Issue 9 Respect Newsletter

Your Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) Network Newsletter

Spring 2012 Issue 9

Do you support marriage equality?

See page 4

EXCLUSIVE interview with singer and actress

Read all about Lucy’s ‘Winter Adventure’

See page 9

See page 3

Inside this issue:

>Simon introduces us to the charity ‘Outline’ >We let you know what PRIDE’S we are supporting > Social: LadyRock Festival – COME AND JOIN US! //Two tickets to >Connect: Stonewall Special >Your Development the LadyRock >LGBT news and lots more

festival

//£20 worth of Co-operative vouchers See page 5

See page 10

Please email “Respect” to anyone you think would enjoy reading it!

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Welcome to the 9th edition of the Respect newsletter A note from George…..

I hope you enjoyed the very brief but greatly appreciated summer sunshine spell, closely followed by the snow and rain!

I am delighted to announce that following the advertising of the new steering group roles we have successfully filled the majority of the roles.

This is fantastic news and we have a great deal of talent and experience from individuals from most business areas. We have a good mix of people ranging from members working in a Food and Pharmacy store to individuals working in Marketing and People Services. I am excited to see what they all have planned.

In the June edition of the newsletter we will introduce you to your new steering group.

17th

May 2012

Show your support for ‘International Day Against Homophobia’

International Day Against Homophobia, held on 17th May every year, is a rallying event offering an opportunity for people to get together and reach out to one another.

The day provides a platform for everyone to make a powerful statement to demand improvements for the quality of life for LGBT people.

Flying the flag: As with last year, to show our support of the day The Co-operative will be proudly flying the pride flag from lots of our major occupancy buildings on the day (those that have a flag pole).

If you spot the flags flying why not take a photo and email it to us?

Even better, why not upload it to The Co-operative Facebook pages?

If you are doing anything to celebrate the day, we would love to know. Email us the details and any photos to respectLGBT@cooperative.coop // For more info about the day visit www.homophobiaday.org

A note from Thomas…..

I wish the new steering group great success. I am confident that the network will continue to blossom and grow from the excellent and successful position we are in now.

I can’t believe we are on the 9th edition of the newsletter! In this issue we have contributions from lots of Respect members that I hope you will find interesting. We have lots of regular features and as always, thank you to everyone who has contributed to this issue.

A big thank you to everyone I have worked with in my time as Chair and it has been a pleasure. I have met lots of highly motivated and enthusiastic people and it is great that I can call many of them friends.

The subject of marriage equality has been all over the media over the last few months and it has garnered lots of discussion so we have included some details about this important subject. We also let you know how we can all influence the change in the current law!

When I initially founded an LGBT network for The Co-operative, never in my wildest dreams did I imagine it would be as supported, embraced and rewarding as it has been. I am proud of everything the network has achieved in a relatively short space of time.

In our 2011 member survey you asked for more socials, see page 10 for details of our next social event. If you have any ideas or feedback please feel free to drop me an email.

I hope you enjoy reading the newsletter!

So onto the future - I would like to congratulate and wish the new Respect co-chairs great success in their new roles. You will find out more about them in the June issue.

Thomas Anderson – Respect Editor Email: thomas.anderson@co-operative.coop

Keep supporting, keep standing up for what is right, and if you have something to give, contact the network.

Bye for now!

George Meudell Diversity Champion & Project Manager - Funeralcare Email: george.meudell@co-operative.coop

Follow me on Twitter: @thomasinmanc

If you support the Respect network and would like to receive a digital copy of this newsletter and updates on the LGBT activities and social events, why not join the network. You don’t have to be LGBT! Email respectLGBT@co-operative.coop

We will introduce you to the new Respect Steering Group in the June issue of Respect.

The new team is made up of employees from most business areas including members who live in Scotland, England and Wales. We can’t wait for you to meet them!

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Ain’t no mountain high enough for Lucy Respect member and Food Buying Assistant Lucy Elliot shares her ‘Winter Skills’ challenge experience with us all. Read the first part of Lucy’s diary entries here……

It started with Respect: It’s thanks to this very newsletter that I stumbled across the company Large Outdoors. Back in 2011 a walking weekend in the Peak District was advertised in the newsletter and I thought why not give it a whirl. Since then I’ve been walking with Large Outdoors on many weekends and at charity events.

