Network Buzz Issue 1

BUZZ ISSUE 1

October - November 2014

www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

BE TRUE TO YOU

Rainbow Biz talk music with the Erasure frontman

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Proudly presented by

Vanessa Vallely | Awards | Treva Etienne | Tanya Franks | Lisa Gifford | SHE Soho | J James | Twisted Rio | Charity News | Homophobia At School | Kiri Bloore | Events | Cocktails | Rainbow Biz | Tips & much more

Jasz Vegas

SUPPORTING CHARITY

We find out more about ‘Ditch the Label’ & ‘The Albert Kennedy Trust’

NETWORK EYE

We meet the people behind network groups at The Co-operative & Leicestershire Police + more In partnership with

A LOT OF RESPECT FOR ANDY BELL

We meet the star of upcoming BBC TV show ‘Killer Magic’

THE DEBUT ALBUM OUT NOW FEAT. SELFIES AND STAY OUT

NINANESBITTMUSIC.COM

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Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

JOIN OUR MAILING LIST AND KEEP UPDATED ON OUR EVENTS, PUBLICATIONS, NEWS AND COMPETITIONS. REGISTER AT www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

The UK’s first magazine for Network Groups

10 - 11

NETWORK BUZZ

41 - 45

4| 5| 6|

Introduction Diversity Calendar Treva Etienne (Falling Skies)

8-9 | 10-11 | 12 | 14-16 |

Inclusive Networks Awards Vanessa Vallely (Role Model) 5 Minutes with Kiri Bloore Inside the Network : Aspire (The Co-operative) Network Eye Give up the Ghost Jasz Vegas (Cover Star) Network Tips : Twitter Andy Bell (Erasure) Policing With Pride : Leicestershire Police Tanya Franks (Eastenders) BBC Diversity & Emma Watson Lisa Gifford (3Some) Black History Month Liam Hackett : Ditch the Label Making connections Up & Coming : Gio, Riva & Twisted Rio Is your network awesome?

J James (Author) The glamour of dr.a.g.

The Albert Kennedy Trust Inclusive Networks News Cocktail O’Clock Upcoming releases Behind the scenes : SHE Soho Rainbow Biz

18-19 | 20-22 | 24-25 | 26-27 | 28 | 30-31 | 32-33 | 34 |

32 - 33

36-38 | 40 | 41-45 |

28

30 - 31

WIN : Signed JLO lbums Iggy Azalea a Page 59

46 | 48-49 |

&

50 | 51 | 52 | 53-55 | 56 | 58 | 59 | 60-61 | 62-63 |

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 4

Editor & Chief Executive Thomas Anderson @thomasinmanc thomas@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk Advertising info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk

Fresh out the box, we have lots of new and exciting things planned. With a strong focus around the fantastic work of network groups and the role they play in supporting more inclusive workplaces, communities and beyond.

Inclusive Networks & OUT in the UK logos Designers Up North www.designersupnorth.com Diversity Illustration Jack Greaves

Over the years many network groups have worked in silo with limited collaboration between internal networks or with network groups from other organisations, or the wider community.

Contributors

Amanda Dillon Amy Brown Claire Stoneman Laura Millward Liam Hackett Matthew Thatcher Rainbow Biz (Sue and Sarah) Sharon Pegg Tony Butchart-Kelly Vanessa Vallely

From my experience, in more isolated areas where being a bit different is often that bit tougher, support groups and networking events of interest are few and far between.

Thank you to everyone that spared the time to contribute to our first edition. It wouldn’t have all been possible without this incredible support. Big thanks to my partner Matthew for his continued support.

disclaimer

Editor’s Introduction Welcome to Network Buzz

The Network Buzz magazine aims to bring networks and charities of all diversity strands together, to learn from each other, to share, to collaborate and most importantly, to celebrate the many successes of network groups, the people who make them come alive and the employers and organisations who support them and help them flourish.

Network groups are an integral part of the diversity, inclusion and engagement agenda in many organisations.

There are hundreds of employee, inter-sector, professional and social network groups all over the UK doing great things. They range from disability, faith, gender, age, culture, race, career, LGBT (lesbian, gay, bisexual & transgender) and many more.

The world is changing and network groups are developing at a rapid rate in many sectors, although disappointing due to cost saving exercises, in the public sector many networks have been disbanded in recent years.

Many smaller organisations do not have network groups due to the lack of people to make them work or the feeling that they don’t have the resources to support them. This is where Inclusive Networks will help.

Our website, events and publications are accessible to everyone and we hope to

create a community where all individuals and organisations can access these. We aim to build a network where it really doesn’t matter who you work for, what role you do or where you live. There will be something for everyone.

I’m delighted to announce the launch of the inaugural ‘Inclusive Networks Awards’ and the ‘Awesome Network Award’ to celebrate the brilliant and innovative work of networks. You can find out more on pages 8-9 and 50, please spread the word.

So lets work together, support each other and celebrate the work we are all doing to support a more inclusive and equal society.

Together we can achieve so much more.

I hope you enjoy the first issue of Network Buzz.

Thomas Anderson Network Buzz Editor & Founder of Inclusive Networks

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©2014 OUT in the UK Ltd registered in England and Wales no. 08975724 All rights reserved. Material is strictly copyright. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission from OUT in the UK Ltd is forbidden. We’ve taken great care to ensure the accuracy of the information in this magazine but we cannot accept responsibility for omissions or errors. The views expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of OUT in the UK Ltd. Images included of people do not indicate their sexuality.

Let’s stay connected

WWW | www.facebook.com/inclusivenetworks & /OUTintheUK | @IncNetworks | @OUTintheUK | @NetworkBuzzMag | info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

5 | Network

Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

Diversity Calendar ge your networks an Days you can support and enga employees with (selected dates)

November is Inspirational Role Models Month | Cancer Awareness Month & Alzheimer's Disease Awareness Month

National Coming Out Day was on 11 October

You don't have to tell anyone you're lesbian, gay or bisexual if you don't want to. It's entirely up to you who you tell, but you might feel happier if you can be honest about who you really are.

The day celebrates coming out and raises awareness of the support available.

England, Wales and Northern Ireland: 16 - 22 November Scotland: 23 - 30 November Text from the Lesbian & Gay Foundation.

Where to go for support & more info Leading charity The Lesbian & Gay Foundation (LGF) can be contacted on 0845 3 30 30 30 or by visiting www.lgf.org.uk To read inspiring coming out stories that may help you, visit the website for the wonderful organisation R U Coming Out. Find out more at www.rucomingout.com

Inter Faith Week Highlights the good work done by local faith, inter faith and faith-based groups and organisations Draws new people into inter faith learning and cooperation Enables greater interaction between people of different backgrounds Helps develop integrated and neighbourly communities

>

1st December

www.worldaidsday.org

International Day of Persons with Disabilities 3rd December

www.un.org/disabilities

Human Rights Day www.un.org/en/events/humanrightsday

November

Celebrates diversity and commonality Opens new possibilities for partnership For more information about the week and for ideas on how you can get engaged go to www.interfaithweek.org

To find out more about Inter Faith Scotland, visit www.interfaithscotland.org

The theme to the week will be about raising the issue of the disproportionate amount that children and young people who have special educational needs and / or disabilities that are bullied in schools. Take a stand against bullying!

Find out more at www.anti-bullyingalliance.org.uk

Transgender Day of Remembrance (TDOR) is an annual

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More dates for your diary

November World AIDS Day

16 - 30

Anti-Bullying Week

17 - 21

10th December

December is National Drink Driving Prevention Month & Spiritual Literacy Month

>

‘Coming out’ is when you tell others about your sexual orientation; this may be family, friends, colleagues or even your doctor. People ‘come out’ at different times, but the important thing is that you are in control and get to decide when and how you tell people.

d

observance on November 20 that honors the memory of those whose lives were lost in acts of anti-transgender violence.

Find out more at www.glaad.org/tdor

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Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 6

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW : TREVA ETIENNE

(TV : FALLING SKIES) | @TrevaEtienne

We had the delight to interview star of Steven Spielberg’s new TV show Falling Skies and blockbusters including Terminator Salvation and Pirates Of The Caribbean

Did you always aspire to be an actor?

As a young boy I was actually aspiring to become a doctor. I took a huge interest in medicine and different forms of healing, and found it all very fascinating. I remember at the age of about 10 years old, I used to watch those gruesome documentaries, that would show you how operations were done and you could pretty much see everything. I loved watching them and would be right up against the telly trying to have a look inside. My parents used to scream at me to get away from the TV, but I was so fascinated!

What TV shows and actors did you love and admire when you were growing up?

I absolutely loved Ronnie Barker, James Cagney and Sydney Poitier. A show favourite of mine was Rising Damp, as well as Grange Hill, The Sweeney and Batman.

What was your big break?

It very much depends on what you would consider a big break. I would say my biggest break was actually at the age of 12 or 13, when I joined a local youth theatre called Moonshine. They would put on plays and productions and we did this one play, it was quite dark and sinister, like a horror movie kind of thing, and I didn’t actually have a big role as I was stage manager. But on the night of the show, the actor who was playing the ‘boyfriend’ didn’t turn up, so they asked me to stand in for him, so on the night I played the boyfriend, the policeman, a bad guy as well as be the stage manager – all in one show and all last minute. I always consider that to be my biggest break because it was from that night I knew I wanted to pursue acting.

Do you have a career highlight?

A career highlight would be ‘Only Fools and Horses’. I watched David Jason as a kid, in shows like ‘Porridge’ and ‘Open All Hours’, and I thought he was great, so to work with him was a real honour. Also getting to meet John Sullivan the writer

Treva Etienne and working a long side the other cast members was amazing. It was such a surreal experience because I loved and watched the show all the time. I loved the whole experience. It was unreal!

How did you make the transition from UK TV shows like London’s Burning to blockbusters like Pirates of the Caribbean?

I guess it was just going out for another job really and being ready to jump straight in. You have to be prepared to just get on and do it. I guess the fact that I had worked with big actors I admired in the UK prepared me for working with big American stars. I guess also remembering that the bigger the star the nicer they actually are also helped me.

You’ve just joined the cast of hit TV show Falling Skies. Can you tell us a little bit about the character you’re playing?

He has a sort of mystery about him as he is a bit of a loner, who has been through quite a bit on his own. But he joins the second mass in the battle against the aliens.

How was the casting process, did you need to audition for the role?

Well I was offered the audition, sent over a taped recording of the audition, met the casting directors when I went to LA and then got the job. So the process was quite straightforward really.

Interview by Thomas Anderson

What is your favourite alien or space orientated movie?

The Thing by John Carpenter is definitely my favourite. I think it’s actually one of the best movies ever made. I guess now it might be considered cheesy because of what type of things can be done in todays film industry but at the time it was absolutely amazing.

Do you have any advice for young people with a dream of making it big in Hollywood?

Does everyone make it?

When Lupita Nyong’o won her award for ’12 Years A Slave’ she said "No matter where you are from, your dreams are valid." She said it best really. I totally agree and endorse that. Every single youngster has a dream, I would say no matter what it is just listen to your heart and remember that the struggle needs patience. Patience is necessary to achieve that dream. A lot of us don’t know what that word means any more because of the fast paced world we live in, full of wifi and 3G, but all dreams need patience, persistence and commitment.

Do you think it’s important that there are visible high profile role models from all backgrounds, race, sexuality and gender?

Yes I do. The Earth is a rainbow world of human beings, so it’s only right that we should reflect that in all aspects of our lives.

Seasons 1-3 are available to buy

on DVD now

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | 8

The Inclusive Networks Awards are the first ever awards of this scale dedicated to network groups.

The unique awards will celebrate and reward the work and positive impact of network groups from all diversity strands and from all sectors.

The awards will also recognise the people who make the networks live and breathe, many of whom volunteer substantial amounts of their own time, as well as thank the organisations that support and encourage their work and that of an inclusive society.

What makes these awards different is they celebrate and reward the work of the doers, individuals and teams who show an extraordinary amount of commitment and dedication to support employees, the wider community and help influence the views of the wider public on their perception of the organisations they represent through their work.

We hope you get behind these special awards and nominate in

as many categories as possible.

They are a fantastic opportunity to share the fabulous and inspiring work of networks and organisations all over the UK. They are open to everyone.

Be a part of it!

If you know of a network, organisation or individual doing fantastic things, why don’t you nominate them.

We appreciate some networks are smaller than others so less people may know of your work so self nominations are also encouraged. There is nothing wrong with giving yourself a pat on the back.

It’s about the quality of the nominations and not the volume of nominations per network received.

At the awards reception there will be a diverse range of entertainment and many moments to remember.

Every guest will receive a special goody bag filled with goodies and a souvenir programme.

What makes these awards different is they celebrate and reward the wor k of the doers

Award Categories .................

Employee Network of the Year

Networks from different strands will be recognised

Professional Network of the Year Inter-Sector Network of the Year Fresh Out The Box : New Network of the Year Network Publication of the Year Network Event of the Year Network Collaboration of the Year Charity/Community Group Collaboration of the Year Network Team of the Year Network Chair/Co-Chairs of the Year Inspiring Member of the Year Senior Champion of the Year Employer of the Year Special Recognition Some awards wi! be split in to private and public sector where networks in both sectors wi! be recognised.

clusivenetworks.co.uk in w. w w t si vi e at in m no . To Nominations are open

FREE TO NOMINATE

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Network Buzz | October - November 2014

Our judges

Left to right

John Amaechi Former NBA Player, Author & MD, Amaechi Performance Systems |

Deborah Lane-Winter Head of Talent, Carve Productions |

Jackie Crozier

Events Professional & Community Champion |

Vanessa Vallely

Founder & MD, We Are The City & Author |

Thomas Anderson

Founder & CEO, Inclusive Networks & OUTintheUK |

Scott Durairaj

Head of Patient Experience – Mental Health and Learning Disability, NHS England |

Elly Barnes

Founder & CEO, Educate and Celebrate |

Phyll Opoku-Gyimah

Co-Founder and Executive Director, UK Black Pride |

Liz Bramley

Engagement & Diversity Specialist & Founder of Great Days Work |

James Wharton

Author & Diversity Specialist |

Authentic | Inspiring | Respected |

Claire Harvey

Assistant Director, Youth Sports Trust & GB Paralympic sitting volleyball Captain |

Liam Hackett

Founder & CEO, Ditch the Label |

Richard McKenna

Director, Inclusive Employers |

Our charity partner is D itch the Label. We wi ll be fundraising and raising awareness of the charity throughout the nomination and shortlisting process as we ll as at the awards recep tion.

Dates to remember .....................

Nominations close at 11.59pm on Sunday 24th May 2015.

The shortlist will be announced on Wednesday 1st July 2015.

The awards will be presented at the Inclusive Networks Awards 2015 reception in October 2015.

More details about this special event will be announced soon.

Tickets will be made available as soon as this announcement is made.

The winners of the awards will be selected by our judges. The winner of the ‘Employer of the Year’ award will be decided by a public vote from the shortlist that will announced following the nomination process.

Sponsorship .............

Sponsoring our awards is a fantastic way to show your visible support for inclusion in the workplace and in the wider community.

The awards aim to be accessible to everyone and to be an opportunity for networks and organisations of all types to come together and celebrate and reward their work.

Where everyone is treated equally, everyone attending our awards reception will be a VIP on the night.

If you’d like to discuss sponsorship opportunities email our Chief Executive Thomas Anderson at thomas@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk or call him on 07702 130 348

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 10

ROLE MODEL INTERVIEW : VANESSA VALLELY

(PART 1)

Fresh from being shortlisted for a National Diversity Award, we meet the Founder & CEO of one of the biggest and most well respected women’s network sites - We Are The City

Vanessa Vallely You’ve had a hugely successful career with senior roles within many financial institutions. What was your motivation to launch www.wearethecity.com?

skills such as networking, the benefits of mentoring and enhancing my online profile.

In 2008 I felt there was a gap in the market in terms of providing female centric information to corporate women.

It was the eve of the recession and I knew many women who were losing their jobs and who were seeking other opportunities to grow both professionally and personally. I was also at a bit of a turning point in my career whereby I wanted to learn new skills and meet other career minded women.

WeAreTheCity is an info-site. We pull together all of the great stuff that other gender specific organisations and networks are doing and house that information in one place. Be it an event someone can attend to network or learn new skills or via promoting a charity that women can get involved in and support.

