Citations for nominated individuals and organisations
Not all nominations for the Equity Partnership LGB Awards 2010 were accompanied by a citation. Those received are reproduced below.
Category 1: Most Inspiring Bradford LGB Group
1a. Equity Radio Show (Bradford Community Radio)
1b. Older & Bolder
1c. Older & Wilder
1d. Bradford Friend
1a. Equity Show: The Equity Radio Show, broadcast on Bradford Community Radio on bcb 106.6fm, was reputably the first gay radio show in the UK. It has steadily grown in stature over the years and now counts many members of the straight community of the city amongst its regular listeners helping to promote understanding of LGB issues and contributing to the acceptance of the LGB communities and social harmony in Bradford. Needless to say, it is most responsive to the wishes and needs of its LGB listeners and the 4 weekly show exclusively features LGB specific news and current affairs as well as guests from the local and national scene. Recent guests have included Amy Lame and Paul Burston as well as Becky from the Sun.
1c. Older and Wilder: for giving older lesbians a place and focus for Wednesdays every other week and for the programme that allows them to enjoy and celebrate being older lesbians
1d: Bradford Friend: Friend, because they have kept going for more than 25 years, in a most reliable and warm fashion, maintaining a friendly service for isolated LGB individuals who still need to talk on the phone in spite of the internet
Category 2: Best Individual Contribution to LGB Communities in Bradford
2a. Eric Smith (Bradford Friend founder and help-line manning)
2b. Mark Michalowski (Founder and Editor, Shout!)
2c. Rachel Nauwelaerts (Community Development Coordinator, Equity Partnership)
2d. Jan Smithies (Founding Trustee, Equity Partnership)
2e. David Forrest (former Equity Partnership manager)
2f. Narvel Annable, author
2a. Eric Smith. For his longstanding and consistent involvement with Friend. For not giving up and being there for people when they need it most.
2b. Mark Michalowski: nominated as having made the best individual contribution to LGB communities in Bradford, but also throughout the Yorkshire & Humber region and even further afield. This is the result of the foundation about 15 years ago of a free medium of communication by which LGB people are informed of local events and the activities of other members of LGB communities and, single-handed, ensuring the distribution of copies throughout Bradford but also from the north of Yorkshire down to the north of Derbyshire, now about 7,000 copies. This medium of communication is, of course, the free monthly magazine Shout!, which Mark not only edits but manages in all other respects.
2c. Rachel Nauwelaerts. Rachel is a good communicator and works hard to arrange successful events. Personable and encouraging to new group members.
2d. Jan Smithies: for finding the Equity Centre and the money to run it from the Big Lottery. She never gave up in spite of a series of serious difficulties, always finding ways to get past these difficulties and moving the Equity Partnership on.
2e. Dave Forrest: Throughout recent years, Dave has devoted not only his working life but most of his spare time to building a firm foundation and forging solid links for the Bradford LGB community. His tireless efforts have put the funding and reputation of the Equity Partnership on a secure basis and place Bradford at the heart of regional policy making. He thoroughly deserves that his work to help ALL sections of the LGB community should be recognised via this prestigious award.
2f. Narvel Annable. Whilst not hailing from Bradford, author Narvel Annable has contributed to the LGB community, not only at several Bradford Pride events, the first ever Civic Reception for the LGB communities in the city to mark the International Day Against Homophobia, the guest speaker at the West Yorkshire Inaugural LGB Council Employee Group meeting, but also in his new book 'Secret Summer', due for release soon - much of which is set in Bradford. The publicity Narvel has generated, in both the local and the national media, relating to Bradford and the LGB community deserves recognition.
Category 3: Most LGB-friendly Organisation or Group
3a. Bradford Playhouse
3b. Hull Pride
3c. Amnesty International
3d. Newsquest Bradford Editorial Departments (Telegraph & Argus and Keighley News)
3e. NHS Bradford and Airedale
3f. Equity Partnership
3g. West Yorkshire Police
3h. West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
3a. The Bradford Playhouse: one of the few truly inclusive organisations not only in Bradford but in the whole of the UK and in all its activities and productions has always shown itself to be extremely friendly to the LGBT communities. This was very clearly demonstrated in 2009 through its support of and active involvement in Bradford Pride. It never seems to miss an opportunity to express its inclusiveness and its open support of Bradford's LGBT communities.