In February I must have lost my mind as I signed up for a winter skills course...not everyone’s idea of a holiday but I like a challenge. Five days of cold, fatigue, muscle ache and satisfaction! It was a real challenge and every ache was well worth the feeling you got reaching a summit and pushing your body to see how far you could really go. What follows is my diary of the course and memories that will last forever.............

Sunday 19th February 2012 Six hours of driving, a bit of the late great Whitney on the iPod and a Stephen Fry audio book later I arrived in Torlundy, Fort William. The log cabin we booked was right at the foot of Ben Nevis. While I waited for the others to arrive I started up the log burner and settled down for a glass of wine. We then met Paul our guide or trainer. A nice guy, he briefed us on what we would be doing for the week.

What am I doing I must have a screw loose. It’s strange I feel excited about doing this course but I think it’s that it’s the dangerous kind of excitement that stems from fear.

Basically the plan is we have to be up by 7am everyday and head off to climb various mountains from Ben Nevis to the Cairn Gorms and Glen Coe. We will learn how to build a snow shelter, use an ice axe and crampons, check for the possibility of avalanches, climb, learn rope skills, and, safety in the mountains. I think I am going to go to bed this week is going to be rough.

Anyhoo as we had now discovered snow we shoved on the crampons (hard with gloves on), got out the ice axe and protected our precious little brains with helmets that looked absolutely gorgeous on. Crampons are great, they’re like a 4 wheel drive for your feet. It was a bit intimidating using an ice axe, you walk with the thing in your uphill hand to aid you as you zig zag uphill across the snow.

Monday 20th February 2012 I woke up this morning to torrential rain and wild winds. Not a good sign. It took us ages to kit up and pack our rucksacks.

There’s so much kit involved. I’m going to have to learn to pack properly. Paul our guide showed us how to fit crampons to our boots and handed out the ice axes and climbing helmets. Great more stuff to pack. The plan for today was to ascend on a side of Ben Nevis called Aonoch Mor. There isn’t much snow at the moment with it being such a warm winter so this whole week we are going to have go hunting for it.

On the way up the mountain I was right at the back of the group getting angry with myself for smoking and being so unfit. I thought I was going to die, typical hysterical woman I am. After what seemed like forever we reached a mountain rescue hut and I stopped to change tops and gloves as the rain had soaked me to the bone.

We came down early because of the rain and wind. Paul then gave a presentation on how to check for areas for possible avalanches.

There was lots’ of stuff about angles of slopes, types of snow and online weather reports.

He then gave us a huge rope and showed us how to do clove, figure of eight and double hitch knots. Just before leaving us to collapse in front of the fire he said we needed to learn the knots by tomorrow morning.

Confusion and a tangled mess made worse by wine ensued. Thai Curry, Strudel a glass of port.......bed was calling. We have all surrounded the fire with dripping wet kit in the hope it’s dry by tomorrow morning. I know I am going to sleep like a log tonight zzzzzzzzz

It was freezing.....There was a pipe with running water splaying out of it which had partially frozen into an arch of ice.

I thought I’d refill my water bottle and be a proper Ray Mears type. Hopefully there were no animals using the stream that fed the pipe as a toilet. The water was lovely though, so even if they have had a download in the water it only added to the fresh flavour! Tonight I could end up regretting this.

Read the second part of Lucy’s diary in the next issue. We will also reveal Lucy’s exciting ‘Olympic’ news.

We want more of your stories and photos!

Email them to us at respectLGBT@co-operative.coop and you could feature on this page. We can help you raise more money for charity!

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Marriage Equality Will you be showing your support?

A story that has dominated lots of headlines over the last few months is the subject of marriage equality in the UK, allowing same sex couples to marry.

Although many people believe that gay and lesbian people can marry their partners in the UK, this is not yet true and this being reality still appears to be some way off, although closer than lots of people may have imagined some years ago. A civil partnership is not the same as marriage.

Same sex marriage is already legal in lots of countries around the world, including many states in the United States of America.

On this page you will find out a bit more about marriage equality and how we can all have our say to change the current law.

Equal civil marriage consultation The 12-week consultation on how to lift the ban on gay couples marrying in a civil ceremony in England and Wales was launched by the government on 15th March 2012.

As reported in Pink News, The Home Office confirmed the consultation will look at how to remove this barrier and bring about equal nonreligious marriage. Under proposals, civil partnerships could be converted to marriages if couples wish.

The consultation document says the government proposes to: • enable same-sex couples to get married through civil ceremonies.

