LGBT Community Safety Forum Meeting 21st November

The next LGBT Community Safety Forum is on the Monday 21st November at the LGBT Centre and starts 6.30pm.

This meeting coincides with Domestic Violence week and we will be focusing on domestic abuse within same sex relationships and also issues of domestic abuse experienced by LGB&T people by other family members. In addition to the usual hate crime data we will also hopefully be able to update people on the incident at the Rainbow and Dove.

Food and refreshments will be provided, so to assist with catering if you could please email Darren Goddard at darren.goddard8196@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk if you would like to attend.

If you are not aware the LGBT Community Safety Forum has been in existence for over 10 years now and is one of the Leicestershire Police's Independent Advisory Groups.

The forum is made of representatives from the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Victim Support, Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils,

Trade, the LGBT Centre and members of the LGBT community and in the past has been instrumental in developing policies and procedures designed to improve the service that LGBT people receive from the police and partners.

We think that our involvement in this forum is really important as it is one of the ways that we can ensure that issues such as homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, domestic violence and sexual violence involving LGBT people remain firmly on the agenda for the Police and their partners and we would encourage as many of you to attend as possible.

Many thanks

Justin and Paula co-chairs of Prism and the LGBT Community Safety Forum.

Rainbow Voices LGBT Choir

Newly formed choir for LGBT folk. Anyone welcome over 18 irrespective of musical background or ability.

Rehersals every Tuesday at 7pm @ St Nicholas Church Leicester.

The Adam Project

The Adam Project provides free confidential support for men experiencing, or at risk of, domestic abuse. It's a local service and you can out more about the project by contacting them by phone on 0116 2426440, by email @ adam.project@wallaction.org.uk or by looking at their website www.adamproject.co.uk

Domestic Violence Integrated Response Project

Domestic Violence Integrated Response Project is another project in Leicester for those suffering,or at risk of suffering, Domestic Abuse in Leicestershire.

They can be contacted by phone - 0116 255 0004, by email - helpline@dvirp.co.uk or by snail mail - PO Box 7675, Leicester. LE1 6XY.

Would you like to shape the future of the Leicestershire Police?

Would you like to shape the future of the Leicestershire Police?

Why not join their consultation panel or be an Independant Custody Visitor.
Further details can be obtained on their website - www.leics-pa.police.uk/get-involved/ or call 0116 229 8980

Get involved - Leicestershire Police Authority

www.leics-pa.police.uk

Get involved

Safe - Domestic Violence Support for Women

Safe - Domestic Violence Support for Women. Run by Foundation Housing it supports you to make choices about your life. To feel safe and secure in your home, to live confidently in your community and to maintain your independence.

Freephone 0800 0223353 or email safe@foundationhousing.co.uk. Further details can be obtained from www.safedvs.co.uk

TRADE Sexual Health

TRADE Sexual Health provides Leicestershire with sexual health guides, information and free condoms/femdoms & lube.

15 Wellington Street, Leicester. LE1 6HH, 0116 254 1750 info@tradesexualhealth.com or www.tradesexualhealth.com

Amnesty offered at new Leicester Central Library

03/05/2011

LEICESTER Central Library, which reopened to the public last week following a £500,000 refurbishment, is offering an amnesty on outstanding library loans and charges in a bid to encourage any lapsed users back to experience the new services on offer.

Library customers visiting the new Leicester Central Library before Saturday, 14th May, will be able to return overdue loans without incurring a charge.
Leicester Central Library staff will be happy to clear outstanding library charges to give customers a fresh start.

Adrian Wills, head of libraries at Leicester City Council, said: “We’re thrilled with the response to the new Leicester Central Library.
We had over 2,500 visitors to the new building on the first day alone.

“Our priority now is to welcome back existing customers who have not used the service recently.
We’re holding an amnesty so our customers don’t need to worry about library charges incurred before the new library opened.
We welcome the return of any overdue library loans.”