We promote the activities of over 300

I went searching for networks and events I could attend and much to my frustration I found the details I needed scattered all over the internet. Finding the right network and the right event was proving to be extremely time consuming. I wanted one website that catered for my needs as a working corporate woman in terms of development opportunities. It was my husbands suggestion that whilst I went on my own journey of discovery, that I documented it for the benefit of other women. WeAreTheCity was very much a hobby that we ran and funded alongside my own corporate career.

However, whilst investigating what was out there for women, I started to learn a great deal, not just about running an internet site, but about real skills that I was able to transfer back to my day job,

We’d love to know more about We Are The City

“We encourage our members to take control of their own development and our services support them to unleash their potential.” female networks (would you believe there are over 1,000 women’s networks in London) and provide low cost advertising space to female entrepreneurs. This in turn gives us the opportunity to profile amazing and inspiring women in order to motivate our members.

We provide a platform for bloggers, free webinars for our members and promote jobs for our corporate clients via our sister site CareersCity.co.uk. Our purpose is to help women make informed choices about how they choose to progress their business or career. The value we add is by providing ideas and visibility of services that will help our visitors to decide how to achieve their own personal measure of success. We encourage our members to take control of their own development and our services support them to unleash their potential. Today, WeAreTheCity receives over 4 million hits per month and an average of 150,000 unique visitors from all over the world. We have a database of over 30,000 members, which grows daily.

We are lucky enough to have been offered investment in the business this year, which has been amazing as it means I have been able to secure seven new staff and our own premises. I have always had lots of ideas for the site and the various programmes we could offer and now I can turn those ideas in to action – watch this space as we have some exciting plans for the remainder of 2014 and in to 2015.

>> JUDGE

11 | Network

Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

WWW.WEARETHECITY.COM | @WATC_GIRL

Were you nervous about going out and doing your own thing?

I almost left the corporate world twice before I took the big jump. Looking back I think I started to realise what my purpose was in life about five years ago, however I sat on the fence for a number of years torn between my love of my day job and wanting to work on WeAreTheCity full time.

When I finally decided to leave my corporate life last June my colleagues and friends thought I was just having a mid life crisis as I also turned 40 the same year. It was nothing of the sort, something in my gut was telling me it was the right thing to do. By this point I was very clear where my passions lay. When I was working on building up WeAreTheCity, speaking at events or supporting a school or charity I felt at my happiest. The biggest trade off was giving up the security of my job, a regular income, pension, healthcare etc, however I am sure as the business matures all of those things will reappear, it’s just a matter of time.

As any business owner will tell you, if you have transitioned out of corporate life, the first thing you miss is the lack of support. I often go between being a mum, a sales person to an accountant to a marketer or events organiser and that's just in one morning. Another big draw to my exit was my children. They are now entering their teenage years and I wanted to spend more time supporting them as they grow in to adults.

I am also very lucky to have a supportive husband who really understands gender challenges. He is as much a part of our business as I am. He also has a full time day job so fitting everything in that we want to do is tough. I also regularly call on

the support of a number of ex bosses who have gone solo and business mentors for advice, however it would be fair to say I am still on a massive learning curve.

Do you need to be a high flier to attend or access We Are The City events and resources?

Absolutely not. I am dead set against entry criteria. WeAreTheCity is for every woman (and man if they care to visit or attend our events). Our database spans all employee levels across multiple industries in multiple countries. If we can help the young lady who is just starting out or the woman who is stuck in a career rut or even setting up her own business, then all the better. One thing I am particularly passionate about is the pipeline of talent.

We do everything we can to open up opportunities for those just starting out by giving them the chance to meet senior women by attending events, providing visibility through sharing their career stories or via mentoring opportunities.

“My biggest fear was walking into a room full of strangers and not knowing if I had a story to tell.”

Let’s talk networking When I provide my Power of Profile talk, I tell the story of the first networking event I attended, I walked in and walked out as I was so terrified of breaking into a conversation with people I didn't know. I took the advice of a number of professional networkers such as Heather White and Andy Lopata and they gave me enough tips (and confidence) to get started. My biggest fear was walking into a room full of strangers and not knowing if I had a story to tell. Would I be interesting enough? How would I leave a conversation without being rude? All of which I now know the answers to and avidly share through my talks across the globe.

My biggest piece of advice for someone sat at home is to grab a colleague or a friend and go together. Set yourselves a task of splitting up about 10 minutes after you arrive with a challenge to meet and connect with at least two new people.

Networking isn’t a numbers game, it’s about nurturing the connections you make and building relationships with people. Make sure you connect with people you have met using tools such as LinkedIN or Twitter. The more you do it, the easier it gets. Networking is also about listening and giving, forget what’s in it for you. I am a true believer that if you do good things in life, good things come back.

CHECK OUT PART TWO OF OUR INTERVIEW WITH VANESSA AT www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

Check out the events calendar on WeAreTheCity for a list of events you could attend. There’s a fantastic variety of events listed, along with a diverse range of Network Groups.

Find out more at www.wearethecity.com

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 12

5

MINUTES WITH

British broa dcaster and journalist K up our telev iri Bloore ha is io n screens. N s travelled t interviewin ot only can he globe lig g some of th y hting ou see her o e biggest st enough to c n the red carp ars, she was over the Ro et one of the f yal wedding for TLC. Now ew presente from a cove she is about rs lucky ted spot at to be seen a W e s t m lo in n s g ter Abbey side Liz Hur much await ley and Joan ed new E! T Collins in th elevision se ries The Roy e als.

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I would spend my last £10 on....

Mascara. I know to ta pointless but I love lly a bit of mascara.

I last got starstru ck when....

I love Blondie/Debb ie Harry a ridiculous amou nt walking down the . While re carpet at the NME d she walked right awards, and said hi and stbeside me ood for photos. I could ba re answer as I was ju ly st so much. Actually staring I just mumbled. I am sure

The last time I th 'wow' I need thatought my wardrobe was in ....

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length jacket I took loads of pictures of it. The gu to me certainly th y next ought I was so weird, and don’t know where I still it’s from.

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Currently I am in the process of one of th biggest challenges e life, which will in of my volv driving through th e Moroccan dessert e for 15 days with no Sat Na www.rallyeaichad v in the s.com/ for severa esgazelle l ch All I need is a little arities. luck and a lot of bit of sponsorship.

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My guilty pleasu re is....

Ben and Jerry's Ca ramel Chew Chew and th American TV prog e ramme ‘Revenge’.

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We rescue greyho unds, and seeing the shocking conditions they co me and watching them from into the most amaz turn in and family membe g pets rs make you smile ev will ery time.

I'm most looking forward to....

The future is defin itely exciting so pretty m everything at the uch moment.

The Royals premie in early 2015 on E!res

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BEEN ABUSED BECAUSE OF YOUR RACE, SEXUAL ORIENTATION, DISABILITY, GENDER IDENTITY OR RELIGION?

REPORTING HATE CRIME IS EASY Call 999 in an emergency Call 101 to speak to police in your area Report what’s happened online: www.report-it.org.uk

stonewall.org.uk @StonewallUK

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 14

/////////////// ////

E D I INSwork

supports

t e N e h T

The Co-operative Group is renowned for their support of equality and inclusion in the workplace and beyond.

Founded in 2012, their Career Network Aspire is growing at a rapid pace.

Here the Chair of the Network, Sharon Pegg, and Deputy Chair, Amanda Dillon, tell us more about the network and their work.

The Aspire network was launched in 2012 and was a result of a consultation with women predominantly based in Manchester, to find out if there was a need for a women’s career network, what was expected and what we could provide as a business. The network celebrates its third birthday on International Women’s Day in March 2015.

For Aspire, the main aims were around networking, but the initial consultation also wanted us to find out what barriers women perceived there was in the workplace from a certain role band.

Aspire was created primarily to find out what those barriers were and how a network could help females within The Co-operative Group.

career network

Was the network a part of a wider initiative?

The focus was really on the lower role bands and I think Aspire has really grown in to its own because what we discovered was those barriers that employees in the lower role bands have are very similar to those of female employees in the senior positions.

other support groups that we connect with. Aspire gives those employees that wish to access it, the opportunity to network but it also provides events for members to learn new things and support their development. It also offers opportunities and a chance to dip in to other resources within the Group.

supports

…the women’s career network supporting colleagues who want to be proactive about advancing their careers at The Co-operative

Celebrating International Women’s Day 2014 Co-operative event held at Southbank, London

Networking events have become huge in London where there are events almost every night and lots of opportunities, this isn’t true of most other places around the UK. So for Aspire, that is predominantly focussed in the North West at this stage in our journey, that is a bit of a challenge.

We find people still have issues with confidence when returning to work after having a child, are unsure about how to act in meetings, think long and hard about how to dress for work and meetings, things you just take for granted.

But actually having a safe space where you can talk some of that through with other colleagues, whether that be internal within The Co-operative or externally with

How do employees access the network?

For the first time, The Co-operative recently launched a diversity strategy which gives a huge focus to our support groups and puts a real focus on those groups. We also have an established LGBT network, Respect, and a new race, ethnicity and cultural heritage network, REACH.

>>>>>>> More from Amanda and Sharon

15 |

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks

/ / / / / / / / / ////////// continued......

Aspire is currently working on its first ever strategy and along with that there is a challenge for us to roll the network out across all of our locations nationwide, so we can provide something for all of our 80,000+ employees from the highlands of Scotland to the hidden corners of Cornwall. We want to be in a position where everyone can access the network resources, whether that be our quarterly magazine, local networking events or other events facilitated by the organisation.

Over the last 18 months Manchester has been a fantastic pilot and we’ve seen the membership steadily grow to 400+ and raising the visibility of the network is a real priority. We’ve made a strong start.

What’s really interesting now is employees are now approaching us and asking how they can get involved. Getting a network off the ground initially can be a real challenge so this is a fantastic position to now be in.

How do you make the network visible within the organisation?

We’ve actually put together quite a detailed communications plan for the network to support this.

One of the main channels is the internal intranet site where the Aspire network has its own area with lots of pages that tell employees all about the network, an introduction to the Steering Committee with photo’s so people know who’s involved and it brings it all alive. The network is coordinated by real employees, for employees.

We also issue email ‘News Flashes’ to our membership about anything and everything from events, news stories and anything else we think our members would be interested in. We keep a very detailed database of our membership, this is really important for effective communications.

‘Word of mouth’ can’t be underestimated and the more people are talking about the network, the better.

We have a dedicated ‘Aspire Magazine’ that is issued quarterly. The reaction to this has been fantastic and it allows us to bring the network alive and involve our members. This is produced internally by Aspire network members.

We’ve also dipped our toes in the water with ‘tweeting’. As fairly new users it’s opened lots of doors by being able to contact people for features for the magazine. A big coup for us was securing an interview with best selling British author Lindsey Kelk who is based in New York. It wouldn’t have happened without twitter. These connections help raise the profile of the network and are a draw to get more people reading the magazine.

You can follow us at @aspire_co_op

More about the Aspire Magazine

We keep this as diverse as possible with varied content.

Everything from competitions and Role Model features (internal and external) to features about employees and key dates on the calendar. Our Brazil World Cup feature went down a treat.

We use the magazine to tap into our Executive Role Models and this helps people see them as not just being a name on an intranet article. They are real people, have real private lives and valuable experiences to share. We balance the content with an insight into their career, their journey as well as snippets of their personal life and challenges. These go down fantastically well and we’ll be continuing with these features.

Visible senior support is really important and we’re really lucky to have lots of great support and buy in. Sam Walker, Chief HR Officer at The Co-operative is our biggest supporter. She’s fabulous.

Amanda Dillon Deputy Chair of the As pire Network & Diversity Ad viser The Co-operative Gr oup

Amanda’s Top Tips

Internal newsletters/ magazines // Keep the issues reg ular so your members remain engaged.

We aim to publish five issues every year. // Give your members the opportunity to contribu te. // Think of key themes for each issue to keep them int eresting and to support with ide as for different content. Keep it fresh. // Christmas = food an d it’s a key time to link in with ou r food business and feature int erviews with key people in tha t area as well as support with pro moting the Christmas food ran ge to our members.

/////////////// //// Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 16

“Don’t be scared to make changes and readdress things if you think you need to!”

How is the network coordinated?

Everyone involved in coordinating the network are employee volunteers who want to be there and believe in what the network is all about. They all have an input into the strategy and moving the network forward.

We utilise the key skills of our members, whether that is communications or people skills, as examples. We direct initiatives into the right people and this helps us get things done quicker and keeps momentum going.

We have learnt that the best approach is to simplify things and don’t make things too complicated. We give people the opportunity to dip their toes in to other things that they may not do in their day job. This is really important and gives people the opportunity to learn and develop themselves, and pop something new on to their CV. Don’t be scared to make changes and readdress things if you think you need to!

Giving back is important and we hold mentoring events for members of the Steering Group and we have some more focussed training planned too. Building their skills to progress in the network is a focus and people move on, and new opportunities arise. We want people to have the confidence to put themselves forward for the roles as they come up.

What types of events do you hold for your members?

Aspire events are firmly fixed in our calendar and over the last 18 months we’ve

been really fortunate to host a diverse range of events that have all been well received and well attended - many of them being oversubscribed.

These have ranged from learning at lunch sessions focussing on everything from networking skills to how to get the most out of LinkedIn to larger events like our annual International Women’s Day events, held in Manchester and London.

We have lots of exciting plans in place that have a real focus on connecting with other community focussed support groups.

After all, we are a community focussed organisation.

SHARON’s Top Tips

Events and Engagement

Sharon Pegg - @PeggS haron Chair of the Aspire ne twork & Diversity & Inclusion M anager The Co-operative Gr oup

Recent accolades bestowed on The Co-operative

// For learning events we keep the capacity of them to around twenty colleagues. Th is number is big enough to give yo u plenty of people to swap ide as, but not too big where people feel swamped. Everyone ha s an opportunity to have the ir voice heard. // Resources: You don’t have to spend lots of money.

Other than banners and other vis uals, we are very much reliant on pe ople giving us their generou s time.

Time is our biggest ass et. Look around and speak to oth er teams, you’ll be surprised wh at they’ll have stored away that you can make use of. Sharing is the way forward.

Let us inside your network Talk about your network with our readers.

Get in touch!

Email us at info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk or find us on Twitter @IncNetworks

/////////////////////////////////////

Macmillan Cancer Support, registered charity in England and Wales (261017), Scotland (SC039907) and the Isle of Man (604). Also operating in Northern Ireland.

Worried? Got questions?

Whatever’s on your mind, we’re here.

Call the Macmillan team free on 0808 808 0000 (Monday to Friday, 9am-8pm) or visit our website www.macmillan.org.uk

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 18

ing Networks do great things

Network Eye

what some f o p u d n u ro A K of the many U twork employee ne been groups have getting up to

June 16 The PwC Disability Network and GLEE@PwC hosted a very insightful mental wellbeing discussion with the fabulous Ruby Wax. Ruby shared her personal experiences of mental health and mindfulness. Also on the panel were representatives from mental health charity Mind and leading lesbian, gay & bisexual charity Stonewall. We’ve heard lots of very positive feedback about the event. @GLEEPwCUK | @RubyWax

///////////////////////////// July 1

The Home Office scoops top employee network group award

It was recently announced that The Home Office Black and Minority Ethnic (BME) employee Network Group ‘The Network’ were named Employee Network Group of the Year at the 2014 Employers Network For Equality & Inclusion awards.

The Home Office is the UK’s ministerial department which leads on immigration and passports,

drugs policy, crime policy and counter-terrorism and works to ensure visible, responsive and accountable policing in the UK. The Network (TN), launched 14 years ago, works with departmental stakeholders to deliver race equality for staff and also for the public through policies and services. They support BME staff to thrive and progress and ensure an inclusive culture. Big congrats on your win!

Find out more about the awards at www.enei.org.uk

July 9 The RBS Focused Women's Network hosted a ‘Focused Wellness’ session for their members. It was facilitated by leading wellness and nutrition expert Kate Cook. From what we’ve heard, it was a great event. We can’t wait to hear about more events from the network. @RBS_FW | @KateCookBiz

We’ve recently attended lots of great network group events. Watch out for our blogs at www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

Illustration commissioned by Inclusive Networks. By Jack Greaves

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Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

July 23 Barclays Spectrum network hosted not one but two events in collaboration with Allen & Overy.

Their Summer Parties in Newcastle and London were to support the fantastic LGBT charity The Albert Kennedy Trust. The events raised over £25,000 to support the charities important work. @barclayspectrum

July 24 Aspire, the women’s career network at The Co-operative published the Summer edition of their fab member magazine.

It even features an exclusive interview with best selling author Lindsey Kelk (pictured).