• retain civil partnerships for samesex couples, including the ability to have a civil partnership registration on religious premises (on a voluntary basis and retaining the ban on any religious elements forming part of the registration).

• allow transsexual people to change their legal gender without having to legally end their existing marriage or civil partnership.

• make no changes to how religious marriages are solemnized.

List of jurisdictions which have introduced marriage for samesex couples: Argentina, Norway, Belgium, Portugal Canada, South Africa, Iceland, Spain, Mexico (Mexico City only but recognised throughout Mexico), Sweden and United States of America (some states only). Scotland is also closer to marriage equality than England and Wales – see the last Respect newsletter for more info on this.

Tweet your support: 1000 London buses carried Stonewall’s equality message in April in recognition of the government’s consultation on how to implement marriage for gay couples. The charity asked Londoners and visitors to the capital to tweet pictures of the buses using the hashtag #equalmarriage, so its message was not confined to the city. //Find out more at www.stonewall.org.uk

What the polls say: The latest in a long line of polls gauging public opinion on the proposed right of gay couples to marry in Britain has found two thirds of the public support it.

In early March 2012 the Populus poll asked a thousand voters in Scotland, England and Wales what they thought of such a move, proposals for which have been formally unveiled as part of a public consultation by the government for England and Wales.

The majority of those asked in the phone poll agreed with the statement: “Gay couples should have an equal right to get married, not just to have civil partnerships.”

65% agreed, 27% disagreed and 8% said they did not know.

59% told Populus they agreed gay couples should have equal rights to adoption and while three quarters thought gay couples should have “exactly the same rights” as straight couples. // Find out more at pinknews.com

Show your support: Make your voice heard!

Respect encourages all members, their friends, colleagues and family to contribute to the consultation.

More info can be found at: www.homeoffice.gov.uk/publications/about-us/consultations/equalcivil-marriage You can also submit a response by sending it to equalcivilmarriage@geo.gsi.gov.uk or by post to Equal Civil Marriage Consultation Responses, Government Equalities Office, 3rd Floor Fry, 2 Marsham Street, SW1P 4DF

You have until 14th June 2012 to have your say!

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Over 400 employees helped make our involvement in nine UK prides an enormous success in 2011.

Our support of the LGBT communities has not gone unnoticed with some fantastic recognition coming our way. It is fantastic to show our support of the local communities at a local level – engaging lots of Respect members in helping make every event great fun. So what does 2012 have in store for us? Here we let you know!

We are delighted to announce The Co-operative’s official support of the following PRIDE events this year: London/World Pride: 7th July: www.pridelondon.org

Glasgow Pride: 14th July: www.prideglasgow.co.uk

Bristol Pride: 16th July: www.pridebristol.org

Nottinghamshire Pride: 28th July: www.nottinghamshirepride.co.uk

Leicester Pride: 1st September: www.leicesterpride.com

Cardiff Pride: 1st September: www.cardiffmardigras.co.uk

As always, to make every event a huge success we need YOUR help. Why not come along and join us at the events. Anyone can join us as long as you are either an employee or a member and you don’t have to be LGBT to join in.

If you are interested in taking part, have any questions or would like to join the Respect network email us at respectLGBT@co-operative.coop

2012 Pride Calendar: Why not visit one of the other pride events taking place this year?

Birmingham Pride: 2nd & 3rd June: www.birminghampride.com Blackpool Pride: 8th – 10th June: www.prideblackpool.com Swansea Pride: 30th June: www.swanseapride.com Belfast Pride: 28th July – 4th August: www.belfastpride.com Leeds Pride: 5th August: www.leedspride.com Liverpool Pride: 6th August: www.liverpoolpride.co.uk //Dates may change. Check before attending. There are lots of other pride events also taking place.

£20 worth of Co-operative vouchers What date is ‘International Day Against Homophobia’?

Email your answer to: respectLGBT@co-operative.coop by 11th May 2012 Note: The winner will be contacted shortly after this date. One entry per member.

Good luck!

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In this issue Respect contributor Victoria Cowley introduces us all to Hazel. A remarkable lady, Hazel will keep us updated over the next few issues about her transition from male to female.

A message from Victoria: We looked at Transgender back in the Autumn 2011 edition of the newsletter, but now I am re-visiting this topic by doing a piece on Hazel who is transitioning from male to female.

We will look at firstly how I came to know Hazel and find out about the work she does. I hope you enjoy reading her story.