Leicester Central Library has now reopened for business in the 1905 Carnegie library building on Bishop Street following a £500,000 refurbishment project whichh brought all central library services together under one roof, including:

• Books for reference and loan
• Public access computers
• CD and DVD hire
• Children & young people’s area
• Local studies & family history section
• An exciting programme of library events

The project will achieve annual savings of £228,000, as well as enabling the city libraries to reinvest in core services such as the public computers.

Longer opening hours have also been made possible through the amalgamation of the two library buildings, with the Central Library now open from 9.30am to 8pm Monday to Thursday, 9.30am to 6pm Friday and 9am to 4pm on Saturday.

Travel advice for Saturday, May 7

04/05/2011

VISITORS to Leicester city centre are being advised to anticipate congestion and heavier than usual demand for parking spaces on Saturday, May 7.

Unusually both Leicester City FC and Leicester Tigers RFC will be holding home matches on the same day. Around 48,000 people are expected at the two events.

Leicestershire Constabulary and Leicester City Council will deploy extra resources to minimise the disruption and to ensure access is maintained to the city’s major facilities.

However, there is expected to be higher than usual traffic flows between 2pm and 3.30pm, and some parking spaces near the sports venues will be difficult to find, particularly for the fans attending the rugby with the later kick-off time.

The timing of the two matches could not be changed because they each form the final league fixture for the clubs involved, and so have to take place at the same time as all other games in the respective leagues.

The Leicester City versus Ipswich match is due to kick off at 12.45pm, and would expect to finish around 2.45pm. It will be followed by a lap of appreciation by home players.

The Leicester Tigers versus London Irish match is due to kick off at 3pm, and is expected to finish at around 5pm.

Free bowling coaching offered

19/04/2011

City residents are being invited to try free lawn bowls coaching at the Evington Park bowling green, on Saturdays and Mondays during April and May.

The coaching will take place on the next three Saturdays, from 23rd April to 7th May, between 10.15 am 11.15am. The Monday sessions will run from April 25th to May 9th between 6.45 and 7.30 pm.

Club Secretary Peter Jackson said: “ This is a great opportunity for people to come down and try bowls. We want as many new people to take up the sport as possible.”

The lessons are open to everyone. There is no age limit but under 18s must be accompanied by a parent or guardian.

People who want to take part are asked to bring flat shoes or trainers. All other equipment will be provided by the club.

More information is available from Evington Bowls Club on 0116 2735 487.

One Big Street Party

The Royal Wedding 2011
Friday 29th April
Humberstone Gate West
10.30am - 3.00pm

Join the city's official street party!

Watch the wedding celebrations on the Big Screen and enjoy a programme of entertainment including craft workshops, street entertaiment and circus skills. Bring along a picnic and dress for a party to celebrate the wedding of the year.

For further details, contact:

T: 0116 238 5082

E: festivals@leicester.gov.uk

Humberstone Gate is a designated alcohol free zone.

South Asian Gay/Bisexual Men Needed For RAP Project

From the RAP project:

We are looking for south Asian gay and bisexual men aged over 16 to take part in a discussion as part of our RAP project.

EARN £20 CASH IN HAND

Earn £20 cash for discussing your opinions on services for Asian gay/ bisexual men

The group is completely confidential and will last for 2 hours. We don’t want any intimate details, we just want your opinions!!!

Date: Thursday 7th April 2011

Time: 6pm – 8pm

Place: Trade, 15 Wellington Street, Leicester, LE1 6HH

Only participants who email or ring ahead can be part of the discussion. To reserve a place or ask a question, please contact Vanysha:

Telephone No: 0116 254 1747

Email: info@tradesexualhealth.com

To find out more about the RAP Project visit: www.lgf.org.uk/rap

Survey On Public Attitudes To HIV

From the Equality And Diversity Forum:

NAT (National AIDS Trust) launched its fourth survey ‘HIV: Public Knowledge and Attitudes 2010′, in February 2011.