It’s a great read! @aspire_co_op

July 24 Derbyshire Police LGBT network celebrated their first year on Twitter.

A few days later they celebrated by showing their pride at Norwich Pride. What a way to celebrate! @DerbyshireGPA

July 30 The ASDA LGBT network proudly supported Northern Pride by taking part in the parade. The network were smiling with pride at Pride events all over the UK this Summer. They were proud sponsors of Student, London, Leeds and Cardiff Pride events.

Great work! @ASDALGBT

WE NEED YOU! Let’s celebrate together

Sharing and celebrating the fantastic work of networks Because we believe your fabulous work and commitment shouldn’t go unnoticed

August 2 Out At Tesco, the LGBTI network for the UK’s biggest retailer Tesco, proudly coordinated the rebranding of the famous logo above their stores in Brighton.

Why the rebrand you may ask? Well this was the day of one of the UK’s biggest LGBT Pride events, Brighton Pride. The chevrons proudly represented the colours of the pride flag (well almost, minus the yellow). Tesco are big supporters of Pride events and have been visible at events all over the UK this Summer. Well done team Out At Tesco! @OutAtTesco

August 9 The GLEE@PwC network, where everyone is welcome, took part in the Pride 10k run in Victoria Park, London. The dedicated team did an amazing job and raised an impressive £650 for the charity Diversity Role Models. The charity aims to help eliminate homophobic and transphobic bullying and raise the self esteem of young LGBT people by taking positive role models into schools. The network is doing great things all over the UK. @GLEEPwcUK | @Pride10K | @DiversityRM If you’d like to share the work of your network group with our readers, email us your details to info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk

We’d love to hear from networks of all diversity strands.

Let’s share your work far and wide!

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 20

/////////////// / / / / e Ghost: FEATURE

Give Up th

f o re t c e p S e h t g Exorcisin Section 28

n Cadbury School,

By Claire Stonadetemacahe r at Dame Elizabeth Claire is Deputy He , UK Bournville, Birmingham

Bravo, Ofsted. A big well done. A huge pat on the back and a round of applause.

Not often you’ll hear that from a deputy headteacher, or any teacher for that matter. But it was with jubilation that I welcomed Ofsted’s explicit new guidance last year on inspecting schools’ actions to tackle homophobic and transphobic bullying.

Sadly, some of our schools still live under the murky shadow of Section 28. There remains a latent fear and anxiety in some schools about talking about homophobia and transphobia. And it’s a stubborn ghost to exorcise. Back in those dark, fearful Section 28 days, even when I started teaching in 2000, overtly tackling homophobic or transphobic bullying in the way schools are beginning to now wouldn’t have happened. Section 28 of the Local Government Act 1988 prohibited local authorities from “promoting” homosexuality or gay “pretended family relationships”. It prevented councils spending money on educational materials, resources and projects perceived to promote a gay lifestyle. Essentially, as a newly qualified teacher with pupils who were gay, lesbian, bisexual, transgender, or thought they might be, or weren’t sure, or were curious, or who had parents, relatives or friends who were, it stopped me from doing my job properly.

It tried to stop me from caring.

I vividly remember the advice given to me as a wide-eyed NQT, should a pupil ask to

talk to me about thinking they were gay or coming out, I should say, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t talk to you about that.”

Heartbreaking. It tried to muffle the ears of teachers to the quiet cries of young LGBT people who were being stigmatised for being themselves.

“I vividly remember the advice given to me as a wide-eyed NQT, should a pupil ask to talk to me about thinking they were gay or coming out, I should say, “I’m really sorry, but I can’t talk to you about that.””

So a toast to you, Ofsted, for your leadership. Something else had to be done to give up the ghost we thought we’d cast out when Section 28 was finally repealed in 2003. Like many teachers over the last few years, I became aware of

the insidious use of the word ‘gay’ as a synonym for something rubbish or worthless. I heard it in classrooms, corridors, on the playground. It was bandied about with a thoughtless intensity.

Claire Stoneman

Email: c.stoneman@de

ctc.bham.sch.uk

I became more and more aware of young LGBT people who were silently enduring being bullied. Who would take the long journey home to avoid bumping into other pupils. Who wouldn’t put their hand up in class. Who would avoid areas of school in unstructured times. Who selfharmed. And I became more and more aware of a curriculum that didn’t have any LGBT role models, that didn’t reference, or only fleetingly referenced, esteemed gay writers, musicians, scientists, designers, artists, mathematicians or sportsmen and women. And, my top priority, for us to overtly and with absolute clarity say that homophobic and transphobic bullying and language is wrong. In my school, I knew something had to be done.

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Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

/ / / / / / / / / ///////// I had the complete backing of my headteacher. This is vital. To tackle homophobic bullying and language in a school it has to be led from the top. We began with some training sessions for staff on how to deal with homophobic language and behaviour, with practical hints and tips, and then a small group of staff wrote a ‘home-grown’ series of lessons for PSHE on LGBT role models, the history of the LGBT movement and exploring perceptions of LGBT people in the media. We taught this in our vertical (mixed age) form tutor groups over a six week period, so all pupils from years 7-11 were involved. It was highly successful and teachers reported a reduction in the use of the word ‘gay’ as a synonym for worthless, and our teachers felt empowered to deal with such language if and when it arose in school.

That wasn’t all. To our surprise we were approached by the Crown Prosecution Service and Stonewall to collaborate to create a teacher resource pack for schools on tackling LGBT hate crime. The resource can be downloaded, free, here: www.cps.gov.uk/northwest/ get_involved/hate_crime/ schools_project___lgbt_hate_crime/

Our pupils clamoured to be involved, and over 20 were actors in the DVD that was filmed as part of the project, with excerpts of staged examples of homophobic and transphobic bullying for schools to analyse. Never have I been more proud than of our pupils who were part of this project, addressing homophobic and transphobic bullying and standing up for what is right. We ran further training

So let’s continue to shine a blazing, hopeful light on homophobic and transphobic bullying and give up the Section 28 ghost once and for all.

“To tackle homophobic bullying and language in a school it has to be led from the top.”

Useful links

Thank goodness for that illuminating light that shines and dispels the clouds of Section 28. Max has since talked about his experiences to teachers from other schools at an anti-homophobic conference hosted at Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School with the inspirational deputy headteacher Shaun Dellenty of Alfred Salter School, London and Inclusion For All. Max has also joined me to talk to 150 trainee teachers at Teach First’s West Midlands Summer Institute in July.

What triumph over adversity.

We aren’t complacent. We know more can be done. We want to ensure our school is a happy and safe place for all, and that everyone in our school family feels valued and supported to be themselves.

sessions for our supportive, caring, committed staff. We piloted all the resources in PSHE in form time again to great success, kicking off the project with a fantastic performance of ‘Straight Talking’ written and performed by Birmingham-based Round Midnight Theatre Company, a play about two best friends, one who comes out to the other.

The anti-homophobic and transphobic bullying lessons were very well-received by our pupils and staff. One of the most beautiful and poignant outcomes to the project was this piece of writing, written by a year 11 pupil, Max Wilkins, called ‘The Truth’. You can read this in full on the next page.

We are all human

A school where there is strong visible messages that homophobia and transphobia has no place in the classroom.

Dame Elizabeth Cadbury School www.dectc.bham.sch.uk Inclusion For All www.shaundellenty.com LGBT Hate Crime Resource/ Crown Prosecution Service www.cps.gov.uk/northwest/ get_involved/hate_crime/ schools_project___lgbt_hate_crime/ Stonewall www.stonewall.org.uk Ofsted www.ofsted.gov.uk Round Midnight Theatre Company www.roundmidnight.org.uk

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @OUTintheUK | 22

/////////////// / / / / The Truth FEATURE

By

Max Wilkins, Da Bournville, Birmingham me Elizabeth Cadbury School, , UK

Always hiding yourself, checking everywhere you go that you’re not to be yourself, because this is wrong. You live only to be ‘normal’ to fit in with what society says, to obey and to follow out the orders set to you by people who have more social authority than you. We are never to be different, only to fit in with everyone else. The truth is wrong, and lies are right. Lies are the truth.

exact routine every day. My room was my trench, my cover from all the bullets, my protection. No one would ever see me there; loneliness was temporary as my tears were my company. It was my time to become myself, and this is me now, a boy hidden in his room, hidden from society and protected by his trench.

I thought to myself, who was there for me, who was like this... nobody. I was alone in this big, big world, and no one will ever see me for myself.

He looked at me in absolute disgust, like he’d just seen me do something psychotic. It was only a little glance at him, nothing outrageous but that's all it took, a little eye contact, a blush, a smile. My happiness was my enemy; I couldn’t be happy without intense guilt saturating my thoughts, turning that one, one capsule of happiness into an immense feeling of repulsiveness. One thing I knew, and that was that I was different, and that was wrong.

I just looked at the floor, the one place I could look without being judged, without people seeing me. He ABOVE: Max standing proud with his friend. threateningly began to amble towards me, looking me up and down, judging BELOW: The boy did good. Max’s certificate for his me, my eyes still looking at the ground, fabulous contribution. not risking the confrontation with him, not again. A wave of fear enveloped my body, like a sinister tsunami of desperation drowned my heart in fear. I felt isolated. As I turned to walk away a breathtaking blow hit me. I fell to my knees; I just laid there for a minute or so, watching his footsteps get increasingly distant from me. Even when he was out of sight I just stayed there, for some reason I Seeing couples felt safe there. Nothing to hurt me on the street, anymore, all the pain had passed. But hand in hand, chest then I got up again, and the emotional to chest, lips to lips. I would never feel anguish was just as severe as the physical this; I couldn’t possibly find that person, agony. I wasn’t my self; I didn’t even know for there was no one like me. No one was who I was, I’d been different for so long, I like that. forgot what it is like to be me.

Thoughts forever reoccurring in my head.

One step into my house, turn right, up the Thoughts that would never be answered, stairs and straight into my room, the same never be thought about by any other

person, only me. ”Why me?! Why am I different, why does it have to be me?!

Why only me?! Why? Why? Why? Somebody just answer me! Please.” the unanswered questions, the never ending questioning. The eternal question that will never be answered.

Why? Another day. Another struggle. Another judgement. Walking into that...prison, with the other inmates looking at me, like I was a paper bag. Just rubbish passing by, and that's how I felt.

Then it happened. An accidental glance at another boy, but this time with a kind look back, not a smirk or a sinister look, just another kind smile back. That one moment of equality, that's all I needed. A wave of acceptance surged throughout my body. It was bright, my life was bright.

I began to speak to this boy, he was like me, he once thought he was alone all his life but now he knows…now we know that we’re just as much of a person as anyone else. My tears were no longer my company; I got introduced into a group of people who made me feel like my differences were my most treasured qualities. I was my own person, living my own life with my own friends.

That place he once called a prison was now a welcoming place, where it didn’t matter if I was judged because I liked myself, my friends liked me and that is all that mattered and all that ever mattered and that is how I lived my life from that point onwards. I showed my true colours, the colours of the rainbow, and I shone like never before, and will shine forever, shine on the shadows, shine on the puddles, shine on the clouds and shine with the sun.

I shine.

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////

It’s a kinda magic Jasz Vegas has an impressive skill set and has brought together burlesque and daring magic. She is original, extremely dangerous and totally breathtaking. This stylish entertainer stars in the hottest new magic show to hit the UK mainstream: Killer Magic.

Jasz Vegas performs a style of magic that is unlike any other performer on the scene. She combines it with her dazzling burlesque skills, has edge and brings a truly contemporary feel to the magic and burlesque scene. Her magic can almost be a freak show and she goes further than any female magician has before.

In Killer Magic, Vegas competes against four other of the top magicians in the country to create the most incredible magic and avoid having to perform a ‘Killer Trick,’ an illusion or stunt that has killed or seriously hurt magicians in the past.

COVER STAR FEATURE : JASZ VEGAS (TV | MAGIC | BURLESQUE)

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 24

By Thomas Anderson

INTERVIEW

In this innovative and exciting new show Vegas shares airtime with four other male magicians, her charm and sometimes freaky tricks make her stand out from the crowd. Does she perform killer tricks, stunts that many have sadly lost their lives doing? All will be revealed when Jasz lights up our screens when Killer Magic airs on BBC3 in the Autumn.

As a child, what job did you want to be doing when you grew up?

I originally wanted to be a surgeon when I was a kid. I always did intricate things with my hands. When I was 12 I started doing magic shows for my family. As I got older I realised I could make a full time career out of magic.

Did you have any role models growing up?

I did. The two David’s. David Copperfield and David Blaine. They changed the face of magic and I found them both to be very inspiring.

How did you get into the industry of magic and burlesque?

It was when I was at University doing my degree. I was doing photography and doing burlesque, fire and freak show performances alongside this. I really enjoyed performing so I followed my heart.

Have you experienced any challenges in your career?

You get challenges in all careers and I’ve faced some small hurdles. If a career is too easy, it’s not worth doing.

“Be true to you.

Don’t do anything that isn’t true to you.”

What do you enjoy most about your job?

I love entertaining people and seeing their reaction.

Seeing people smile. A comment that really stands out is when after me performing, someone came up to me and said ‘It feels like I believe in Father Christmas again’.

Comments that like that really make it all worthwhile. I have a great career and I enjoy it all. I love it.

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Do you have a career highlight?

//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

KILLER MAGIC airs on BBC3 in the Autumn | @JASZVEGAS | WWW.JASZVEGAS.CO.UK

Being a part of the new BBC3 TV show ‘Killer Magic’ is really the cherry on top of everything. It’s so exciting and I can’t wait to share it with everyone.

And you’re the only female on the show too

I am. That’s fine. I never see it as girls and guys. It doesn’t make a difference in magic. It’s all about the skills of the person. We have great chemistry and we’re great friends.

What’s been the best piece of advice you’ve been given?

Be yourself. Everyone famous who makes it does so because they’ve been themselves. There’s something specific and unique to them. Be true to you. Don’t do anything that isn’t true to you!

Do you have the support of your family?

They’ve always been so supportive. My mom and dad are great. I love them and I couldn’t do without them.

What’s a typical day like for you?

I’m a night owl so my day starts a little later. I usually get up at around 10 and then get ready for the day. I’ll start with practicing some magic, learning new tricks and writing some new routines.

I make my own burlesque costumes so I may do a bit of that, or I’ll work with a designer if it involves tailoring or I need some extra expertise.

As we go in to the evening I’ll usually do a corporate party or gig, it may be a stage show or doing my magic in hand at tables. I’ll then head out for some cocktails and sushi with friends. I love Cosmopolitans so I’ll probably have a few of those.

With a gaze that could shatter The Shard, Jasz Vegas is a showgirl extraordinaire with a magic touch.

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | 26

Tips

TWITTER

TWITTER

Network

Twitter is an online social networking service that enables users to send and read short 140 character text messages called ‘tweets’. It’s quickly established itself as an effective platform for Network Groups to engage with their members and connect with other networks, people and organisations of interest.

We know from speaking to many employee Network Groups and from our own experience, that getting sign off from your organisation to launch a Twitter account is often difficult and is seen as quite high risk. The powers that be get nervous as posts are there for millions to see instantly and getting the correct message over in 140 characters is a bit of a skill and takes some practice. A missing word can make a huge difference to what you actually wanted to communicate.

To help in some small way we’ve brought together some top tips that may help you get buy in and also help engage with fellow tweeters once you’re up and ready to tweet.

Your organisation needs to understand who you are and why you want to launch a Twitter account Arrange a meeting with your communications and/or marketing team (whoever manages your organisations social media) and let them know more about your network and how having a Twitter account would be of value to your network and the organisation as a whole. Get the support of your Senior Sponsor/Champion and use other networks as a benchmark. Don’t get carried away, ensure you get the relevant sign off!

Get buy in from your organisations communication’s team Don’t go stepping on anyones toes. Do you have any members of your network who work in your communications team or tweet as part of their day job role? This could make business buy in easier and reduce any feelings of nervousness. It may be worth suggesting a period of getting your proposed tweets signed off each week at the beginning and then as the weeks go on without any issues, more freedom will likely follow.

Take things one step at a time.

“You want to get as many people as possible following you and engaging with you on Twitter.

Add the buzz factor!”

Keep your tweets ‘on brand’ and choose a Twitter account name that is consistent with those of your organisation It is very easy to offer your own personal opinions and to tweet things you’re interested in, but aren’t aligned with your organisations ‘brand’ and ‘tone’ and don’t engage with your diverse membership. Keep to your organisations brand guide if you’re tweeting visuals, especially if it involves the corporate logo. Your tweets are a reflection on the wider organisation.