About Gender Dysphoria: Gender Dysphoria is a complex condition that can be difficult to understand. Therefore, it helps to distinguish between the meaning of a number of different gender-related terms:   

Gender dysphoria is a condition that describes the feeling of being trapped in a body of the wrong sex.

Gender identity is the gender that you feel you should be.

Transsexual: A person who feels that the gender identity assigned at birth does not fit with their internal gender identity and will transition from one gender to another (or part way to the other.) It usually means someone who has chosen medical intervention such as hormones or surgery to ease this process.

Gender can be defined using very narrow medical terms such as what types of chromosomes you have or what types of genitals you were born with. But many transsexuals (and also many experts in the treatment of gender dysphoria) find this type of narrow definition both unhelpful and offensive.

Their response is that gender is a matter of personal preference. If you regard yourself as a man, or a woman, then you have the right to be treated as one.

We

this tweet!

How I met Hazel: Hazel was introduced to me by my sister-in-law a surgical nurse who attended a seminar at Royal Preston Teaching Hospital on how to deal with a patient who feels that they are trapped within a body of the wrong sex. This condition is called Gender Dysphoria.

My sister-in-law felt enlightened by Hazel’s openness and honesty and the trials and tribulations she has faced. After the seminar she spoke to Hazel about the issues and harassment my daughter was facing at school for having gay parents. It was at this point I was put in touch with Hazel. She has a contact at the school and offered her support and help.

I decided to ask if I could meet up with Hazel and find out about her.

What a remarkable lady: Hazel works closely with the Royal Preston Teaching Hospital (PRTH) offering guidance and support to nurses and staff. Effectively enhancing the holistic care and needs of transgender and gender Dysphoria patients who are admitted to hospital. The importance of these specific education seminars Hazel and The Preston Royal Teaching Hospital are providing is paramount in receiving equal treatment as that of any other patient.

As well as providing voluntary seminars to the PRTH Hazel is involved with Age Concern Central Lancashire. A voluntary organisation for the over 55s where The Friends of Dorothy Project was initiated as a result of a study carried out, by Age Concern (2006) called A Welcome on the Mat. The aim of the study was to focus on the health and social welfare needs of older LGBT. Encouraging people in the Preston and South Ribble area who are marginalized or isolated because of issues around sexual orientation and gender variance to communicate together. The study acknowledged the background of many older LGBT people who have lived through decades of institutional oppression. Hazel has a great support network here that meet up for social occasions, share experiences with those who have just started going through the transition or who identify as having Gender Dysphoria.

Since our first meeting Hazel has been upfront and honest about her life and about her transition from male to female. We have a fundamental friendship based on honesty and care. Hazel is an inspiration to me and I am sure many of you readers too. She will continue to get the word out there about Gender Dysphoria and Transgender and approaches this in a selfless way, gaining gratification knowing that she is helping someone somewhere in a dark place, by giving them hope and support. I hope this gives you a peek into the life of Hazel.

//Meet Hazel in a forthcoming issue Useful links: //Age concern/Dorothy project: http://www.fiftyfiveplus.org.uk/index.php/permalink/3043.html //NHS: http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Genderdysphoria/Pages/Diagnosis.aspx

A big thank you to ‘Pride Sports’ for their supportive tweet in April 2012.

We love Pride Sports too!

Find out more about Pride Sports at www.pridesports.org

GET INVOLVED: Victoria will be putting the ‘Spotlight On’ lots of other subjects in future editions of the newsletter. If you want to see a topic covered, let her know by emailing respectLGBT@co-operative.coop

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My support of Outline:

A bit about Simon:

I just wanted to quickly use this space to shout about a charity that I also volunteer for called ‘Outline’. Outline is an organisation that provides help and support to the LGBT community. We are based down in Surrey and mainly support the local community however we do also have users from all over the country as well as the world…yes, the WORLD!

Hello! I’m Simon and I work for Britannia – part of The Cooperative Banking Group in the role of General Adviser. I only started working for Britannia last September so the whole Respect network is still fairly new to me but may I say what a fantastic avenue of support, information and celebration the Respect network provides for all its members.

We provide a support helpline and e-mail service for a range of LGB&T issues as well as run a monthly faceto-face support / social group in Woking. On top of this we also provide some outreach work where we provide some Equality and Diversity support to the local prison.

Outline has been running for nearly 14 years now but it’s only recently that we are becoming more and more known within the community. We were very fortunate enough to get the support of one Mr George Michael (*girlie scream*) a few years ago who has agreed to be our patron.