Survey findings include:

•One in five adults do not realise HIV is transmitted through sex without a condom between a man and a woman.
•Only three in ten adults (30%) can correctly identify, from a list of possible routes, all of the ways HIV is and is not transmitted.
•An increasing proportion of adults incorrectly believe HIV can be transmitted by impossible routes such as kissing and spitting.
•Nearly a fifth of adults (19%) believe if a family member was HIV positive it would damage their relationship with them.
•More than two thirds of British adults (68%) agree more needs to be done to tackle prejudice against people living with HIV in the UK.
For more information visit:http://www.edf.org.uk/blog/?p=10208

Funding Tips and Tools for Creatives

Wednesday 4th May 10.00am – 12 noon, Phoenix Square, free

This session will provide useful tips and tools for writing funding applications. With exercises to help break down the barriers to applying for funding, boosting confidence in writing proposals and help with how to meet the funder’s aims. This will be a practical workshop by Kirsty Munro of Mainstream Partnership with up-to-date funding resources and information. This talk is for all levels – beginners welcome and no previous experience of funding is necessary. Book your place at Eventbrite.

A catwalk of winning collections

De Montfort University and Highcross are teaming up to showcase the city’s top budding designers during Spring fashion weekend.

Students and graduates from BA (Hons) Fashion Design and BA (Hons) Contour Fashion will exhibit their clothing and lingerie designs on static models on Friday 8 April.

Among the students showcasing their work will be third-year Fashion Design student Shavani Chavda, who won this year’s Clothes Show Live "Designer of the Year" competition with her hand-illustrated fabric prints.

Laura Carew-Gibson, winner of the "Fashion Awareness Direct" competition at London Fashion Week, will feature her Los Angeles-inspired pieces.

First-class Contour Fashion graduate Penny Newton, who won the Christopherson Award for "Design Innovation", will showcase her white body-con pieces. Sophie Anderton modelled one of Penny's styles last year and her collection is currently showing at the Houses of Parliament.

You can find the showcase on the Lower Mall near Debenhams.

Census Completion Events

Need help filling out your census forms before 6th April? Help's at hand during each of our Census Completion Events listed below.

Just come along with your forms (and questions) and we'll do our best to help.

If you need more information on individual events, please contact the relevant venue.

What you need to do for Census Day

On Sunday 27th March or the days just after, we need you to complete the questionnaire delivered to your home address.

You just need to answer several questions about you and who else is in your household on Sunday 27th March. These will cover gender, education, marital status, and other areas.


Once you've done that, post back your forms by Thursday 6th April. Or do it all online.


Wednesday 30 March
Adult Education College, Wellington Street (12pm - 4pm)


Afghan Community Centre, Wharf Street South (9.30am - 4pm)


Anatolia Cultural Centre, Kirby Road (2pm - 4pm)


Beaumont Leys Library, Beaumont Way (10am – 12pm)


Belgrave Children’s Centre, Cossington Street (5pm - 7pm)


Central Mosque, Conduit Street (6.30pm - 8pm)


Eyes Monsell Community Centre, Hillsborough Road (10am - 4pm)


Mayfield Children’s Centre, Mayfield Road (10am - 1pm)


New Parks Community Centre (12.30pm – 3pm)


North Evington Children’s Centre, 315 Gwendolen Road (1pm - 3pm)


Northfields Community Centre, Brighton Road (1pm - 4pm)


Pakistan Youth and Community Association, Earl Howe Street (1pm - 4pm)


Peepul Centre, Orchardson Avenue (10am - 4pm)


Rushey Mead Community Centre, Gleneagles Avenue (9.15am - 11.30am)


Woodbridge Children’s Centre, Woodbridge Road (9.15am - 11.30am)

To read the full diary, click here:http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/council-and-democracy/city-statistics/census2011/census-completion-events/

One Leicester - Cultural Quarter - St. George’s Festival Competition 2011

As part of the St. George's festivities and celebrations a number of venues and organisations within the Cultural Quarter are offering five lucky winners a chance to win one of the following prizes:

Competition prizes

A feast at Chutney Ivy Restaurant and Bar

Party at the Exchange Bar

A Family Cinema Ticket to Phoenix Square

A Limited Edition Framed Photograph (A4 size) of ‘Curve’ Cultural Quarter Leicester, from Jasia McArdle ‘s Urban Landscapes series 2010

Annual Family Membership to Curve

How to enter

Simply answer this question: "What is the name of the main square in the Cultural Quarter?"