Keep your account name short and as simple as possible, keeping as closely in line with the format of the other Twitter handles your organisation already has.

When you’ve set up your account choose a header visual and thumbnail logo that represents your network and is aligned with your organisations branding and that of your network.

Take time deciding these. It’s really easy for your account to look unprofessional. The right branding will have a positive impact.

When your account is set up, add the Twitter handle to all of your network communications, intranet page and website if you have one. You want to get as many people as possible following you and engaging with you on Twitter. Add the buzz factor!

UK he nt Ti U O @ & ks or w et cN In @ at Follow us

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Tweeting 9 to 5 won’t really do the job unfortunately - your members will probably be at work too and will miss your tweets.

Lots of activity is on evenings and weekends so if you really want to reach people and at the peak traffic times you’ll need to think about this. A few tweets a week will quickly disengage people and too much of the same thing will too. Keep them fresh with a good mix of ‘RT’s’ that are relevant.

Keep the amount of people who can access and tweet from the account to a limit of two or three people This will ensure your tweets are controlled, of a consistent style and there is clear accountability for what you are posting. Too many people posting could result in things getting a bit disjointed and messy. Make sure you all speak to each other and keep each other updated on what you plan to be tweeting. This will avoid duplication and ensure tweets are regular.

If your network covers a large geographic area, ensure you tweet things relevant to places outside of where you are based too. This will help with regional engagement.

Avoid only one person having access where you can as when someone is on holiday or not available to tweet you don’t want the tweets to suddenly stop. This will be disengaging to your followers. What would happen if that person left your organisation?

It’s a conversation not just another platform for PR It’s great to share successes, and rightly so, but don’t be seen to just be using twitter to sell your organisations products or shout about how great you are. It’s a bit of a balancing act.

It’s positive to tweet about charity events and other things that you think your followers will find interesting. Don’t be afraid to add some personality to your tweets and join in the many twitter events that take place such as #LGBTQHour, #FF (Follow Friday) and more regional focussed Twitter events.

GET CONNECTED:

Keep your posts regular and interesting

Some of the Network Groups on Twitter

Network TIPS continued ASDA LGBT Network RBS Focused Women’s Network

@ASDALGBT 3,173 Followers

@RBS_FW 1,581 Followers

University Of Manchester Disability Network @UoMDSN

BBC Pride LGBT Network

579 Followers

@BBCPride 1,428 Followers

Lloyds Rainbow LGBT Network @Rainbow_Network 382 Followers

EY Women Athletes Business Network @EYWomenAthletes 557 Followers

Women of Faith Networking

BBC Asian Network @BBCAsianNetwork 45,400 Followers

@WoFNetworking 826 Followers

Out In The UK @OUTintheUK 5,500 Followers

Follower figures correct as of 19th October 2014

SOCIAL MEDIA EXPLAINED THE DONUT EDITION TWITTER: I’m eating a donut FACEBOOK: I like donuts YOUTUBE: Here’s a video of me eating a donut INSTAGRAM: Here’s a vintage photo of my donut PINTEREST: Here’s a pretty donut recipe LINKEDIN: My skills include donut eating SPOTIFY: Now listening to donuts GOOGLE+: I’m a google employee who eats donuts

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 28

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW : ANDY BELL (ERASURE) | @AndyBell_Info | www.andybell.com

A LOT OF RESPECT FOR

ANDY BELL

As one half of the iconic British duo Erasure, Andy Bell has scored over 30 UK Top40 hits and 5 No1 albums.

He released his new solo album ‘Torsten The Bareback Saint’ in June and the new Erasure album ‘The Violet Flame’ was released in September, to critical acclaim.

Network Buzz contributors Rainbow Biz recently caught up with Andy to talk all things music.

Interview by Rainbow Biz | @RainbowBizUK

Artistically, you’ve taken yourself out of your comfort zone with the new Erasure album ‘The Violet Flame’ and it feels like a fresh sound for you It’s quite tricky because we’re seen as being a kind of 80s and early 90s band, and now because there are 80s radio stations, and I’m sure 90s radio stations, you kind of get stuck in a time loop.

Because we only had a few singles in the 80s, like ‘Sometimes’ and ‘A Little Respect’, the stations tend to play those two or three songs. I think well, our catalogue is huge so it’s very hard to get yourself played on the new stations because they have so many young artists and to try to and compete with your Rihanna and Beyonce’s is almost impossible.

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voice still in shape, I mean I can’t go as high as I used to go, but I think your range gets deeper and gets more rich (with age). I think definitely when I did the Opera TV show that really really helped because it made you realise how they sing and it’s totally different to pop singers you know, and you have to dig really deep and you kind of use your face, almost in a wolf type fashion. It sounds funny I know but you feel like your face is like a wolves.

“It’s a bit like being Frank Sinatra having to sing ‘New York New York’ after all those years.”

With ‘A Little Respect’ I feel so lucky, so fortunate, that we’ve had a song that pays our bread and butter. It’s a great song. It’s a bit like being Frank Sinatra having to sing ‘New York New York’ after all those years. I’m 50 and I’m hoping to sing until I’m 80 so I have another 30 years of doing that song.

Have you found it easy to grow, and move away from the Erasure sound of your previous hit releases?

I’ve been very very lucky, and I know I keep saying that, but you know I’ve smoked and all sorts so I think to have my

But also, as I’ve been rehearsing ‘Torsten’ now, I find what the opera taught me is you take little sharp intakes of breath when you can and kind of keep your reserve topped up all the time. It’s really weird, when you listen to old tracks of yourself, it’s like looking at old photographs of yourself and you think to yourself, ‘oh look how naive I sound’, because I was a boy singing and now I’m a man. You could dispute that. Hopefully your life experiences come into the quality of your voice and there’s still so many things I’d like to do. I’d love to do some kind of 1940s style torch songs and things because when I hear some of those

other people doing the big bands kind of things, I just think ‘that’s terrible and I could do it much better than that’. It’s my ego you know.

Who are your current musical influences?

I don’t really know. I don’t have lots of influences really. As far as singing goes I think maybe Alfie Boe or Mario Lanza who’s like a really old fashioned popular opera guy. I like old soul singers like Luther Vandross and Smokey Robinson. I love Aretha Franklin and Anita Baker, those kind of acts. And Alison Moyet of course.

So do you have Alison Moyet cd’s in your car?

Not totally up to the current ones I haven’t. I remember before I met Vince I was a huge The Communards fan and a huge Yazoo fan and then Vince broke up with Yazoo. I bought Alison’s first album that was called ‘Alf’ and I used to play it non stop, back to back and I’d rehearse along to it. Then my flat mate, we lived in a gay house share then in London, used to say ‘Next year that’s gonna be you’ and I was like, ‘How, what do you mean by that?’. I then answered this ad and it was for Vince Clarke and I was like ‘Oh my god’, this feels like really spooky’..............

Erasure’s new Top20 album The Violet Flame is out now

DONATE AND LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW AT: www.justgiving.com/Rainbow-Biz/

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Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | 30

: K R O W T E N R U O k r o tw e N T B G L e c li o P e Leicestershir Leicestershire Police is the top ranking gay-friendly police force in England in Stonewall’s Workplace Equality Index. Sergeant Laura Millward speaks to Network Buzz about her role as Chair of their lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) Network Group

Laura, 34, took up the reigns of the LGBT Network in 2012. Originally established in the early 90s, the network has increased its membership under Laura’s drive, and actively engages with internal members, and works with many local and national organisations.

Straight Allies Shortly after taking on the role as Chair, Laura established the Straight Allies Programme — an initiative where a heterosexual person pledges their support for full equality for lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender people. “Having Straight Allies has raised debate. I have found that sometimes some LGBT people feel that they have got to where they are without the support of others who are not gay and they don’t feel the scheme is needed. I have been contacted by more people who see it as positive though, saying that they feel able

to be open about themselves because of the initiative. It is important to remember that we wouldn’t be where we are now without allies,” she says. “I speak strongly about gay rights but I have a lot to gain from this happening, having a straight person speaking up for our rights can have a greater impact as they wouldn’t personally gain anything. What I love is that it gets people talking whether for or against so in turn raises awareness.”

closely with the Leicestershire LGBT Centre.

She says, “I have visited the youth group to try and break down barriers that LGBT people may have in talking to the police. I also attend community safety meetings, discuss hate crime and how to report it.”

The LGBT Centre also supports the police to train mentors and has given advice on HR policy and they recently invited Laura to join their Board.

Mentoring

“It is important to remember that we wouldn’t be where we are now without allies”

Laura has also introduced an LGBT specific mentoring scheme. She says, “We have a team of five trained LGBT mentors who are lesbian, gay, or bisexual. They mentor police officers and staff who are considering whether to come out. They also offer reverse mentoring for managers who have been able to learn from the experiences of the mentors and ask questions to gain the perspective of an openly gay or bisexual officer in what it’s like to work in the organisation from their perspective.”

Building relationships In her day job as City Centre Safer Neighbourhood Sergeant Laura works

31 | Network

Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

POLICING WITH PRIDE : @LGBTPoliceLeic Senior support As Chair, Laura receives a lot of support from her Inspector and senior officers, particularly Assistant Chief Constable Phil Kay who is the Chief Officer team’s lead around LGBT. Laura adds, “Mr Kay is a Straight Ally and very much believes that people work better in the organisation when they can be themselves. I also work with our Equality Unit.”

Visible support for equality “We fly the Pride flag at our headquarters for LGBT History Month, International Day Against Homophobia and Pride. In 2013 Leicestershire Police took part in the Pride Festival for the first time. Straight Allies and members of the LGBT Network marched together, wearing Policing with Pride Tshirts. We had a stall with information on

hate crime, and uniformed Special Constables talked to people about joining the police. We did the same again this year and will do again in future years.” she says.

As well as posters and leaflets, the network utilises the force intranet site and Twitter (@LGBTPoliceLeic) to engage with people in and outside of the organisation. We’ve come so far.

Laura believes that the culture within the Police has changed and is continuing to change for the better. She says, “Since I joined Leicestershire Police in 2008, people seem to be much more open about having conversations about their lives outside of work. We now see more diversity in high ranking positions. There are Role Models now that there wasn’t previously. There is still work to be done but it’s looking up and

LAURA’S TOP TIPS

1 Getting support from management is important because you need time to do the work. There are ways to sell it to management, and plenty of resources that can be used. For example Stonewall have resources that can be used. Find out more about Stonewall and their work at www.stonewall.org.uk

it’s easier to do that work with the support I receive.”

“having a straight person speaking up for our rights can have a greater impact“

2 It is also great to cite the work of other networks outside of policing. Research online, there are many examples of great work out there.

3 Don’t let the critics get you down. By criticising you for what you are doing, they actually notice that you are doing

something. That can only be a good thing.

4 Use the resources that you have. Look at the skills of people you work with, people who can help with PR etc.

Working together involves and opens others up to the work that you are doing and makes things that bit easier.

/////////////////////////////////////////////////

As part of a bid to tackle hate crime reporting, Greater Manchester Police have unveiled a new rainbow-themed patrol car. And a Network Group played a big part in making it happen!

The bold Pride flag themed car drove in the Manchester Pride parade at the end of August and was also on display at Oldham Pride, getting lots of attention.

Labour Police and Crime Commissioner Tony Lloyd said: “I am very proud that Greater Manchester Police takes such a visible role at Manchester Pride. It

sends an important message to Greater Manchester and the world that the service is committed to equality and supports the rights of lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people.”

The car was commissioned by the employee LGBT network for the service, the Pride Network. What a fantastic achievement for the network. Bravo!

Follow the Greater Manchester Police employee LGBT network on Twitter @GMPPrideNetwork

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 32

INTERVIEW : TANYA FRANKS

(TV : EASTENDERS, PULLING & BROADCHURCH)

Tanya Franks is a regular face on our TV screens, from the BAFTA winning drama Broadchurch to hit soap Eastenders.

Tanya is often cast as characters that behave badly, but luckily she’s not typecast and recently starred as the refined Sybil Burton in Lifetime’s biopic Liz & Dick.

Interview by Thomas Anderson

Did you always know what you wanted to do for a career when you were growing up?

I knew from being a child what I wanted to do and I’ve ended up doing my dream job. I followed a pathway and at the age of 12 or 13 I went to amateur theatre school and then when I turned 16 I went off to drama school. When I came out of drama school I then produced shows on the fringe to get my career going.

I then went on to do theatre and TV work.

Did you have any role models growing up?

Yes. I was, and am, a massive Peter Sellers fan. I became quite obsessed with him. He was a big influence on me during my teenage years. I loved the diversity of his characters.

My secondary school drama teacher, Jane Widmer, really inspired me too.

I’d love to track her down and say thank you. She gave me lots of attention in my early years.

Was your move in to TV an easy one?

It took a long time. I wasn’t always that interested in working on TV. I did theatre for fourteen years. That view changed though and remember saying to my agent that I wanted to get into TV and their response being ‘You and everyone else’. That wasn’t a good enough answer for me and was my driver to making sure I landed a TV role.

I then got the role in Channel5 show ‘Family Affairs’ and spent three years doing that. I played a fab character and I learnt a lot. It was very fast paced, five shows a week. A real baptism of fire. And back then half the country couldn’t get a Channel5 signal so I wasn’t too high profile. I was cutting my teeth. I’ve never looked back.

Has your career been all plain sailing?

Not at all. In my tenth year of acting I actually had no work. I always

managed to get down to the final two or three actors for a role.

I had lots of times when I said to myself, ‘If I’m gonna give up, now is the time.’ It was definitely a blip and probably my biggest challenge in my career.

“It’s a numbers game. The more jobs you go for, the more chance you’ll get something.”

Saying that, I always believed I’d be ok. I was getting so close to getting the roles and had a high hit rate, I just wasn’t getting to the next stage for the job. I persevered. My agent said to me, ‘It’s a numbers game. The more jobs you go for, the more chance you’ll get something.’ I had to be patient.

33 | Network

Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

WWW.TANYAFRANKS.COM | @THATTANYAFRANKS

Do you relate to Tanya’s Eastenders character Rainie Cross?

If you have a problem with drugs or alcohol, Addaction is here for you.

Across the UK, they help thousands of people to overcome their problems with drugs and alcohol - supporting them to go on and lead fulfilling and healthy lives, free of dependency and other issues. www.addaction.org.uk @AddactionUK

What do you enjoy most about being an actress?

I love the diversity of the job. The diversity of the characters I play.

They’re all so different to me. I love the stretch and I’m always learning new things about humanity through the characters.

In EastEnders your character is the drug addicted Rainie Cross.

How did you prepare for the role?

I did so much research. The drugs scene is not something I have ever been a part of. It was really important for me to understand the effects and the stages an addict goes through.

Eastenders were great and they helped me. I had an ex addict on the set who guided me and helped me understand and portray the physical and mental challenges of drug addiction. My character has moved on from heroin to crack addiction over the years. I have put in a lot of

time to really understand the effect this has on people. The organisation DrugScope really helped me too. I also did a lot of reference reading and I watched as much footage and spoke to as many people as I could.

I can’t say whether there is enough support for drug addicts out there. It is very easy to judge people who are in that environment. I would like to think people try to understand each individuals circumstances before making sweeping judgements.

Whatever the reasons someone got into drugs, it doesn’t really matter.

What’s important is realising that most addicts want to make their life better without drugs. They need help and for society not to judge them. No one is perfect and we all make choices that perhaps aren’t the best ones in life. Playing the character Rainie Cross has really made me understand this more.

What’s the best piece of advice someone has given you?

It was given to me by the actress Glenda Jackson. I was fifteen years old and she was the patron of the drama school I attended. I managed to speak to her and she said to me, ‘Be prepared. You’ll spend 80% of your career unemployed, no matter what level you’re at.’

I immediately thought to myself, ‘Yep. OK. I’ll do everything I can to avoid that.’ It made me a harder worker and was a driver to me having my own projects to work on if I wasn’t acting.

I’d always keep myself in work, even if it was from an external source. That piece of advice goes down as the most productive I have received.

Eastenders : Check the TV listing for up to date transmission info

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 34

BBC launches leadership schemes to boost diversity In a move that’s aimed at helping the corporation to become more

Purnell, director of strategy and digital.”

“The programme is open to people from both outside and inside the BBC, with successful applicants starting in January 2015.

The aim is to encourage those selected to consider and apply for careers as senior leaders in the broadcast industry.