Showing your support: However, like many other charities, funding is becoming the main topic at each committee meeting. I myself am the PR and Events Manager and am always looking for fresh ideas to raise some much needed funds for Outline. This year for example I am planning to walk from one side of the Isle of Wight to the other – a distance totalling 26.5 miles.

If anyone would like to sponsor me please head to: www.virginmoneygiving.com/Simonwalksforoutline But if anyone has any other ideas that they could suggest to raise some money then I would be very grateful to hear from you!

Likewise, if anyone within Surrey (specifically Woking or near Woking) would want to volunteer for us by working the helpline, please do get in contact. We have a lot of demand for our service and therefore are always looking for new volunteers and full training is provided free of charge.

Thank you for your time in reading this. I hope it provided some interest.

I became aware of the Respect Network after seeing a message on the Exchange - the fountain of all knowledge! Having checked out what the Respect network was all about I knew immediately I wanted to get involved somehow. I was so impressed by the newsletters and everything that the Respect network has achieved (especially as I'm a secret Alexandra Burke fan) that I thought it would be a great opportunity to let more people know about Outline.

Being a part of Outline provides me with so much reward that it motivates me to continue to work hard to helping as many people as I can. As cheesy at that sounds, I do get a real buzz from helping others and Outline gives me that opportunity in abundance. If anyone is looking to make the most of their spare time, I would definitely urge them to look up any charity work in their area.

Find out more: If you would like to show your support for Outline then please feel free to find them on Facebook (search ‘Outline’) or find them at www.outlinesurrey.org.uk.

This is also the website to head to if you wanted to e-mail them for any support or information about anything to do with LGBT issues or problems you face or you can ring them on 01483 727667.

If you would like any further information on anything to do with Outline then please contact me on Events@outlinesurrey.org : Simon

Help choose The Co-operative’s ‘Charity of the Year’ for 2013

Did you Know: In 2011 The Co-operative raised over £7million for Mencap and ENABLE Scotland allowing them to launch a new and innovative project across the UK. Wow!

The Co-operative would like you to help select our next Charity of the Year, who we will partner with in 2013.

Is there a charity you would like to nominate?

At this early stage the team are simply starting to compile an initial list of potential partners. If you would like to nominate a charity, it must be able to meet the criteria required.

Do you know of an LGBT charity that would benefit?

To make your nomination(s) and for full details visit: www.co-operative.coop/membership/localcommunities/Charity-of-the-year-2013

Be quick, voting closes soon!

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Stonewall Special

www.stonewall.org.uk

Connecting you to all things LGBT:

Sunday 6th May 2012

We

Brighton

The day:

A walk for equality

Noon: Join the masses with your picnic before the Walk at the Royal Pavilion Gardens.

Last year’s Equality Walk helped fund the distribution of ‘Celebrating Difference’ to over 6,000 primary schools. Stonewall needs your help so that they can distribute the DVD to the other 19,000 primary schools in Britain.

2pm: The 10k Walk will be opened by the Mayor of Brighton & Hove, Stonewall’s Chief Executive and the celeb supporters.

We know that where schools have explicit policies that state homophobic bullying is wrong, young people are 60% less likely to be bullied.

4pm: Join the other walkers for the post-Walk party. Enjoy a celebratory glass of bubbly (soft drinks available) and pick up your walker’s medal.

So join in this year’s walk and help change the school experiences for young people and their teachers.

these postcards!

Stonewall have launched some fantastic postcards so you can spread the word about marriage equality.

Order postcards by emailing info@stonewall.org.uk or download at www.stonewall.org.uk/resources

Good luck.

Registration is £10 and includes an exclusive t-shirt on the day.

Why not get some friends together and take part as a team?

Register your place at www.equalitywalk.org.uk/register

Ben & Jerry’s support’s gay marriage in the UK with a new flavour and app

NEWS: The Bisexuality Report - Have you

As the British Parliament starts debating legalising gay marriage, the British arm of the American ice cream company has changed the name of its apple pie flavour to ‘Apple-y Ever After’.

Ben & Jerry's also teamed up with Stonewall to launch a Facebook app that lets users "marry" someone of the same sex to show their support for gay marriage. If your person of choice accepts your proposal, both your pictures will show up on Ben & Jerry's UK Facebook page under the header "recently married."

The site will also post a note to your wall that reads, "I'm supporting marriage equality in the UK with Ben & Jerry's.

Everyone should have the right to live Apple-y Ever After!