A. Orton Square |B. Robin Hood Square | C. Town Hall Square


Enter now - complete the entry form here...

One Leicester - Cultural Quarter - St. George’s Festival Competition 2011


Brief Terms and conditions

Closing date: 5pm, Wednesday 27th April 2011

You must be 18 years or older to enter - due to some of the prizes
One entry per person; all duplicates will be removed

Full Terms & Conditions

All you need to know here

St George's celebrations full details

Back to the main St George's Festival Celebrarions home page:www.oneleicester.com/StGeorges

Any gay parents out there?

Are you a gay parent with grown up children? Would you like to help with a media request we've received? Email gary.nunn@stonewall.org.uk

Home-Start Leicester Trustees Required

Home-Start Leicester is looking to recruit people to join us as trustees and to take an active role in overseeing the work of the scheme.

They need people with a broad range of skills to become members of our Board of Trustees: from managers of small businesses and lawyers, to people with a background in health or social care, business, human resources, finance or accounting.
However, the main qualification is enthusiasm and an interest in the needs of families in Leicester.
They are particularly looking to recruit a treasurer and a Chair of trustees.

Home-Start Leicester is committed to equality of opportunity and diversity.

For further information, please contact:
Elaine Murphy
8-10 West Walk,
Leicester.
Tel: 0116 2540 9937
email: elaine@home-start-leicester.org.uk

Northfields launches new boxing club

24/03/2011

LOCAL sporting hero Rendall Munroe will be at Northfields youth centre on Saturday (March 26) to help launch a new boxing club.

Rendall will join city councillors and local youth workers at the centre from 1pm to 3pm, to tell young people about the boxing sessions that will be offered there from Thursday, March 31.

The launch will include boxing demonstrations and youngsters will be able to have a go at the sport, with expert tuition from local trainer Kelton McKenzie who will be running both sessions.

The club has received £2,600 from the city council’s ward community fund.

Ward Councillor Paul Newcombe, who first came up with idea of the club said: “This will be a great new activity to offer the young people of Northfields. It will encourage them to take part in sport and get fit, and they can also see what else the youth club has to offer them.

“We are able to offer the sessions thanks to funding from the council’s ward community fund. This is a good example of how these funds are helping to improve the lives of local people.”

Councillor Vi Dempster, the council’s cabinet member for young people added: “We want to introduce a wider variety of activities for young people, and clubs like this that have been set up at a local level to meet local demand are an excellent way of doing this.”

Open to young people aged between 11 and 19, the sessions will offer boxing-fit training for just £1 per session, and boxing-award sessions, running from 6.30pm to 7.30pm, and from 7.30pm to 8.30pm every Thursday.

There will be 20 places available on each session, and these must be booked in advance. To book a place or to find out more, contact city council youth worker Martin Forbes on 221 1444.

For further information please contact Debra Reynolds, Media Relations Manager on 0116 252 6398. Email: debra.reynolds@leicester.gov.uk.

Workshops prove fertile ground for novice composters

24/03/2011

A SERIES of free workshops to help people find out more about home composting is proving to be a big hit with city residents.

Three workshops have already been held and the final session – due to be held at the Rookeries Allotment, Paget Street on Sunday 27th March – has just a few places still available.

The workshops, organised by Leicester City Council, offer practical advice for people new to composting as well as expert tips for the more experienced composter. The sessions also explore the range of organic material that can be composted, from fruit and vegetable peelings, to tea bags, cardboard and shredded paper or even old woolly socks.

Jenny May, secretary of Rowlatts Hill Allotment Society, said: “Our event was fully booked and a great success. As well as being informative, the workshops help bring the community together and everyone seems to really enjoy it.”

Cllr Sarah Russell, Leicester City Council cabinet member for environment and sustainability, said: “The recent workshops have proved incredibly popular and there seems to be a really growing interest in composting.