“I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men” - Emma Watson It was announced earlier this year that actress Emma Watson (Harry Potter & The Bling Ring) had become a U.N. Women Goodwill Ambassador.

to be Lord Hall [middle] wants the BBC ple peo the "first choice" for talented

representative of its audiences, two BBC schemes to boost black, Asian and minority ethnic (BAME) communities in broadcasting have recently been launched.

Hailing the launch as an “important step”, BBC Head Lord Hall is looking for six candidates in comedy, drama, factual, daytime and children's programming to work alongside him and his leadership team.

He went on to say, “I want the BBC to be the first choice for talented people, whatever their background," "The launch of these two leadership programmes is an important step towards a more open broadcast industry. We're working with some very exciting partners on this - and I'm convinced that together we'll make a tangible difference."

The successful candidates for the senior leadership scheme will be given 12 months of training alongside one of the BBC's board members, including director general Lord Hall and James

BBC One Controller Charlotte Moore said of the assistant commissioner scheme that it was "crucial for the BBC and other broadcasters to broaden the range of voices and backgrounds at commissioning level."

The BBC is putting £2.1m into a fund intended to help BAME talent, on and off screen, to develop new programmes.

BBC targets call for around one in six people (15%) on-air to be from BAME backgrounds within three years - an increase of nearly 5%.

The 15% target would be across all BBC television output including news, drama, comedy and documentaries.

The BBC is bringing together a group of experts, including Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, actor and comedian Lenny Henry, Asian Network presenter Nihal and Lady Floella Benjamin to form an Independent Diversity Action Group, chaired by Lord Hall.

Is this enoug

h?

At the end of September she gave an impassioned speech on feminism and gender at the U.N. headquarters in New York to launch the ‘HeForShe’ campaign. The video of her speech quickly made headlines all over the world.

The campaign aims to galvanise one billion men and boys as advocates for ending the inequalities that women and girls face globally. Her speech met with a huge thunderous standing ovation. It not only called for action from male allies, but clarified a persistent misconception about feminism in general. She said; “I decided I was a feminist and this seemed uncomplicated to me. But my recent research has shown me that feminism has become an unpopular word. Apparently I am among the ranks of women whose expressions are seen as too strong, too aggressive, isolating, anti-men and, unattractive.

Why is the word such an uncomfortable one? I am from Britain and think it is right that as a woman I am paid the same as my male counterparts. I think it is right that I should be able to make decisions about my own body. I think it is right that women be involved on my behalf in the policies and decision-making of my country. I think it is right that socially I am afforded the same respect as men.

But sadly I can say that there is no one country in the world where all women can expect to receive these rights.”

An inspiring role model More at www.heforshe.org

Hear my voice

People with a learning disability and their families, families like ours, face many challenges in life. There are 1.4 million people with a learning disability in the UK and many more who love and support them. This means millions of people who want to see change.

In May 2015 we will elect the people who will run the country for the next 5 years.

Together we must tell our future leaders what needs to change.

Our voice counts. Yours does too.

Have your say and join the Hear my voice campaign.

www.mencap.org.uk/hearmyvoice #HearMyVoice 020 7696 5583 | hearmyvoice@mencap.org.uk

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | 36

3SOME

The lack of opportunities for women led Lisa Gifford to create her own award winning web-series With women representing only 11.4% of the UK’s TV and Film directors and only 16.1% of the UK’s TV and Film writers in 2012, it is clear that attitudes within the media industry are preventing women from reaching their full potential.

Owing to this lack of opportunity, female writers and directors are turning to new media, and to new countries, to get their work seen.

Writer and director Lisa Gifford did just that, and now her web-series, 3some, has been honoured worldwide with an abundance of awards and accolades.

3some has no less than 16 combined international awards and nominations. These include ‘Best writing in a Drama’ and ‘Best lead actor’ at the Indie Series Awards in Hollywood, ‘Best actor’ at the Snobby Robot Web Series Awards, ‘Indie series of the week’, ‘Best Actor’, ‘Best Actress’ and ‘Best couple of the week’ at the We Love Soaps, ‘Indie series poll of the week’ and ‘Outstanding lead actress’ at LA Web Fest.

Interview by Thomas Anderson

37 |

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

EXCLUSIVE INTERVIEW : LISA GIFFORD Where did the idea for 3Some come from?

I had the idea for a while. I’d wanted to do something with a couple and a gay guy. Where at the time the gay guy was not quite sure of their sexuality and was actively hiding it, getting with a woman and ‘becoming straight’. It’s a story I wanted to tell.

It’s kind of based on real life too. I wanted to bring the characters together.

I went to see the Mike Leigh play ‘Ecstasy’ in 2011 and after watching that it triggered off what I needed to do. I then wrote a stage play.....the characters are out drinking.....a three some happens.....and then the implications following this and everything explodes.

How did the web-series come about?

The stage play ends on a bit of a cliffhanger. I then began to receive lots of emails from people asking ‘What happens next?’. That’s what triggered the web-series.

How did the series end up on the web and not on TV?

It’s hard work to get something on TV. The commissioning process is very difficult. A lot of people in power are white, middle class males who have a real dominance in the industry. It’s really tough for females to get their voice heard. I was in my 30s when I came into the industry so I think there are added obstacles, like ageism. I think it’s similar for people who are disabled or of a different race.

In the industry, everyone looks the same. You go to industry festivals and you look around the room, it’s all middle aged white men.

It can also take between 5 and 10 years for a show to get picked up for TV so the web was a great platform for the series. It was a real calling card for all involved. We had a story and we were able to tell it. I also run my own production company so by self funding the project I could call on the skills of lots of very generous people, many who supported the project for nothing. Lots of fire went in to it. I’m really lucky to have had

(ACTRESS, WRITER, DIRECTOR)

this support and we all do favours for each other.

The web gives you more freedom and you can portray your own voice - this is more complicated when you have investors.

“A lot of people in power are white, middle class males who have a real NETWORK BUZZ REVIEW dominance in the industry” In preparation for our interview with the creator What about challenges?

Working with a very small budget, in the writing process you’re always thinking of what the scene will be like to film and how it can be done for the cheapest possible or for no cost at all.

If you have a scene in mind and it involves a character running along a railway platform, the reality is it’ll cost you about £500 for two hours filming and then you have the logistics of getting everyone there, makeup, sound crew.....you think, ‘Does it really need to be there?’ And then you think, it would probably work just as well at a bus stop, without the fees.

Lisa picking up the Best Writing award at the 5th Annual Indie Series Awards

of award winning web-series ‘3Some’, Lisa Gifford, I thought I should really watch the series. Well speaking to her about something that means so much to her without actually watching it wouldn’t be quite right would it?

So the evening before the interview I settled in front of my laptop with a can of Pimms & lemonade, not quite knowing what to expect.

Well with a title like ‘3Some’ I was braced for something a bit naughty.

What I found was really enlightening. I’d never watched a web-series before. I wasn’t expecting it to be that great if I’m honest. I had a feeling that if it’s only being shown online then the quality of the acting and production values wouldn’t be a high as those of shows shown on the small screen.

How wrong was I. I can honestly say that I haven’t enjoyed a show so much in some time. The quality of the acting, writing, filming and everything that goes on behind the scenes to make the magic happen is on a par with many of the prime time shows that grace our TV screens.

Each episode in the six episode series is short and snappy at around 7 minutes long and you really are left asking for more when it ends. A quick click on the ‘next episode’ button and we’re off again. I was glued.

It’s left me wanting more.....to be continued.

4/5 - BY THOMAS ANDERSON

We’re on the lookout for feature writers and magazine contributors. If you’d like to write for us, drop us an email at info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 38 WATCH THE SERIES AT: threesomeplay.moonfruit.com | @LisaGifford | @Watch3Some

“The film and TV industry is not 9-5 and it is very difficult to balance this with having a family. It’s difficult, but not impossible.”

Why do you think women are so poorly represented in the industry?

I think it could be a historical thing. In the 60s and 70s there were less women going to film school. That’s where networks are built and you find people work with the same people again and again.

I think there is also a lot of sexism in the industry. I know a Casting Director who has said they won’t work with women. There’s some of that around.

It’s difficult for women to push forward and helm those big Hollywood movies and be a part of it all.

What’s the answer to changing this?

Positive discrimination maybe. When women make up over half the population but less than 10% of Directors are women, something needs to change. The same applies to disabled people and those from ethnic backgrounds. It’s across the board, not just with women.

I believe there is a problem with class too. It’s a UK thing. It’s all very financially orientated. Those aspiring film makers, directors, writers.....from a working class background can’t be

supported by mum and dad. I think we’re finding more people in their 30’s just starting to attend film or drama school as they can now afford to take a career break. They’ve built a career in another field and can financially support their studies. This could be a part of the problem too.

And children. When do women stop to have children? There are lots of choices to be made.

Childcare still traditionally falls to women. The film and TV industry is not 9-5 and it is very difficult to balance this with having a family. It’s difficult, but not impossible. It’s hard to have it all, and if your partner is more flexible, that makes it easier. It’s more common l-r: Euan King (Rob), Lisa Gifford (Jenny) & Peter Halpin (Paul)

for men to go to work. Feminism, we all make those choices in life.

Did you have a role model growing up?

That’s a difficult one. There were so few. The obvious role models weren’t and aren’t doing the things I enjoy. But I don’t want to have to pick a woman for the sake of it so I am going to say Ricky Gervais. I admire his work. I love that he directs, writes, acts and produces, and does it all really well. He also knows how to work PR and social media It’s Ricky! and is completely unapologetic about his views. I admire that. He also doesn’t compromise and he gets his way. When he approached the BBC about ‘The Office’ they wanted to give him a Director. He said, ‘No, I’m doing it’. He took a big risk, and it paid off. I wish I had that much coverage.

Thanks for your time Lisa.

We’ve loved speaking to you!

We’ll be bringing you more diverse features in upcoming issues of Network Buzz. Watch the space! #NetworkBuzz

FACT

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | 40

“Nothing is impossible. The word itself says, ‘I’m possible!’” - Audrey Hepburn, Icon

There are 11 million disabled people in the UK. That's nearly one in five adults who have serious difficulties getting around, experience long-lasting pain, or who struggle to communicate unaided.

The Office for Disability Issues

October is Black History Month Black History Month, also known as African-American History Month in America, is an annual observance in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom for remembrance of important people and events in the history of the African diaspora. The month is celebrated annually in October in the UK and in February in the US and Canada. The month was first celebrated in the UK in 1987.

The history of the month has its roots in the US where it was founded in 1926 as one week of celebrations called Negro History Week. The week became one month of celebrations in 1970 and has gone from strength to strength.

Find out more about the month at: www.blackhistorymonthuk.co.uk

Black History Month message from Ed Miliband I am delighted to support this year’s Black History Month.

Black History Month runs throughout the month of October and is designed to celebrate the significant contributions that Black and minority ethnic people have brought to our country - socially, economically and culturally.

The rich cultures and traditions of the Black community here in the Britain, have for many

years contributed to the diversity of our country and is key part of what makes Britain so unique.

Black History Month both educates and reminds us and new generations about how our society has been shaped. We will remember the legacy of Black history and the civil rights movement.

We will remember the lives that were lost by those fighting for freedom and the messages of equality

Because you should feel free to be ‘OUT’ in the UK Keep updated on all things lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBT) related by connecting with us on Twitter and Facebook

and freedom that have lived on throughout the years.

I look forward to hearing about another successful Black History Month and wish you the very best.

Rt Hon Ed Miliband MP Leader of the Labour Party

@OUTintheUK

www.facebook.com/OUTintheUK

Network Buzz note Other political parties also spoke publicly about their support of the month.

If you’ve done something to celebrate Black History Month, we’d love to hear from you.

You could feature in a future issue of Network Buzz.

Email us at info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk

Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT ON : DITCH THE LABEL

JUDGE

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41 | Network

(CHARITY) | www.ditchthelabel.org | @DitchtheLabel

After experiencing extreme bullying for a decade of his childhood, Liam Hackett identified a significant gap in provision for a new, innovative organisation designed to eradicate the impact and prominence of bullying within the UK. Now, several years on and Liam is the CEO of the national antibullying charity, Ditch the Label.

To date, the charity have helped thousands of young people and produced groundbreaking new interventions and insights that have gone on to make huge impacts to society, policy and public attitudes towards bullying.

Interview by Thomas Anderson

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 42

SPOTLIGHT ON : DITCH THE LABEL For someone that doesn’t know too much about Ditch the Label, could you give us an introduction about who you are and what you do We are a provider of innovative advice, support and intervention programs designed to benefit young people who are impacted by bullying within the UK along with parents, guardians, teaching professionals, other charities and Governmental agencies.

Through our education interventions and research, we link the issue of bullying to wider societal issues surrounding equality and discrimination; encouraging young people to embrace and celebrate who they are, whilst becoming active global citizens.

Ditch the Label was established to cater to slightly older teens who perhaps feel alienated or embarrassed about accessing existing provision. We believe that it is important to produce innovative interventions that are designed to give young people the tools that they need to overcome bullying and the harmful effects that it creates. We also work extensively across the country to teach young people one important thing: it’s okay to be different.

(CHARITY) | www.ditchthelabel.org | @DitchtheLabel

homophobia and I grew up in total resentment of myself.

Through a combination of counselling and the peer support I received at college, I began to come to terms with myself and identified that bullying was an issue affecting many others.

It is clearly something you’re very passionate about. Did you have any support with turning your idea into a reality?

After graduating from University in 2012, I set up both Ditch the Label and my digital marketing agency, Hackett and Tiger. Having never run a business before, there was a lot that I quickly had to learn on the job and certainly the first 12 months were a real struggle. With Ditch the Label, we found that we were constantly knocking on closed doors and were really finding it difficult to get people to listen to us. It is only recently that people have become much more aware of Ditch the Label and the work that we do and as such that doors have started to open for us.

Where did the idea come from?

I have the fantastic support of the talented Ditch the Label team, along with our board of trustees and advisors. Over time, I have built a great network of people who are as passionate about making a real difference and they have all become great sources of support.

I had always been bullied throughout school, lasting for 10 years. Towards the end of high school, I was publicly outed as being gay, which was against my wishes. As a result, I was physically attacked and sent home from school. Soon after, I was ambushed by a gang of bullies outside of school and was admitted to hospital for stitches across my face for the injuries they caused as they bashed my head against a car.

From my experience, I believe that there is a huge need for greater support to people setting up charities and commercial organisations. It is a minefield out there and it can be a very scary process. We still have not received any formal funding and are funding all of our work ourselves, which in itself is difficult but we’re doing it and we continue to believe in the cause and message of Ditch the Label.

Needless to say, I had very low self-esteem and self-worth at the age of 16 and turned to suicidal thoughts and self harm as a coping mechanism. Despite the adversity, I finished school with most of my grades being A*/A. I had never had many friends at school and was referred to as the “gay one”.

There were extreme levels of

Ditch the Label’s ‘Annual Bullying Survey’ has been produced in partnership with 37 schools and colleges from across the UK and has surveyed over 5,000 young people aged 13-22 as a means of measuring the current climate of bullying across the country.

See their website for the full report.

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Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

SPOTLIGHT ON : DITCH THE LABEL

(CHARITY) | www.ditchthelabel.org | @DitchtheLabel

“At Ditch the Label, we believe that everybody in society has a role to play in helping reduce the effect and prominence of bullying.”

What advice would you give to someone who believes they have a great idea for a new business or social enterprise, but really doesn’t know where to go to move it forward?

emotional support and have had expert input with regards to support for Ditch the Label and Hackett and Tiger. Mainly, I have just done my research and got on with it. You learn a lot on the job and there have been some really cringe worthy moments but we’ve all been there!

I always say that running a business is like having a newborn child – it isn’t something that you can do for 40 hours a week; rather it’s a completely new way of life.

Are there any networks, groups or online resources that you’ve found useful to learn new skills to develop yourself, your team and Ditch the Label?

Setting up your own business or charity is not something that should be taken lightly; think about exactly what you want to do and do your research. Have a look to see what’s already out there and find yourself a niche or a new way of doing it.

Running a business is an incredibly emotional journey; some days you’re about to conquer the world and other times you’re sat staring at balance sheets stressing about the bills and wondering what on Earth you’re doing. You quickly learn to ride the emotional roller-coaster and develop the appropriate coping mechanisms.

I have relied quite heavily on my friends and family for

I’d say the biggest network for us would be Twitter; we use it to connect with a lot of potential partners, celebrity ambassadors and supporters of the Ditch the Label charity.

For the more complex stuff, we usually work with other organisations and experts offline, given the sensitivity of the work that we do.

How do you think we can all support putting an end to bullying in schools?