Peace, love and fair-trade ice cream!"

read it yet?

The carton is available in selected stores in Britain. It has a picture of two men in tuxedos standing on top of a wedding cake.

The Co-operative hosts the Stonewall Brand & Retail meeting

The Co-operative was pleased to host Stonewall’s ‘Brand & Retail’ round table meeting at our offices in London in February 2012.

Attended by lots of businesses including Tesco, Asda and Pepsi – the event encouraged retailers to share best practice and to look at why retailers fail to find a place in the Stonewall Workplace Equality Index. There was lots of positive discussion.

For the last few years The Co-operative has remained the only retailer in the Top 100. It would be great to see more retailers join us!

Members of BiUK have written a report, along with colleagues from Bi Community News and The Bisexual Index, about the experiences of bisexual people in the UK. The report is downloadable at www8.open.ac.uk, along with podcast and video clip of two of the authors introducing it.

The report provides key recommendations on the inclusion and the separate consideration of the needs of bisexual people in policy and practice, drawing on national and international research evidence and expertise to support these recommendations.

The report is published by The Open University Centre for Citizenship, Identities and Governance and endorsed by Stonewall, the Metro Centre, the Lesbian and Gay Foundation the Psychology of Sexualities section of the British Psychological Society, Pink Therapy, the College of Sexual and Relationship Therapists, and Hertfordshire Partnership NHS Foundation Trust.

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For the new series of Lip Service, how was it filming with the girls again and what can we expect from series 2? Series 2 starts a couple of months after the last episode of series 1. I’d say this series is both funnier in places and also much darker at times. The action is immediate because the relationships between the characters are established now from last series. There are a couple of really good new major characters and all of the old cast are present too. Of course it was lovely being back with the girls. Because of the nature of the show, and what we may have to discuss together, you can imagine, we are a pretty tight bunch.

What can we expect from you in Waterloo Road? Lots of teaching! Oh, and flirting.................. with a boy. //Series 2 of Lip Service airs on BBC3 every Friday. You can catch Waterloo Road online and on DVD.

Are you involved with any LGBT charities? I've been a patron of Manchester Pride for four years. I recently became a patron for Diversity Role Models, which is a fantastic charity that aims to halt homophobic bullying in schools. I just went into my first school with them to talk to a classroom full of 11 year olds, which was very daunting, but hugely rewarding. I’m looking forward to doing more with them this year. I also get involved with various things for Stonewall too – I was recently ‘auctioned’ off at their fundraising dinner!

You are in the top ten of the prestigious Independent Pink List. What does this mean to you? It means a lot. If me being visible helps anyone else deal with their sexuality, then brilliant, but I do sometimes get weighed down with how much focus there is on my sexuality. It gets a bit boring talking about it. It's just a part of me and not solely what I identify as.

Some things you may not know:

1. On graduating, she landed a few

roles in musical theatre, allowing her to combine her acting and singing skills, before winning a major TV role as the female lead in London’s Burning.

2. She has acted in some of the UK’s

biggest shows including Ultimate Force, The Chase and Emmerdale.

3. Heather was briefly signed by

Simon Cowell to release a cover version of The Rose while she was in London’s Burning.

In future issues: Interviews with rugby star Ben Cohen and LadyRock founder Jackie Crozier

How does it feel to be voted 2011 Gay Icon by G3 Readers? It's very cool but a bit ridiculous! "Icon" is a word used a little loosely these days don't you think? Marilyn Monroe and James Dean were icons..... not me!!

You are a pin up for many females (and we are sure many males too). How does this make you feel? Am I? Again, ridiculous..... It's not really something I think about. It's kind of funny for me as I've been a professional actress for 16 years so I just keep thinking "why now"? I'm well old.

You recently attended the L word convention how did you find it? It was fine. I don't really have anything else to say on this question! Ha ha.

What keeps you motivated? I love my job. I'm happiest when I'm working and creativity fuels my head and my heart. I love creative work because there are no right or wrong answers. No black and white, just grey areas. It's all personal taste and so you can never, ever think you've nailed it - and there will always be someone who doesn’t like what you do! I think the minute you think you've done it or you know it all then you should give up. The fact that art, and the tools you can use to create it, constantly evolves and changes keeps me motivated. I get very down if I'm not working. My hobby is my job. I'm a very lucky girl.

What is next? The main focus is the release of 'Fairytales" and the tour that accompanies it from 21st May until 5th June. Then, I’ll start filming the next series of Waterloo Road again too.