“Over a third of an average household’s waste can be composted and turned into a low cost, high quality plant food. I’d urge anyone with enough room to grow plants outdoors to think about giving composting a try.”

To book place on the Rookeries Allotment Society workshop on Sunday (Mar 27th), call Leicester City Council's waste management service line on 0116 252 7002 or by emailing waste.management@leicester.gov.uk

City residents can also benefit from a 'buy one, get one half price' offer on compost bins by ordering online at www.getcomposting.com or by calling 0844 571 4444 and quoting reference LEC001P.

For more information visit www.leicester.gov.uk/composting

First Out Youth Group

First Out is Leicester Lesbian Gay Bisexual and Transgender Centre's social and support group for young people aged between 13 and 19 who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender or are questioning their sexuality or gender identity. First Out meets on a Thursday evening at the Centre from 7 - 9pm.

ACTIVITIES
Youth BBQs
Meals Out
Visit with other youth groups Social evenings at the Centre
For more information about the group, please call: 0116 254 7412 or e-mail Alex on alex@llgbc./com

Leicester Parents Support Group Open Day

LEICESTER PARENTS SUPPORT GROUP
OPEN DAY – 26 MARCH


Saturday, 26 March, Leicester Parents Support Group is sponsoring an Open Day at Leicester LGBT Centre from 12 noon until 3pm. Our group offers parents a safe, secure place to meet other parents to chat, discuss and learn from one another in an informal approach. It is better to resolve family issues over the difficult issue of sexuality with people who have gone through the same experiences.

Betty, Founder Member of the Leicester Parents Support Group, will lead a short discussion. The Film, Patrik 1.5, will be shown at the end of the discussion. Come share with each other and help one another to accept your son or daughter. Refreshments will be available. If you have any queries, please contact Dennis on 0116 254 7412 or email him on dennis@llgbc.com for further information.

Goran and Sven have been cleared for adoption and they have a possibility to adopt a Swedish orphan, Patrik 1,5. But when Patrik arrives he turns out to be someone else, not the little boy they were expecting. A comma had been misplaced, and in comes a 15-year-old homophobic with a criminal past

Do you have difficulty coming to terms with your child’s sexuality? .
Do you want a place to meet other parents whose children are gay, lesbian, bisexual or transgendered?



Leicester LGBT Centre 15 Wellington Street Leicester LE1 6HH 0116 254 7412 info@llgbc.com

Census 2011: only 6 days to go until 27th Match

This year's Census day is Sunday 27th March - help us make history by completing your forms or doing it online.

What is it?

A census is a survey of all people and households in the country. It provides essential information from national to neighbourhood level for government, business, and the community.

The Office for National Statistics (ONS) designs, manages and runs the census* in England and Wales. The last census was done on 29th April 2001.

What you need to do

On Sunday 27th March, we need you to complete the questionnaire delivered to your home address during March.

You just need to answer several questions about you and who else is in your household on Sunday 27th March. These will cover gender, education, marital status, and other areas.   

Once you've done that, post back your forms by Thursday 6th April. Or do it all online.

To read full article, click here: http://www.leicester.gov.uk/census/

Christmas show Peter Pan on Ice go on sale

demontforthall De Montfort Hall

by oneleicester

Don't forget tickets to our spectacular Christmas show Peter Pan on Ice go on sale tomorrow morning at 10am. Just call 0116 233 3111.

See what's on at The Y Theatre, Leicester this March Click here: http://www.leicesterymca.co.uk/y-theatre-whats-on.php?year=2011&month=03

Stonewall's Online Q&A Info Service

21 February 2011Post your comment Dear Stonewall,

I’ve been having some trouble at work ever since my colleagues found out I’m gay. I overhear them making snide remarks about it and cracking homophobic jokes when I’m in the room, it makes me really uncomfortable.
What can I do?