As a former victim of bullying myself, I really do believe

that bullying still isn’t taken as seriously as it should be. I have seen it literally ruin lives and shatter the selfesteem of people who have experienced it and certainly, as our research has found – these experiences are all too common.

At Ditch the Label, we believe that everybody in society has a role to play in helping reduce the effect and prominence of bullying. Schools, colleges and Government need to invest more in their anti-bullying interventions and need to work with fresh organisations, like ours, to deliver innovative and new ways of tackling the issues. Young people do not want regurgitated content.

They do not want to be told to ignore it and they have very little faith in using teachers as reliable support networks which desperately needs to change.

As a society, we need to stop normalising bullying as “part of growing up” and need to stop downplaying the impacts. We all need to group together to teach our future generations that it is okay to be different.

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 44

And cyber bullying is on the rise too. This is something you’ve personally experienced.

What more can be done to protect people from this bullying and how can people report it?

online harassments. We need greater transparency of the law and stronger sanctions for repeat offenders. We are strong advocates of resolving issues in a holistic way, through the use of mediation and restorative justice and these methods should certainly be used in the first instance.

make the error of trying to deal with tough things alone.

The whole issue of cyber bullying is something that we must all work together in order to prevent. It is not just the responsibility of social network outlets, but rather on society as a whole to completely denormalise the behaviour. All of the Ditch the Label interventions have a three tongued design which means that we work to engage not only with those who experience bullying, but also the perpetrators and bystanders too.

It is important for young people to feel like they can approach you with something that is troubling them and they will often look to an adult for help in resolving their problems, whether they be based online or offline.

It is also important that you report the bullying to an authority – a teacher or manager for example. In serious cases, which involve assault, hate crime or prolonged bullying, it may be more relevant to report it to the Police.

Social media outlets, do indeed need to invest more resources into the quality moderation of their networks; both reactively and proactively. Whilst we are seeing progressive improvements, they are often too little and too late.

Schools, colleges and other youth organisations need to ensure that their staff are fully trained and know all about the latest technologies and social media networks that young people are using. This also extends to practically any adult with a duty of care to young people.

Whilst we have seen changes to legislation in recent years, it is often difficult to prosecute for more serious, chronic incidents of cyber bullying and

“It is important for young people to feel like they can approach you with something that is troubling them” If someone is currently being bullied or knows of someone who is, can you give any advice on who they should report it to?

The most important thing is to be open about your experiences and to tell people who you trust; it could be a family member, a friend, a teacher or a counsellor – whoever you feel comfortable talking to.

Whilst it can be initially scary, we are huge ambassadors of mediation – which is when you talk to the person who is bullying you in a controlled environment and get an opportunity to tell them how it makes you feel. It can be an incredibly empathetic way of dealing with it as some people don’t respond well to punishment.

For more complex issues or if you feel like you’re not being taken seriously, I would advise that you should contact us at Ditch the Label for more suited advice. We can actually approach an organisation on your behalf, without naming you and can advise them on ways in which we could help.

When you’re being bullied, it is all too easy to internalise that hurt and pain and to keep it locked up inside. Not only can it be embarrassing and difficult to talk about, but as humans, we all occasionally

Check out the Ditch the Label website for fab branded t-shirts and other merchandise. www.ditchthelabel.org

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Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

‘It gets better’, right?

Largely speaking: yes it does get better. It got loads better for me, as I found that people became more accepting and less concerned about the small, insignificant details such as your sexuality or skin colour. I turned an incredibly negative experience into a positive and used it to help other people in a similar situation to what I once was.

Unfortunately, our research shows that for some people, bullying can have a long lasting impact upon their esteem, future career prospects and relationships. Sometimes, also, those that have experienced bullying can turn into bullies themselves and often without realising.

How can our readers and members support your fantastic work?

There’s loads you can do to help us continue to grow our interventions; whether it be through buying some of our merchandise, fundraising or donating some of your time and expertise to help us. Either contact us via our website or visit www.DitchtheLabel.org and click “Help Us” to see how you could help. As an independent charity, we are heavily reliant

More about Liam @DiageoLiam

Did you have a Role Model growing up?

I never really had a particular role model, rather I just liked certain traits of people or was a fan of the work that they did. If I had to choose somebody, it would be my mum.

She went against the odds to make a success of herself, regardless of what life threw at her. When I was 13, she went

upon the generosity and support of individuals and businesses.

What’s next for Ditch the Label?

It’s an incredibly exciting time for all of us at Ditch the Label – we have grown very quickly over the past 12 months and are now working with more schools, colleges and other youth organisations than ever before.

We produce some of the most comprehensive research in the world and continue to impact thousands of young people across the UK. As one of the UK’s most pioneering charities, innovation is at the core of all that we do. We are heavily against the regurgitation of old “tried and tested” content; as young people tell us that they provide very little support. Young people also tell us that they often feel disempowered and are too scared to open up about bullying and the related issues and we want to change this.

We are working extensively behind the scenes on new interventions and ways of doing things that have never been done before. As part of our process, we are working with young people, other organisations and with experts from a variety of related fields.

to University to study social work and for 3 years, she managed to bring my brother and I up on her student loan. She recently fell permanently ill with her leg, which meant that she could no longer fulfil her social work job. Most people would call it a day but my mum has since decided to go back to University to do a masters degree in counselling.

Your ideal night out?

I’m a very sociable person, so when I’m not working there’s nothing I prefer more than being with my closest friends.

An ideal night out would probably be dinner with friends, followed by cocktails and as much as it pains me to say it, probably roam home at

45% of the young people surveyed have experienced bullying Of those who have experienced bullying, 61% have been physically attacked 29% have experienced extreme verbal bullying 55% have experienced cyber bullying 63% of those with a physical disability are bullied, and were more likely to experience extreme verbal bullying and to be extremely socially excluded 67% had self harmed and 40% had tried to take their own lives, both figures are significantly above average Source: Ditch the Label Annual Bullying Survey 2014

around 3am after going clubbing.

What’s your most cherished possession?

I come from quite a small family and as a result, we are all incredibly close. My mum is my best friend and I rarely go a day without speaking to her.

It can be tough sometimes as my family still live up north and so we live 400 miles apart but we Facetime a lot and I visit every few months. Anyway, the last time I was home, my mum had built an entire archive of my life; complete with photos, memories and the usual titbits mums collect. It is genuinely the sweetest thing anybody has ever made for me and I don’t think you can really top that.

We put the Spotlight On more charities in the next issue of Network Buzz

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 46

Will your network members be going dry in January?

Dryathlon® will officially be back in January 2015. It’s the original month long test of willpower, where the charity Cancer Research challenges you to kick the booze for January.

What better time of year to get sponsored and to help beat cancer sooner.

Earlier this year, 54,000 Dryathletes™ took on the challenge and raised a phenomenal £5.7 million for their life-saving work – and next year they hope to raise even more.

Find out more and order your fundraising pack at www.cancerresearchuk.org/supportus/find-an-event/charity-challenges/ dryathlon

Helping you make connections CONNECT Employers Stammering Network

ENGAGEMENT NetWalking with Large Outdoors

FUNDRAISE Fright Hike for Mind

Enjoy a 6 mile circular walk starting and finishing from Sutton Bank, North York Moors, with its spectacular views and wide open vistas. The views should inspire us all.

Large Outdoors has teamed up with Network North to offer businesses in the North East of England and Yorkshire a novel way to network. On the last Wednesday of each month they will be running a series of NetWalking events.

The NetWalking events all start from a local tearoom with a brew and the chance for you to deliver a 60 second talk about your business. After the introductions their local guides will head out with you for a lovely walk in the local area.

Sounds like our cup of tea.

How about you?

This spooky challenge is going to test not just your fitness, but your nerves too - are you brave enough?

26 Nov

Employers Stammering Network (ESN), enables employers to receive information, support and advice on how to recruit and support people who stammer.

People with a stammer have just as much potential to achieve as anyone, but sometimes their stammer prevents them from being able to participate as fully as they’d like.

International Stammering Awareness Day (ISAD) happens on 22nd October every year.

If you would like to talk through the benefits of joining, please contact the Ambassador of the ESN, Leys Geddes, to start the conversation. lg@stammering.org

Costs £25pp Find out more at:

25 Oct & 1 Nov

This challenge will see you walking a distance of 30km over 6 hours, setting off at dusk and into the darkness on around halloween.

There are four terrifying locations to choose from: Sherwood Forest, Nottinghamshire : Sat 25 Oct Queen Elizabeth Forest Park, Stirling : Sat 25 Oct Epping Forest, London : Sat 1 Nov Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire : Sat 1 Nov Minimum sponsorship: £140 Find out more at:

www.mind.org.uk/getinvolved/trek,-cycle,-swimor-skydive/frighthike/

www.largeoutdoors.com @LargeOutdoors

////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////

Cake O’Rama

Cakes that get us excited

Cakes that bring big smiles

If there is something that is guaranteed to brighten up our day, it’s checking out the photo’s of the latest cake bake from Charlotte O’Toole @BakeOrama She’s the Head Pastry Chef at Manchester eateries Home Sweet Home and Almost Famous. Her cakes are definitely unique and taste delicious too. Check her out!

We’ve been busy bees creating Network Buzz just for you.

Catch it at a time and place good for you. www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

Issue 2 will be published in December.

Featuring an exclusive

ISSUE 1

October - November 2014

www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

BE TRUE TO YOU

Rainbow Biz talk music with the Erasure frontman

+ Vanessa Vallely | Awards | Treva Etienne | Tanya Franks | Lisa Gifford | SHE Soho | J James | Twisted Rio | Charity News | Homophobia At School | Kiri Bloore | Events | Cocktails | Rainbow Biz | Tips & much more

We meet the star of upcoming BBC TV show ‘Killer Magic’

Jasz Vegas

SUPPORTING CHARITY

We find out more about ‘Ditch the Label’ & ‘The Albert Kennedy Trust’

NETWORK EYE

We meet the people behind network groups at The Co-operative & Leicestershire Police + more In partnership with

A LOT OF RESPECT FOR ANDY BELL

Proudly presented by

interview will Emmy Award winning actor Leslie Jordan who talks homophobia, being in the midst of the AIDS outbreak in the early 1980’s and of course his role in hit TV show Will & Grace.

BUZZ

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> > > > > > UP AND COMING Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 48

Australian musician Gio already has many accolades to his name, including Best Artist, Best Male Vocalist & the Broadcasters Choice at the ABC Music Awards, as well as APRA Songwriter of the Year, and Best Instrumental Artist at the Australian MusicOz Awards.

Now he is set to grace British soil with his fab brand new track Computer Games.

Gio’s unique mixture of soul fuelled pop vocals streaked with virtuosic Spanish influenced guitar playing is what has made him stand out and given him the chance to share the stage with legendary artists Sheila E, Grammy nominated songwriter and producer Paul Pederson (Prince & The Corrs), Ricky Pederson (John Mayer & George Benson), blues legend Eric Bibb and recently with Academy Award winner Russell Crowe and Australian music legend Marcia Hines in their latest music video ‘Remedy’.

NETWORK BUZZ GIVES ‘COMPUTE R GAMES’ THE BIG THUMBS UP. WE’ VE HAD IT ON REPEAT. IT ’S VERY INFECTIO US!

Born in Australia to a German mother and an Italian father Gio grew up listening to an eclectic mix of music largely revolving around his parents love for world music and gospel and soul, all whilst growing up in the MTV generation of Michael Jackson and Prince. Now this Australian has formed a sound all of his own, has 14 years of performing both in Australia and Europe under his belt, and is about to explode into the music scene in the UK with his infectious

song ‘Computer Games’ - to be released later this year.

Gio’s distinctive sound and style is now being introduced to the UK music scene having recently secured a major recording and publishing deal with FAME Music. This will commence with the single 'Computer Games', produced by music producer Tom Misner, which will be released in late 2014. We love it!

< < < < < < < < < <<<<<<<<<<

ndreds of other Musician Riva beats hu a recording young hopefuls to win studios and a contract at Abbey Road Festival debut at the Sundown

A year and hundreds of auditionees later, Riva was chosen as the winning artist to record songs written by producer Tom Misner. She’s currently in the process of recording her EP at the famous Abbey Road Studios.

Chapman, Dusty Springfield and Amy Winehouse.

This unique artist also performed on the Sundown festival’s main stage in late August. to rave reviews Not a bad start eh!

We’ve heard some of her material and it’s wonderful.

Watch out for it!

She won the competition Fame Music due to her unique, powerful, soulful tone with a depth and power that touches people’s soul.

Her inspiration comes from artists such as Stevie Nicks, Tracy

Multi talented, Riva studied music at the Academy of Contemporary Music.

@_riva_music www.facebook.com/rivamusicofficial

> > > > > > > > > > >>> 49 |

Network Buzz | October - November 2014

Twisted pRopiaortist

dent is an indepen er his first ft A t. n e K m o fr mall Town project 'The S d a positive e iv e c re ' P E Boy 's back with a reception, he und and an brand new so ssage of love e m t n a rt o p im and equality. Interview by Thomas Anderson

We love the song 'Everyone Is Beautiful'. What's the song about?

The song is about accepting yourself and other people no matter where you come from, what job you have, what colour you are, whether you gay, straight, transgender, or just plain different. Absolutely everyone has beauty within themselves and should be able to show it to the world without fear.

Tell us about the video

The idea behind the video was to get as many people as I possibly could to send in clips of themselves holding up positive hashtags. The response I received was incredible.

And the best thing about it was even though I gave a list of examples to use, every single person involved created a clip and a hashtag that was personal to them and that they wanted to share. The video became more about them than me, and that's exactly what I wanted.

Honey-Honey

We couldn’t resist buying a jar of ‘Honey-Honey’ on a recent visit to the fabulous ABBA museum in Stockholm, Sweden. An ode to the ABBA hit of the same name, the quirky item is a must buy.

Around £10 for a 250g jar. Not cheap.

But very little in Sweden is.

www.abbathemuseum.com

How did you manage to get so many people involved?

The power of social media. Twitter has been an incredible tool for me over the past few years and it really helped me reach people I never would have been able to. The support for the video has been amazing, considering that only a select few people have heard the song (including Network Buzz).

Also getting Luke A from Big Brother 2012 was absolutely amazing, as a trans man himself I think it took so much courage to put yourself out there and say "I am who I am". Such an inspiration.

Do you have a favourite hashtag message from the video?

I couldn't possibly pick a favourite but the fact that some people got their children involved really shows me that attitudes towards LGBT people is getting better. I cried when I saw the videos from the kids. These people are

the future and to see them accepting people who are different is just amazing.

When can people watch the video and buy the song?

The song is out on iTunes now and you can watch the video on YouTube. I’m so excited that everyone can now see the video and listen to the song. I've worked so hard to put this song out there.

Social media links: Facebook.com/twistedrioboy youtube.com/twistedriomusic soundcloud.com/twistedrio_official @TwistedRio1989

Big Brother 2012 winner Luke Anderson contributing to the inspiring vid eo

< < < < < < < < <

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @IncNetworks | 50

Is your network awesome?

Inclusive Networks presents the ‘Awesome Network’ award Tell us more and your network or a network you know is doing great things could be recongnised in our New Year honours.

We’ll be announcing the first recipients of our ‘Inclusive Networks ‘Awesome Network’ Award’ in the New Year in our very own New Year honours list.

Networks are an integral part of the diversity, inclusion and engagement agenda in many organisations. So it’s only right that we celebrate their inspiring and important work and the positive impact they make.

Nominations are open now!

We want to hear about networks that have done something special in 2014.

This could be hosting an inclusive event that was a real highlight, supporting an internal or external initiative, making a positive difference to the workplace or beyond, fundraising for charity or just generally

being awesome through the work they do. Everything they do should be to support a more inclusive society where diversity is celebrated and their members feel they can be there full selves when engaging with the network.

If you know of a network you think is awesome and should be recognised and celebrated, then let us know.

To nominate a network for an inaugural ‘Inclusive Networks ‘Awesome Network’ Award’ all you need to do is visit www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk and give us as much information as possible to support your nomination.

Nominations close at 11.59pm on Sunday 21st December 2014 and the recipients will be announced in January 2015.

The recipients will then be able to use the ‘Inclusive Networks ‘Awesome Network’ Award 2015’ logo and start their New Year with a bang. A nice shiny certificate will also be presented to all the accredited networks.

What are you waiting for, get nominating!

Ice Ice Baby Issue 2 of

Buzz

will be published in December.

It’s our special Winter Wonderland Edition To discuss advertising, contact us at info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk

What organisations will feature in the 2015 Stonewall Workplace Equality Index?