//Heather talks music on the next page

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Heather’s Fairytale…

Our favourite song off the new album is ‘Better than You’, what was your inspiration for the song? "Better than You", which will be the first single off my new album ‘Fairytale’s, is a song about emotional abuse within a relationship. Abuse that is so subtle that it creeps up on you and you don't even realise it's happening till you're lost. There is hope within the song as it's really about the decisive moment that you leave. It's about finding the strength to do it.

Who is your musical inspiration? There are too many to list - everyone from Michael Jackson to Nina Simone, to Mary J Blige, Anita Baker, Gabriel, Rachel Yamagata, to some really random jazz stuff. I love the Emile Sande album at the moment.

Produced by the Oscar nominated Nigel Wright, Fairytales is a collection of gorgeous piano melodies, lush string arrangements and raw, personal self-penned lyrics delivered by Heather’s heartstopping, soaring vocals.

You did several gigs in 2011 are there any plans for this year? It was slightly more than several, I basically never stopped gigging last year! From the UK tour in April, to some more intimate gigs on my own, it was pretty full on. If I wasn't filming, I was gigging, and if I wasn't gigging I was writing. The release of my debut, studio album, "Fairytales", is May 21st and I'm really excited about it. It was produced by Nigel Wright, who is legendary within the industry, so recording with him was an incredible experience. We raised all the funds ourselves, me and the management team, so we could keep it independent and have artistic control over the end product and now I can't wait to get it out there. The sound is much bigger than I first anticipated. There are some huge tracks on there with strings and choirs and some really stripped back tracks too. My first influences are jazz and soul so elements of both are present. All the songs were penned by myself and the lyrics are honest and sometimes dark. Nigel loves a big vocal performance and that's what we've got.

Find out more about Heather at www.heatherpeace.com

Respect brings the LadyRock Festival to The Co-operative On Saturday 26th May 2012 the first ever women's festival to grace the North West comes to Manchester Rugby Club, Cheadle Hulme, Stockport. Men are more than welcome too!

Saturday 26th May Stockport

The event will be headlined by chart topper KT Tunstall (hits include ‘Suddenly I See’ and ‘Black Horse & The Cherry Tree’ – photo to right), with supporting sets from singer and actress Heather Peace (Waterloo Road, Lip Service), hot for 2012 artist Ronika and XFM cool kids New Young Pony Club plus loads more.

In addition to musical acts, LadyRock Festival will also feature a variety of other art forms from top female talent. Performances, debate and other entertainment will be found across our other site areas such as the Atomic Departure Lounge and Alice's Escape. LadyRock Festival celebrates the top female and female-fronted acts in the entertainment industries today, but boys are encouraged to attend and are more than welcome. The event has plenty of love for RockerBoys who support 'girl power' in the same way as their female counter-parts.

As an exclusive arranged by Respect, LadyRock offered tickets to Co-operative employees for only £32.50 – saving you £4.50 per ticket (no booking fee!).

It’s too late to grab a discounted ticket but can find out more about the event and buy tickets at www.ladyrockfestival.com

WIN!

Two tickets to the LadyRock festival

// Do you want to go to of the event and have no one to go with? If you want to go but have no one to go with email respectLGBT@co-operative.coop and we will put you in contact with other members who are going along. Go for it!

(worth £74)

The LadyRock team have kindly supplied us with two tickets to give to one lucky Respect member.

All you need to do is email your name to respectLGBT@co-operative.coop by 9th May 2012 Note: The winner will be contacted shortly after this date.

One entry per member. Good luck!

Respect Editor Thomas Anderson is pictured with former Coronation Street star Bruno Langley (he played gay character Todd Grimshaw).

Other celebs that have shown their support of Respect include Alexandra Burke, Steps, Kieron Richardson, Rowetta and Sugababes.

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Your development is important to us.

Here we let you know about the further development opportunities available to you Development opportunities come in all forms, ranging from mentoring, volunteering, taking on extra responsibilities in your role, training, stepping up, secondments and putting yourself out of your comfort zone (and lots more).

Steering Group decided that due to the At the end of 2011 the Respect rapid growth of the network (almost 1000 members) and an increase in enquiries from external charities as well as many of our internal teams, change was needed to support the growth of the network. It is also important the Steering Group was well represented from all strands of LGBT. This change has been communicated to members over the last four months and all members of the network had the opportunity to put themselves forward for the sixteen roles. We will introduce you to the new Respect Steering Group in the next issue. We can’t wait for you all to meet the new team.