AP.
Stonewall says; we are really sorry to hear about your experiences. As most adults in the UK spend the majority of their time at work it’s important that they feel comfortable, safe and supported by their employer as well as respected by their colleagues. It’s also important for every employer to ensure they get the very best from their staff. As Stonewall knows, from our work in this area, people perform better at work when they can be themselves. This means that your employer should take any incident of harassment seriously and deal with complaints effectively. Under the Equality Act 2010, you are protected from harassment at work. This means not only is it beneficial for your employer to act, they might be breaking the law if they don’t.

You can find details about this legislation on our website or you could contact the
Information Service team on 08000 50 20 20.
To read full article, click here: http://news.pinkpaper.com/Feature.aspx?id=2245

Spring Clean 2011

Leicester City Council, community groups and local residents will spring into action during March as part of a citywide spring clean.

Parks groups, Groundwork Leicester & Leicestershire, local schools, universities and youth groups, are all organising clean ups in their local areas.

You can join one of the many events already organised. If not, why not organise your own event and join in Leicester's Spring Clean.

Get involved!
To join in our Spring Clean, just complete our event registration form.

Once you register, you can claim your free Spring Clean goodies including gloves, refuse bags and litter pickers.

Need more?
Get in touch.

Call us: 0116 252 7001

Email us: customer.serviceline@leicester.gov.uk

VOTERS INVITED TO THE BIG DEBATE FOR ENGLAND’S FIRST CITY MAYOR

De Montfort University (DMU) is to host The Big Debate so voters in Leicester can quiz candidates hoping to make history by becoming England’s first city mayor to be directly elected by the citizens.

Leicester is the first city in England (outside of London which has different administration rules) where the council has decided to opt for a directly elected mayor, giving voters the choice of who runs the city.

DMU, which has carried out leading research in both public administration and local politics, is staging the debate, entitled Elected Mayors: The Big Debate, in association with the Leicester Mercury.

Click here for full article: http://www.dmu.ac.uk/news_events/news/current/110211_DMUs_Big_Debate.jsp

LGBT Safety Forum Leicester

From Dennis Bradley:

The LGBT Community Safety Forum has been in existence for over 10 years now and is one of the Leicestershire Police’s Independent Advisory Groups.

The forum is made of representatives from the Police, Crown Prosecution Service, Victim Support, Leicester City and Leicestershire County Councils, Trade, the LGBT Centre and members of the LGBT community and in the past has been instrumental in developing policies and procedures designed to improve the service that LGBT people receive from the police and partners.

Recently the community membership of the group has declined and in order to try and increase community involvement again Prism have agreed to host the quarterly meetings.

The next meeting will be help at the LGBT Centre on the 22nd February starting at 7pm, food and refreshments will be provided so to with numbers if you could please email Darren Goddard atdarren.goddard8196@leicestershire.pnn.police.uk if you would like to attend.

We think that our involvement in this forum is really important as it is one of the ways that we can ensure that issues such as homophobic and transphobic hate crimes, domestic violence involving LGBT people remain firmly on the agenda for the Police and their partners and we would encourage as many of you to attend as possible.

Get fit and feel better with our New Year health and wellbeing offer! Lifestyle Fitness 'Lite' is our latest 'pounds' saving gym membership package.

Gain unlimited access to three newly refurbished fitness suites for as little as £10 per month or alternatively £15 for unlimited use of the gym and swimming pool.

Lifestyle Fitness Lite is available at the following three Leisure Centres:-

Cossington Street Sports Centre

New Parks Leisure Centre

Spence Street Sports Centre

Our Lifestyle Fitness Lite suites consist of cardiovascular, resistance and free weights equipment in varying quantities across sites.

Click here to see full details: http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/sports-services/services/lifestyle-fitness-lite/

Top authors head to leicester for the dmu arts festival.

Highly-acclaimed authors Blake Morrison and Catherine O’ Flynn are among an exciting line-up of guests joining Leicester’s De Montfort University (DMU) to celebrate 10 years of Cultural Exchanges.

Just 10 students have organised the week-long celebration of culture which begins on Monday 28 February and runs to Friday 4 March, and will feature guests and speakers from the arts, media, literature, politics and film industry.