To celebrate the release of the new index, we’ll be publishing a very special issue of our

magazine. We’ll be bringing you interviews and features with many LGBT friendly employers + more. We’ll also be celebrating LGBT History Month.

Out in February 2015

Recognise | Reward | Celebrate

51 | Network

INTERVIEW: J JAMES

Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk

(AUTHOR)

We've heard great things about your book Denial Deceit Discovery. Whatâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s the book about?

The book is essentially a memoir, based on true events in my own life. It tells the story through the character Jack Ellis, a young Catholic man deep in denial about his own sexuality. The heartrending story explores how his own denial and the denial of his loved ones, forces him to conform to the straight world, resulting in his marriage to his high school sweetheart. After years of cruising gay porn sites, chatting online with endless guys and intimate encounters with close friends, Jack is pulled into a life of deceit with a string of sexual partners.

The story explains the pain and suffering of those around him as his secrets unfold and honesty rises up. The torture endured as Jack struggles to piece together the complex story of his own sexuality is uncovered as Jack flees to Thailand with his gay lover where a much greater world of deceit and discovery awaits them both.

How hard was it being in the closet as a gay man?

Looking back now I recognise that I knew I was gay from the age of around 10 so I didn't really know any different and therefore as a young teenager I wouldn't say it impacted on me. But there were others around me who seemed to sense my homosexuality and gave me a tough time in High School and that was a very confusing period for me. I didn't understand why people were saying these things to me because I didn't know I was gay. I knew I had these feelings for men but I assumed it was normal especially as I enjoyed some intimate moments with some male friends.

@je1author | www.jjamesauthor.com identity and I could see no way forward. I think being in the closet can be incredibly damaging.

With same sex marriage becoming legal in many countries around the world do you think it's becoming easier to be gay, Catholic and accepted in church?

Absolutely not. I think life as a gay guy is much easier in many countries but there is still a huge way to go. We can't forget the situation in so many other countries where it's still illegal and can even result in punishment by death.

And even within countries that have a number of laws to protect gay people from discrimination and where gay marriage is acceptable, there can still be so much negativity. I think the Catholic Church in particular needs to modify it's thinking massively. I personally have experienced a lot of negativity from people in the Catholic Church. I actually feel very angry with the way in which the church (and other religious groups) treats homosexual people and I think they have been responsible for generating or reinforcing a lot of negativity.

Following the failure of your marriage to your childhood sweetheart we hear you wrote a letter to the Catholic priest who officiated your marriage annulment. What was his reaction to your letter?

Author J James reveals the story behind his critically acclaimed book Denial Deceit Discovery Interview by Thomas Anderson heart-rending letter he had ever read and he thanked me for my complete honesty.

It was because of this reaction that I decided to write the book. I knew at that point that there was something in telling this story to others.

Can we expect a follow up to the book?

Denial Deceit Discovery The greatest impact on me was when I was married. Once I indulged in physical contact with a guy it started a whole roller coaster of emotions. I felt tormented at times and totally confused. I didn't want to be gay or live as a gay man and I still loved my wife. There was definitely a period where I feel I became depressed though I did a great job at hiding it from others. It made me incredibly irritable and moody but I had convinced myself that this was just my personality and not an outward sign of something more serious.

Just before the breakup with my wife I felt I was drowning. I was losing my own

Yes this was a requirement for the application of the annulment where I was asked to write a short paragraph explaining my feelings and why I had chosen to marry despite these homosexual feelings. I couldn't explain in a paragraph. In fact I couldn't explain it in anything less than six pages of A4.

You can definitely expect a new book from me next year but this will not be a follow up book. I wanted the chance to explore a different genre of writing and develop some new characters and themes.

Have we seen the last of Jack Ellis?

Well never say never. If that's what the readers want then I would be happy to explore this further :-)

The feelings and the situation were so complex and I was not even sure I understood them fully at the time. The priest's response was extremely positive and it goes to show that not everyone in the church is so judgmental. He was incredibly supportive and I think this allowed me to express myself fully and not just provide the answer I thought I was expected to. The priest wrote back to me and said that it was the most moving,

Denial Deceit Discovery is available to purchase from Amazon now.

WIN! We have a copy of the book to giveaway to one lucky reader. To be in with a chance of winning just email us your name to info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk by 30 November 2014. The winner will be contacted by email by 15 December 2014.

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 52

f o r u o m The gla rns u t e r . g . dr.a

Includes 20 never before seen images

In October, Christopher Logan re-releases his remarkable coffee table book filled with photographs capturing the worlds most celebrated drag superstars by the industryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s leading photographers. Photos represent a wide spectrum of drag icons from underground drag royalty to the new breed of reality television stars. Included are Jeffree Star, shot by photographer Austin Young, Jimmy James as Marilyn Monroe by photographer Walter Melrose and Larry Edwards as Tina Turner by photographer Ninon Nguyen.

The new edition of dr.a.g, with twenty never before seen images added is available to purchase now from Amazon or direct at www.BooktheFilm.com.

Photo | Detox by Kristofer Reynolds

53 | Network

Buzz | October - November 2014 | @OUTintheUK

SPOTLIGHT ON : THE ALBERT KENNEDY TRUST

(CHARITY) | www.akt.org.uk | @AlbertKennedyTr

Words by Tony Butchart-Kelly @TonySimmsBK

The Albert Kennedy Trust has supported lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans homeless young people in crisis for 25 years.

Every day they deal with the effects homelessness can have on young people's lives

2014 has been an exciting year for The Albert Kennedy Trust (AKT) as they commemorate their 25th anniversary. Not only are they celebrating 25 years of providing safe homes to LGBT young people with no-where else to turn, but also a year since merging with the Outpost Housing Project in Newcastle to bring AKT’s services to the North East of England and for providing 8,000 nights off the streets for young people in the last 12 months.

This marks a dramatic increase on the number of nights provided by AKT compared to the previous year, and whilst some of it can be attributed to the extremely successful Purple Door Project, which opened in June

2013, and the added provision of services to the North East, it also provides a stark contrast to the widely held belief that LGBT homelessness is no longer an issue.

With equal marriage now enshrined in law, and a much wider representation of LGBT people in the media, it is sometimes forgotten how many young people are still rejected by their families or care-givers just for being brave enough to come out. Each year AKT receives over 1,500 calls requesting support and on top of providing safe homes, they now also provide training, advocacy and support as well as over 1,000 hours of mentoring each year.

Despite this huge reach today, AKT had very humble beginnings.

Foster carer Cath Hall and eight other volunteers, set up the Trust to address the issues faced by LGBT homeless young people in Manchester and took the name of Albert Kennedy, a homeless teen who fell to his death from a multistory car park in what is widely regarded as a homophobic hate crime.

Albert was very much loved by his family but, whilst spending some time in a children’s home, he experienced rejection and homophobia from other residents, and sought solace in Manchester’s gay village.

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @OUTintheUK | 54

SPOTLIGHT ON : THE ALBERT KENNEDY TRUST Hugh Fell, one of the original founders and recently announced President of The Albert Kennedy Trust reflects on some of the early years: “Cath knew Albert and was deeply upset by his death. She was struck by the absence of a response from the lesbian and gay people of Manchester, who had organised so effectively to protest against Clause 28 to another preventable death in their community.

Determined to do something, she called a public meeting at Manchester Town Hall.

It is important to realise that anger lies at the heart of The Albert Kennedy Trust: anger at Clause 28; anger at housing benefit cuts that particularly affected young people and anger at discrimination against lesbians and gay men, fuelled by a relentless stream of negative media stories. Cath Hall’s genius was to turn anger into a revolutionary and positive response. At a time when

gay men in particular were being portrayed as a danger to young people, Cath suggested we take them into our homes to provide the support, understanding and approbation that no government-run system could provide in the political climate of the time.

Eight of us took up her challenge and, with Cath, became, in due course, the first trustees.

By the third anniversary of Albert’s death, AKT had made more than twentyfive placements of lesbian and gay young people and our first trans young person, all supported in carer’s homes without any public or grant funding.

We were still seen as too controversial for mainstream grant-making foundations to take the risk of funding us, so all our money had come from individuals’ donations.

(CHARITY) | www.akt.org.uk | @AlbertKennedyTr

who wanted to ensure we survived. Our community had taken us to its heart, a foundation that remains central to the ethos and the fundraising strategy of AKT to this day.”

Tim Sigsworth, current Chief Executive of AKT is keen not only to celebrate the past but also to look to the future: “To help us plan for the future we are completing the first national scoping exercise of LGBT youth homelessness, which will gather vital information to help us decide how we deliver a truly national service for LGBT youth, that best meets their needs.

My hope for the next 25 years is that AKT will no longer be needed, because society has reached a level of equality and fairness where young people are accepted by their families and mainstream provision truly recognises and meets their needs.”

“At a time when gay men in particular were being portrayed as a danger to young people, Cath suggested we take them into our homes to provide the support”

Especially humbling were donations sent by people living on income support

IN NUMBERS : IN 2013 THE CHARITY Provided intensive support to over 750 young people facing homelessness, rejection and abuse.

Over 5,750 nights off the street in AKT accommodation and supported lodgings, with many more housed through their

LGBT supportive housing partners.

Just over 1,800 hours of mentoring - ensuring the young people have a supportive Role Model.

On top of the many calls the team received, their staff and volunteers worked intensively with 718 young people facing crisis or ongoing issues.

The charity is supported by a 200+ team of dedicated volunteers.

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SPOTLIGHT ON : THE ALBERT KENNEDY TRUST own. AKT was able to provide him with a clean set of clothes, basic toiletries, money for food and a bed in the Purple Door house.

Unfortunately for Jonathan, he had used his bank card to buy drinks in a well-known gay bar and his brother got to the post before he did. When his family confronted Jonathan, it was a violent response to the news that he was gay.

Since leaving the Purple Door he has now settled in a new city, is sailing through his university course and is looking forward to a brighter future.

They threatened him with further violence if he continued to be gay. Jonathan felt he had no choice but to leave his home and the security of his family behind and find somewhere else to live. For a few weeks he was able to stay with friends on their sofas but when he started getting pressured to ‘return the favour’, he knew he needed to find somewhere safe and secure to stay.

During his time at the Purple Door Jonathan was able to thrive, excelling both in his summer job and also preparing for independent living at university. With AKT’s help he was able to access financial assistance to pay for suitable university accommodation and access to welfare provisions to help establish him in his new home.

“During his time at the Purple Door Jonathan was able to thrive”

CHARITY NEWS

He found AKT through a friend and came to us with no-where to go and only the unwashed clothes in his bag to call his

Royal Mail Group aims to raise at least £2m for the Stroke Association over the next two years after selecting it as its charity partner.

REAL LIFE

Jonathan had spent a long time hiding his sexual orientation from his family, afraid of what their reaction might be.

He was looking forward to heading to university and being able to end his double life, all he had to do was enjoy his summer job and make it through to September.

(CHARITY) | www.akt.org.uk | @AlbertKennedyTr

Announcing the partnership, the Stroke Association said funds raised will help the charity provide Life After Stroke grants of up to £300 to help 10,000 stroke survivors. The partnership will also aim to help raise awareness of the

condition and the steps people can take to reduce stroke risk.

The Stroke Association was chosen as charity partner after a staff vote at Royal Mail.

Support the work of The Albert Kenne dy Trust

Check out their w ebsite at www.akt.org.uk for regular fundra ising event updates. Ev en better, sign up to their newsletter an d the team will ke ep you updated.

Some fundraising ideas could includ bake sales in your e school, university or workplace. A tast y way to raise fu nds!

Have a sponsored sleep out. This doesn’t mean you need to sleep roug h but perhaps get a grou p of friends togeth er and do a bit of ca mping (or glampi ng).

Host an event at your workplace lik quiz night, or win ea e & cheese tasting evening (we’re in ).

Ruth Hunt has been named as the new Chief Executive of Stonewall, the lesbian, gay and bisexual charity.

Ruth has been Acting CEO of the charity since February this year and before that, was Deputy Chief Executive. She joined the charity in 2005 as a Senior Policy Officer, having begun her career at the Equality Challenge Unit.

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @OUTintheUK | 56

“Most importantly, recognition and praise helps create a large network of new relationships and business contacts.” - Pinky Lilani - Author, motivational speaker and internationally acclaimed champion for women

We give seventy children an Easter to remember

Easter for many people wouldn’t be complete without an easter egg. Making ends meet for lots of people and buying easter eggs for their kids is a challenge. This year we stepped in to support HIV charity George House Trust and we donated 70 easter eggs to give to the kids of many of their service users, many on benefits or low incomes. Thank you to everyone that supported us with our collection.

Limited Edition Corner

Absolut : Andy Warhol Edition

INCLUSIVE NETWORKS NEWS

We stand up to inequality on the magazine racks

We were sat perusing Twitter on 19 July when something caught our eye. Twitter user @RobbieKimpton posted a tweet highlighting that a Sainsbury’s store in Bolton had modesty screens placed over copies of the latest issues of GT and Attitude magazines - both aimed at gay and bisexual males.

What disappointed us was the lads mag Zoo with a scantily clad female and a copy of Mens Health with a similar front cover to those mags covered remained uncovered.

Speaking to ‘Biscuit Magazine’, our founder Thomas Anderson says; “For many gay, bisexual or curious men, purchasing gay/bi lifestyle magazines like GT and Attitude is often daunting enough, especially in more isolated areas. Placing censorship barriers over the magazines implies they are offensive and adds an extra barrier to people purchasing. To have ‘lads’ mags like Zoo and mens’ fitness mags with similar front covers completely uncensored next to them, singles out the gay/bi mags. Any policies should apply across the board, showing genuine equality”.

Absolut is proud to present its iconic bottle in its most renowned form to date. The Andy Warhol Edition transforms Andy Warhol’s original Absolut painting onto the shape of the bottle, allowing anyone to bring home their very own Warhol.

In 1986, Andy Warhol was the first artist to create an original artwork for Absolut saying, "I love the bottle, I want to do something…" Since then, the Swedish vodka has collaborated with thousands of cutting edge artists and creatives, including Keith Haring, Damien Hirst, – and more recently Spike Jonze, Swedish House Mafia and Lady Gaga.

The Warhol edition is original Absolut Vodka in a limited edition that was developed together with The Andy Warhol Foundation for the Visual Arts. The limited edition bottle is available to purchase in a limited number of retailers around the world.

A portion of the proceeds will contribute generously to The Andy Warhol Foundation’s endowment from which it distributes grants supporting contemporary art. The Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organisation recognised as among the leading funders of contemporary art. Visit warholfoundation.org to learn more.

Available at Harvey Nichols stores around the UK. RRP £24

A TROLLEY WITH A DI

FFERENCE

Sainsbury’s did not respond to our posts on Twitter but did later comment that the store was not following their policy of also covering up Zoo magazine. Our eyes are peeled. thisisbiscuit.com | @BiscuitMag

Sainsbury’s is to introd uce hundreds of new shopping trolleys deve loped with parents of disabled children. The new trolleys are fitted with a special padded seat and harness designed for maximum comfort and security and all Sainsbury’s sup ermarkets will have at least one of the new tro lleys by the end of October 2014.

Reg. Charity No. 1070904

Registered Charity No. 1070904

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | www.inclusivenetworks.co.uk | 58

COCKTAIL O’CLOCK : SPECIAL FEATURE | COCKTAILS AND VENUES LOVED BY US t, but the “The luck is gone, the brain is sho (movie, 1988) liquor we still got.” - Doug, Cocktail

Our roundup of some fab venues serving very special cocktails The Art House 14 Bondgate Within, Alnwick, NE66 IJD

www.arthouserestaurant.com

“A bari cocktail” A standout venue in the historical Northumberland market town, Alnwick (where Harry Potter was filmed) this restaurant (they do a great Sunday lunch) also serves up some rather delicious cocktails.

Offering something fresh and new in the town, it has the residents swarming to sample the delights they have to offer.

One of their most popular cocktails is the Bubblegum daiquiri (pictured) that comes with a packet of retro Fizz Wiz, a nice touch. In their words, ‘They are bari!’.

Expect to pay around £7 for a cocktail. Well worth it!

16A Queen Street, Edinburgh, EH2

www.bramblebar.co.uk

A bar that has been serving up cocktails to rave reviews for many years, Brambles is a must visit venue. A venue with lots of atmosphere, where they treat the music they play with as much care as the fine cocktails they serve.

Cocktails on the menu include the ‘La Roux’ (you’ll be going in for the kill - sorry) - a combination of gin, apricot brandy, ginger, lemon & Dr Adam’s Aphrodite Bitters. Delicious.