3b. Hull Pride: An event which welcomes all and promotes a fantastic family orientated day annually. It has grown in size and has attracted attendance in excess of 10,000. It engenders community involvement and cohesion and is fully engaged with all LGB members of the local community.
3c. Amnesty International: for initiating an international ongoing campaign for LGBT rights.
3d. Newsquest: specifically the Telegraph & Argus and the Keighley News, represented by three of its journalists - Sally Clifford, James Rush and Lisa Campbell - who have always listened and used their journalistic skills to make the public aware of the contributions made by the LGB communities and the difficulties with which they have to contend.
3e. NHS Bradford and Airedale: For accepting that the LGB community has special needs and addressing these or helping the Equity Partnership to address the needs.
3h. West Yorkshire Fire & Rescue. For its progress since the 1980s in supporting LGB staff and support to Pride events.
Category 4: Most LGB-friendly Individual
4a. Miss Marigold Adams
4b. Roger Livesey (Communications Manager, Equity Partnership)
4c. Liz Parsons
4d. Rachel Nauwelaerts (Community Development Coordinator, Equity Partnership)
4e. Amria Khatun
4f. Sue Mann
4a. Miss Marigold Adams: Miss Marigold Adams is always there when things are happening in the local LGB community. She has developed a local fame, as a result, which stretches beyond the community itself and helps to promote understanding of LGB issues in the wider community. Whether it is hosting the city’s Pride event in 2009, compering a Same Difference concert or appearing on the local gay radio show, the Equity Show, she wields her disarming charm and sprinkles a little sunshine with her warm and friendly ready smile.
4b. Roger Livesey: The Equity Partnership's own communications person, though not a member of the LGBT community himself, has demonstrated through his tireless work for the Equity Partnership that he is truly "LGB-friendly", never missing an opportunity to promote the cause of equality and diversity for all disadvantaged groups, including all LGBT. Roger Livesey is nominated as "The most LGB-friendly individual" not only for this work but equally for his, often 'hidden', promotion of the cause of LGBT people in his personal activities too.
4c. Liz Parsons. Commitment to setting up LGB staff networks for the Bradford District Care Trust.
4e: Amria Khatun: works for the Council's Equality & Diversity Service. She is a hard worker who gets things done & does what she says she will do. She helped the Equity Partnership to write the Council's Equalities Engagement Framework & has made sure that the partnership is a key part of the Council's resources in this connection.
4f. Sue Mann. In her work as a regional adviser for Help the Aged, she has been a strong, guiding, supportive influence to OLGA (the North Yorkshire voluntary LGBT support group). Very professional at all times. Immediate advice. Keeps the voluntary Group going from strength to strength.
Category 5: Most Inspiring LGB Organisation or Group in Yorkshire and the Humber
5a. Northern Older Lesbian Network
5b. Gay Abandon (West Yorkshire LGBT choir)
5c. Equity Partnership
5d. OLGA (North Yorkshire LGBT voluntary group)
5b. Gay Abandon: This Leeds based choir goes from strength to strength and provides not only a friendly and welcoming atmosphere to any LGB person who likes to sing,but also performs a wide and varied repertoire both locally, nationally and internationally. In 2009 it had a particularly inspiring year and felt especially “out and proud” to sing in the multinational LCB choirs event “Various Voices” at London”s South Bank Centre. Membership of the choir continues to grow and attracts LGBs of all ages.
5d. OLGA: As one of the very few completely inclusive groups, North Yorkshire's OLGA is a group run entirely by volunteers with virtually no outside funding, providing support to LGBT people in and around Scarborough. Being a voluntary group, it has had to overcome many difficulties in terms of ensuring a safe location, and the cost of communicating with its members scattered throughout a large rural area. Although founded as the 'Older Lesbian and Gay Association', to support "older" lesbian and gay people, it has developed to provide support for people of any sexual orientation and any age and in recent months has been trying to expand this support for LGBT people to a larger area of North Yorkshire.