Now celebrating its tenth year, Cultural Exchanges gives dedicated final year BA (Hons) Arts and Festival Management students the chance to plan and run a real life festival, bringing events that suit all tastes to the heart of Leicester, the UK’s largest growing cultural city.

On Thursday 3 March, DMU is joined by renowned author Blake Morrison. Among his many published works is the acclaimed novel And When Did You Last See Your Father? which in 2007 was adapted into the award-winning film starring Colin Firth and Jim Broadbent. A regular contributor to the Guardian, here he talks about the writing process and also reads extracts from his novels, including his latest celebrated work The Last Weekend.

Award-winning novelist Catherine O’Flynn is in conversation with DMU’s Dr Gary Day on Monday 28 February. Her first novel What Was Lost received great critical acclaim, winning the prestigious First Novel prize in 2008 at the Costa Book Awards. Her second book The News Where You Are, published in 2010, cemented her position as one of the most exciting new voices to emerge on the literary scene.

Other highlights in the literary field include a talk from one of the UK’s most renowned theatre critics, Michael Billington, to discuss the responsibilities of a reviewer and the ever changing demands of the profession. This event takes place on Monday 28 February.

A stimulating evening of poetry bringing together readers Maggie O’Sullivan and Sean Bonney is also taking place on Wednesday 2 March.

Festival director Tony Graves said: “Cultural Exchanges is a unique festival and every year it grows in size and significance. The students have done an excellent job attracting speakers of such a high calibre to the festival and they should be congratulated for their hard work.

“This is a stimulating programme of arts events to have in Leicester and I would urge people to come along and have a look at what’s on. We hope the festival has something for everyone.”

Around 4,000 people are expected to attend over 40 events this year.

Tickets go on sale Thursday 10 February 2011. The full festival programme is now available to view online at www.dmu.ac.uk/culturalexchanges
The vast majority of events are free to attend but booking is advised. There may be a small entrance fee for events with headlining guests.

For a brochure of events or any other enquiries please call the Cultural Exchanges team on 0116 250 6229.

Save your pennies by taking advantage of a range of activities you can do for FREE in Leicester!


There are FREE activities for all age groups to enjoy across the city - explore a new part of town, discover one of Leicester's parks, pick up a new hobby, enrich your life in 2011 by volunteering or keep fit and feel great.


We've also listed just a few of the suggestions people have sent in, plus highlighted winners of a recent competition. Why not send in your suggstion too... Send us your ideas for FREE things to do in Leicester. We will endeavour to publish all clean and suitable suggestions below. Simply email us and tell us 'One thing you like to do for FREE in Leicester'. Keep it clean! Send to: info@oneleicester.com


E.g. Paul Smith: "Play footy on Victoria park with my mates".

Full details here: http://www.oneleicester.com/uniquely/free-activities/

Talulah Blue's Burlesque Showcase

Talulah Blue is showcasing new Burlesque talent, with more acts than ever.

Come along to a Burlesque night Jam packed with entertainment, with classic Burlesque, comedy Burlesque amazing costumes and authentic live music from Gypsy Jazz band.

Thursday 05 May 2011   For one day only

Starts at 8pm  Finishes at1.30am

The Musician, Clyde Street Leicester. LE1 2DE

Cost£5 - £7 on the door

talulahblue.com@hotmail.com

http://www.talulahblue.com/
0116 2510080

Charity challenges disapproval of same-sex parents in survey

One third of adults questioned by Barnardo's believed gay and lesbian couples were worse parents than heterosexuals.

Gay and lesbian couples make worse parents than heterosexuals, according to almost one third of the adults questioned for a new Barnardo's campaign.

The belief is so prevalent, said Anne Marie Carrie, the charity's new chief executive, that it is discouraging significant numbers of people from considering adoption at a time when adoptions are at an historic low.

"Our poll not only highlights a disturbing and prevalent belief system but also a deepening concern that children in the care system are continuing to lose out on potential parents," she said.

Carrie said the idea that gay parents are second best "must be challenged". "To suggest that a same sex couple is not as able to raise a child as a heterosexual couple is at once absurd and unsubstantiated," she added. "To continue to discourage potential adopters simply because of their sexual orientation is severely diminishing the chances of securing loving, stable homes for the children who are waiting."

