community belong.

Communication with the Centre membership, the lgb community in general and the mass media will be the responsibility of Roger Livesey, Communications Worker, who was previously PR Officer with the UK Resource Centre for Women in Science, Engineering and Technology.

Ash Kahn, a Sessional Worker, is responsible for helping to run the weekly Tuesday evening drop-in sessions, and Jake Braden will be joining the Centre in early May as Health and Training worker. This post is funded by the BAPCT.

Ruth Middleton, Chair of the Equity Partnership, welcomed the new staff members and the expansion of the EP: ‘It’s great to see a community-based organisation, like ours, grow and develop in response to the needs of Bradford’s lgb community.

‘From small beginnings we now have a very busy and active centre with many lgb people visiting us and taking part in things ranging from theatre groups and film nights to book clubs and other social activities. With new staff we look forward to building on our health, community development and training work and to being able to promote and raise awareness of lgb issues across the district.’