Liz Bramley, Head of Employee Engagement & Diversity commented: “Being a part of the Steering Group helps ensure that The Co-operative Group can continue to build its support network for LGBT employees and promote understanding, acceptance and inclusion in all of our 6,000 teams located across the UK. Being a part of the Steering Group offers employees a great opportunity to learn new skills that will hopefully help progress their career. Development and training opportunities will be available to help support people in their new roles.”

The recruitment process will be explained in the June edition.

Useful development tools at your fingertips The Co-operative Group Ashridge virtual learning centre contains everything from learning guides to book reviews, management pocket books and economic trend data.

Please visit the site as it’s a great reference point to assist your personal continuous professional development journey.

Above: The founding Steering Group headed up by George have done a brilliant job embedding the network across the business.

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Did you know that in 2005 The Co-operative Bank closed the account of extremist fundamentalist group, Christian Voice.

The bank asked them to close its account on the basis of the hateful and offensive statements they peddled, and their aim of stigmatising people who are homosexual.

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In February 2006 Gay Times awarded The Co-operative Bank their ‘Ethical Corporate Stance Award’.



Site: www.ashridge.org.uk/ashridge/vlrc.nsf Login: cooperativegroup Password: coglogin If for what ever reason you can’t view this and you would like to, please let us know.

We have been busy bees letting as many employees as possible know about Respect. In recent months we have had a big article featured in The Co-operative Banking staff magazine ‘Know Us’ as well as a feature on the Intranet, exchange and on The Co-operative Employee Facebook page about our support of LGBT History Month.

We got lots of new members as a result. Were you one of them?

Our Stonewall Workplace Equality Index success has also got lots of coverage including features on the Canal St website, Facebook page and smart phone app – reaching thousands of people. We also featured on lots of other websites.

The more members the network has the more support we can give colleagues and the more activities we can get involved in.

If you have any ideas for promoting the Respect network in your business area, drop us an email at respectLGBT@co-operative.coop

Tune in to our friends at Gaydio

www.gaydio.co.uk 11

Support

“The Co-operative have made a commitment to providing a LGBT-friendly working environment” If this is not your experience, there is lots of support available to you.

//The Diversity Team can offer advice about specific matters relating to issues in the workplace and

point you in the right direction.

The Co-operative’s Head of Engagement and Diversity is Liz Bramley. The Co-operative Banking Group (new name for CFS) Diversity and Well-Being Manager is Sarah Emery (currently on maternity leave). Until her return please contact Amanda Dillon - HR Diversity & Well-Being Adviser. // Co-operative employees can also contact the Diversity Team on 0161 246 3285. // Co-operative Banking Group employees can contact the Diversity and Well Being Team for advice and support at wellbeing@cfs.coop.

//Sexual Orientation Champion: George Meudell can provide confidential support and guidance in relation to LGBT matters. Email George via george.meudell@co-operative.coop //Other support available: 

If you are able to speak to your line manager, that would be the preferred route (unless of course your line manager is the issue). Or alternatively, you can speak to your HR manager if this would be preferable.



There is also a whistleblowing hotline called “Speak Up” which you can call on 0800 374199. This is a freephone number, calls are handled externally and callers can remain anonymous, and are untraceable. Any HR related issues that come through the line are passed to the Diversity Team within The Co-operative.

//AXA ICAS – The Co-operative’s Employee Assistance Programme: 

This service is available 24 hours, and is completely confidential. Nothing will be reported back to the business, and they can help on a variety of issues from problems at home, to work conflicts, to legal and money advice.



This service is completely free of charge to all Group employees and anyone who lives in their household.

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Their contact number is 0800 072 7072 and the web-site address is www.icasxtra.com. The username is coopgroup and the password is EAP07.

You can also contact the Respect network for confidential support and guidance.

Email us at respectLGBT@co-operative.coop //Other places to go for support: > Help and support for the transgendered community: www.beaumontsociety.org.uk > Help and support for the bisexual community: www.biphoria.org.uk > Help and support for the lesbian, gay and bisexual community: www.lgf.org.uk //Other support is also available online

//Find out more about Respect on the Intranet >HR & People >Group HR >HR Information >Diversity >Sexual Orientation >Respect - Your LGBT Network You will find lots more info including copies of the previous eight Respect newsletters.

Email respectLGBT@co-operative.coop

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