Click here to read full article:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/jan/31/gay-rights-parents-and-parenting

Paragraph 175 – Leicester LGBT Centre Film For Holocaust Memorial Day

From Dennis Bradley:

Today is Holocaust Memorial Day. This day commemorates the millions of victims of the Holocaust across Europe and the rest of the world. At Leicester LGBT Centre we will remember the tens of thousands of LGBT people who suffered and died as a result of the years of brutality and hatred during the Facist regimes in Europe.
�
I would like to remind everyone that this evening the Centre will host the film ‘Paragraph 175.’ The movie will start at 7pm in Leicester LGBT Centre and will be shown free of charge. Come along and see this fantastic and haunting reminder of those dreadful years.

Click here for a synopsis of the film: http://www.citizenseye.org/2011/01/27/paragraph-175-leicester-lgbt-centre-film-for-holocaust-memorial-day/

The Guide For Gay Dads Now Available

A guide for gay fathers has been launched, offering advice on adoption, fostering and surrogacy to gay couples who want to become parents.

The Guide For Gay Dads is written by gay equality charity Stonewall which said “there’s never been a better time for gay men to start a family”.

The book, which is sponsored by the London Sperm Bank, gives practical tips on how to become a father as well as facts about sperm donation and co-parenting.

It also spells out legal changes affecting gay couples and contains a glossary of key terms in parenting.

For more information about this story visit the Press Association website at:http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5h9SLMXN70dBdTpkwsxrj4QG55ngg?docId=N0083921288009457400A

Figures Show Large Rise In Number Of Hate Crimes

See the following article published in The Independent written by Wesley Johnson:

More than 50,000 hate crimes were reported across England, Wales and Northern Ireland last year, figures showed today.

These included more than 43,000 race-related crimes and almost 5,000 incidents motivated by whether a person was straight, gay or bisexual, the police service figures showed.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/figures-show-large-rise-in-number-of-hate-crimes-2147469.html

Inclusion Web Resource Pack

The National Development Team For Inclusion has launched the Inclusion Web Resource Pack – a practical resource for organisations and groups supporting people to increase their community inclusion and help demonstrate service effectiveness.

The pack includes a redesigned version of the Inclusion Web which is now illustrated in an attractive and colourful style in an easy to use leaflet.

To access the resource pack online see:http://www.ndti.org.uk/publications/ndti-publications/inclusion-web-resource-pack/

County Council On List Of UKs Most Gay Friendly Employers

Leicestershire County Council has been ranked 30th in a list of top 100 gay friendly employers.
The list is published annually by Stonewall – the national gay, lesbian and bisexual rights organisation.
Competing against 378 employers from the private, public and voluntary sectors, the County Council has demonstrated that it takes equality for lesbian, gay and bisexual people seriously.
Council leader David Parsons said: “We are pleased with this achievement but we must continue to do what we can to ensure that the County Council is a place where all employees are able to achieve their full potential.”
To read more click here: http://www.citizenseye.org/2011/01/21/county-council-on-list-of-uks-most-gay-friendly-employers/

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Pink Triangle Training

Pink Triangle Training is a social enterprise servicing third sector organisations. Our mission is to improve LGBT lives by addressing the training gap in the specialist area of sexual orientation.

Employment legislation and legislation for social change concerning sexual orientation has left many employers and service providers confused about this sensitive and often still taboo component of the equality and diversity agenda.

Pink Triangle Training has brought together expertise from trainers, employment lawyers, HR specialists and others to develop courses which highlight sexual orientation issues and give clear guidance for compliance and best practice.

Further details can be found here :http://www.pinktriangletraining.com/index.html

Latest News at Leicester LGBT Centre

Over the last few weeks the Centre has striven to develop a new way to keep you up to date on the latest news and events around LGBT Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland.  In doing so we have begun to utilise a section of our website called (Interestingly enough) LATEST NEWS.


Click here to read more