Pinkster is a premium gin made up of five botanicals.

Fresh British raspberries are hand steeped in the triple distilled spirit, resulting in their trademark colour and distinctive flavour. All natural, no nasties. We love it!

Elixir is a new venue in Manchester and has very quickly become the place to be for those that enjoy a quality drink in a unique venue.

A lot of care has gone in to the menu and the cocktails all come with lots of drama and surprises. Expect chocolate ladybirds, cages with fireworks, smoking watering cans, grass, smoked cheese and candy. We have so many favourites but the

‘Elixir Of Love’ - Gin, Rose Briotett & Ylang Ylang Syrup - really stands out. Delicious.

It’s a great place to visit for a quiet drink or for a night out with friends.

It’ll be wall to wall smiles when your cocktails appear.

An extensive selection of wines, spirits, beers, purification tonics, specialist teas & coffees is also available.

Around £8-£9 for a cocktail. elixir-manchester.co.uk @ElixirMCR

123 Deansgate | Manchester | M3 2BY

Bramble Bar & Lounge

Check it out!

Stumbling across this rather special cocktail bar is definitely one of the highlights of our year.

70cl bottle around £28 www.pinkstergin.com | @pinkstergin

ELIXIR has the key to a magical cocktail experience What’s your favourite cocktail (or mocktail)?

Tweets us at @IncNetworks

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REVIEWS & UPCOMING RELEASES (MUSIC & BOOKS) Ella Henderson | Chapter One

Recommended

After scoring one of the biggest hits of the year with the Ryan Tedder assisted No1 hit ‘Ghosts’, former X Factor contestant Ella is ready for world domination with her debut album ‘Chapter One’.

With the deluxe version boasting a huge 21 tracks, the album is co-written by Ella, showing she is more than just a powerful voice and a standout act in a world where most mainstream pop acts have their hits penned for them.

Follow up single ‘Glow’ is less instant than ‘Ghosts’ but is a great song none the less. Watch out for the acoustic version of Cher’s monster hit ‘Believe’. We adore the cover. And so does Cher.

A bit of bed time reading

Out Now (Simco Limited)

Macy Gray | The Way

Out Now (Happy Mel Boopy Touring Co) ‘The Way’, her eighth studio album, was written and recorded during her 14th anniversary tour for the huge ‘On How Life Is’ album (we feel old). The 10 tracks include the singles ‘Stoned’ and ‘Hands’. Check out the videos on YouTube.

Being arrested in your own bedroom is never a good start to the day. Tess Brookes really needs to sort out her back-stabbing flatmate ‒ and her life.

LINDSEY KELK What a girl wants OUT NOW

Published by Harper

For the first time, Tess has to choose between the life she always dreamed of and a future she never imagined possible. From London to Milan, with high fashion and low behaviour thrown in, she s going to have to make up her mind what a girl really wants....

Foo Fighters | Sonic Highways

Released 10 November (Roswell Records) Like Macy, this is the bands eighth album.The 9 track, 44-minute long album was produced by the band alongside Butch Vig. The 180-gram vinyl edition features nine covers, including one for each of the eight cities the band recorded in for the record.

Bette Midler | It’s The Girls

Released 17 November (East West Records) ‘It’s The Girls’ sees Bette return to form, singing renditions of timeless classic 60s girl group songs such as ‘Be My Baby’ by The Ronettes and ‘You Can’t Hurry Love’ by The Supremes, to more recent songs with a cover of TLC’s huge hit ‘Waterfalls’.

GARETH THOMAS PROUD

WIN

OUT NOW

Published by Ebury Press

We have signed copies of J Lo’s new album ‘A.K.A’ & Iggy Azalea’s album ‘The New Classic’ up for grabs To celebrate the release of the new JLO and Iggy Azalea single ‘Booty’ (available to download in the UK now), we have an EXCLUSIVE competition for Network Buzz readers.

To be in with a chance of winning a signed copy of JLO and Iggy’s latest albums on CD all you need to do is email your name to info@inclusivenetworksuk.co.uk by 30 November 2014. The winner will be contacted by email by 15 December 2014.

Should she gamble all on the new photography job she s landed, or snap up the offer from long-time crush and best friend Charlie to start up on their own ‒ in more ways than one? There s just one small thing she hasn t mentioned. Or rather, one tall thing. He s handsome, infuriating and called Nick.

Gareth Thomas had it all.

He was a national hero, a sporting icon. He was a leader of men, captain of Wales and the British Lions. To him, rugby was an expression of cultural identity, a sacred code. It was no mere ball game. It gave him everything, except the freedom to be himself.

This is the story of a man with a secret that was slowly killing him.

Something that might devastate not only his own life but the lives of his wife, family, friends and teammates. The only place where he could find any refuge from the pain and guilt of the lie he was living was on the pitch, playing the sport he loved. But all his success didn't make the strain of hiding who he really was go away. His fear that telling the truth about his sexuality would lose him everything he loved almost sent him over the edge.

The deceit ended when Gareth became the world's most prominent athlete to come out as a gay man.

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BEHIND THE SCENES : SHE SOHO | www.she-soho.com | @SheSohoBar Earlier this year, the award winning gay brand Ku launched the first ever lesbian bar to hit Old Compton Street, a modern space for ladies and their male guests in the heart of Soho. A beautifully chic and luxury venue with an entrance off Old Compton St.

We caught up with Amy Brown who let’s us know about the venue where she’s responsible for keeping new and regular guests entertained.

Interview by Thomas Anderson

Hi Amy, before we find out more about the fabulous SHE Soho venue, what's your role in the story of the venue?

I look after the PR and events of SHE. I make sure that we have a constant list of great events that cater for all types of women and continue to keep SHE on the map. I was involved a few months before SHE opened so I was really lucky to play a part in the creation and feel of the bar.

Where did the idea for the venue come from?

This is a common thing that many people have said but its true, there is very little for women, whether they be straight, gay or bisexual. Soho is a hub of fantastic gay night life but it mainly focus’s on men.

Well known owner of the KU brand, Gary Henshaw, has done a lot for the male gay scene and saw that there was a gap in the market so decided to open a space for women. I am ever grateful for this opportunity he gave to the lesbian scene, which was to make a classy and tasteful lesbian venue which I believe we have created. And to top it off, the space is on Old Compton Street, which was a massive thing for the lesbian, and bisexual scene as in recent history there has never been a women’s venue on this famous strip.

What makes the venue stand out from the crowd?

SHE is a classy and tasteful venue with a really (not my words) ‘lovely and welcoming’ feel to it. We ensure that we have the friendliest and professional staff to ensure that people get the best service possible. With a host of great cocktails and a fully stocked bar it is the perfect after work drinks choice but from 8pm on the weekends we have the best London DJ’s take over the venue with an eclectic mix of music making it a place in which people can dance and begin their night.

Putting the ownership aside, SHE is ran by women and is the only lesbian ran venue

in London which I think is a massive part of why we do stand out. The women that run it, including myself, have worked on the gay scene for many years so have a lot of experience to ensure that SHE is and continues to be a success.

“This is a common thing that many people have said but its true, there is very little for women, whether they be straight, gay or bisexual.”

For someone visiting Soho for the first time, why should they come and pay you a visit?

We host such a wide variety of events from live music to comedy so we really do have something for everyone. Our staff are always welcoming and make a fantastic frozen daiquiri. The venue is air conditioned with a state of the art system so it is a really cool and refreshing venue with comfy seats and great music. And last but not least… who wouldn’t want to visit the only women’s venue on Old Compton Street?

Do you have a signature drink that you're renowned for?

We sell a complete variety of drinks, if you come in to SHE you will see one table having a bottle of wine but the next having a few pints so there is a total mixture. Our frozen raspberry daiquiris are very popular though and many of the women mention these when talking about SHE.

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BEHIND THE SCENES : SHE SOHO | OUR TOP VENUE RECOMMENDATION OF THE ISSUE

“We get lots of tourists from countries where sadly it isn’t as accepting of gay people as London is so we provide a space where they can come and be who they are.”

We love cocktails. Do you?

Of course. We do a variety of cocktails from Mojitos to Pornstar martinis. Sunday to Thursday we do a great offer which is 2-4-£10 on cocktails. Monday’s is Mojito Madness which means this offer is valid for all Mojitos all night.

staring or unnecessary comments from others which unfortunately still happens.

Do you think there's enough venues that cater for lesbian and bisexual women?

Everyone is welcome at SHE, our only policy is that men are accompanied by a female when they visit us.

There is a wide variety of venues over London as well as a host of events that take place regularly. There is obviously always space for more venues but I think the past few years the girls have been lucky to have quite a mix of things going on.

In a country where equal marriage is now legal, are gay bars really needed?

Do you do any regular events at the venue that we might like the sound of?

Is everyone welcome at SHE Soho?

I think gay bars are needed yes, needed is maybe not the correct word but I think that having bars that are there for gay people is important for a variety of reasons. We get lots of tourists from countries where sadly it isn’t as accepting of gay people as London is so we provide a space where they can come and be who they are. I know a lot of women like having a lesbian space because they are able to kiss and show affection to their partner and feel comfortable without any

We hope so. As I said at the start, I really try and ensure that we have a total variety of things going on that cater for a variety of women. We have live bands, comedy, burlesque, speed dating and so much more. We also have a fantastic group that meet once a month that is there to welcome new people, whether they be new to the gay scene.. ..London etc. One thing that came up at the start of this project was that there wasn’t much for the over 25’s, because of this I created the night ‘Over & Out’ which is the last Friday

of every month, all ages are welcome but it is aimed at this aforementioned age group. All our event listings can be found on our website - www.she-soho.com.

What role do you think Soho has in helping support charities and community groups?

I think all areas and places have a duty to support charities and community groups, this is something I feel very strongly about. We welcome all community groups and many of them use our space for meet-ups which is great.

We were involved with Planet London in raising money for women’s visibility in London Pride. Our burlesque night recently raised a lot of money for Cancer Awareness, our monthly quiz also support a variety of charities by giving the winning team the choice of which charity the proceedings go to.

What's next for SHE Soho?

So much, we are still only 8 months old so it’s exciting to think how far we have come in such a short space of time.

We want to continue offering a variety of events and constantly listening to the women’s needs and wants within the lesbian and bisexual scene.

Getting to know Amy

Favourite song | Bohemian Rhapsody Favourite cocktail | A Manhattan Favourite book | Northern Lights & Hunger Games (I refuse to make the choice) Your ultimate icon | Freddie Mercury Your role model growing up | I could be cheesy and say my mum.. I could say Freddie Mercury but then again I’m not a man… so I’m going to go for Cher haha.

We’ll be meeting more people from behind the scenes of top venues in the next issue of Network Buzz.

Network Buzz | October - November 2014 | @OUTintheUK | 62

Authentic community support Sue and Sarah bring us their first Network Buzz column How it all started

To give you some background of where we have come from; Sarah was a social worker for adults in Leeds and then went on to do funeral arranging for The Cooperative Funeralcare and Sue is originally from an IT background, a Class 1 Large Goods Vehicle driver and assessor.

We got together four years ago and married just last year. We have three boys, two dogs, a mad cat and a very very naughty ferret! We started a trike tour business back in January 2012, this was successful in its own right and we were nominated for both the Flintshire Business Awards and the She Awards later that year.

The work we were doing with regards to the promotion of LGBTQ friendly businesses, organisations and events was taking more and more of our time and was something we both felt extremely passionate about.

New adventures

Life has not always been plain sailing for us both though. In May 2012 Sue was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis after years of symptoms. This has made us both mentally stronger and most certainly more stubborn. We are not easily broken and see most barriers as a challenge to overcome. It became apparent to us both that physically the trike business would not be sustainable long term but that the social media and promotions side of our business can be easily managed in a way that accommodates periods of illness.

So in April 2014 Rainbow Biz was born and this has proved to be a venture that has catapulted our business into the forefront of a global audience in a very short space of time. There are many other businesses operating within this sector, as equality and diversity is a very important issue in our day to day lives.

At Rainbow Biz we pride ourselves in working with other likeminded businesses. We do not see others as competition, we embrace the fact that we are all working towards the same end, which is to make our world a better place to live in.

Stop!..Show a little respect

Very recently we have made links with Andy Bell from Erasure, the 80s synth pop band. Andy was extremely generous with his time and allowed us to carry out a live interview with him via Skype. This was set up after several months of relationship building via Twitter with him. Andy even gifted us several songs of his to incorporate into the interview and after discussions with George House Trust, a HIV charity based in Manchester, we all agreed to set the interview up as a donation to listen to the online broadcast.

“We are not easily broken and see most barriers as a challenge to overcome.”

We have uploaded a short preview of this interview to our Rainbow Biz Radio page here: www.rainbowbiz.co.uk/rainbowbizradio You can see our Just Giving page at www.justgiving.com/Rainbow-Biz/ If you make a small donation you’ll then be sent a link to hear the full 1 hour 30 minute interview with Andy, and listen to the classic tracks too. We’ve already raised over £400 for the charity. Thank you to everyone that has supported us so far. We also took the initiative to send out a press release about our work, which created some interest in the local papers.

Andy has also been key in helping us promote this interview, as he has used his own contacts and social media to personally endorse the work we have done. I do believe he also voted for us in the National Diversity Award too!

Keep connected with Rainbow Biz |

@RainbowBizUK www.rainbowbiz.co.uk

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Rainbow Biz immediately set about creating the most suitable online platforms for the event, which included a Facebook page and event group, a Twitter account and an email account. It was through these online resources we were Supporting the George House Trust able to engage with not only our local community but also many people from At the end of August we joined HIV much further afield and in particular the charity George House Trust in the huge parade at Manchester Pride to help Cheshire area. promote the charity further. We had a fabulous time and it was a delight to be a part of their award winning entry. We want to do everything we can to help raise awareness of this fabulous resource that supports people living with or affected by HIV all across the North West England region.

The Uprising of Love

Back in January 2014 we took part in an online Google Hangout with several gay activists including Melissa Etheridge, Dustin Lance Black and Bruce Cohen to help promote a movement called The Uprising of Love, in which the main discussion was about the issues facing LGBTQ Russian’s. During this discussion, when we are introduced midway, you can see how Melissa acknowledges who we are - this has to be a highlight of our career to date.

Once again using our previous links with Melissa Etheridge we asked her if she could help us promote Chester Pride. She was more than willing to help us and via her agent, she sent us a short video clip which we used to produce a short promotional video for Chester Pride. We also asked if we could use Melissa’s own recording of Uprising of Love as background music, for which we were granted approval. You can see the video we produced on our promotional page at www.rainbowbiz.co.uk/promotional/

“We do not see others as competition, we embrace the fact that we are all working towards the same end, which is to make our world a better place to live in.”

Our marketing enabled us to locate an abundance of local bands who were also

assessed through a selection process, with Rainbow Biz providing links to their performances and websites, Facebook pages, etc. We also achieved some great coverage for the event in the Daily Post where we were also very delighted to receive a very public thanks for our involvement. The little things really mean a lot.

Recently we packed up the teardrop caravan, fueled up the trike and set off on a road trip down to L Fest 2014. What an amazing festival - clean toilets, fully working and hot showers, great music, workshops and fabulous people. We were asked to head the Equal Marriage parade on the trike where a procession of L Festers followed up to the main stage where a speech was made about same sex marriage. Fun times were had by all, our particular favourites were Me & Deboe, Never the Bride and Amity. You can see some photographs of our weekend on our website gallery here: www.rainbowbiz.co.uk/gallery It’s our aim to continue to work on both local community based projects and also achieve higher profile support for Rainbow Biz where relevant. Being able to do this is something we pride ourselves on very much here at Rainbow Biz. We are looking forward to keeping you all updated on our latest shenanigans, interviews and gossip. Check out our website for regular Rainbow Biz blogs.

We hope you’ll enjoy what we have to say.

Sue and Sarah x

This is another achievement we are extremely proud of. We love Melissa.

It’s all about our community

Rainbow Biz was also recently the main driving force for a local community festival in our local town of Connah’s Quay. We were introduced to a lady called Lisa Fearn who is the Town Centre Manager and we immediately engaged with her way of thinking and how she is extremely passionate too about promoting our local area of Flintshire.

Sue and Sarah ‘riding with pride’ in their famous trike

The FREE new ‘Wud U?’ App lets you find out how to make safe decisions to help prevent yourself from being sexually exploited!

Barnardo’s Registered Charity Nos. 216250 and SC037605

Barnardo’s would like to thank Microsoft and the young people we work with for their support in developing this app.