Q:alliance members, volunteers and stakeholders (i.e. Non-members with a interest or ’stake’ in what happens to the LGBT community in Milton Keynes) are all invited to the meeting.

The Meeting Room’s location will be in the Acorn House building (381 Midsummer Boulevard, Central Milton Keynes MK9 3HP). Please arrive at the front desk for 6:30pm, as that is when the security staff will expect people to be arriving. You shall be escorted to the meeting room from there. Please note that significantly late arrivals cannot be guaranteed entry to the premises, as it is after working hours.

Q:alliance is always on the look out for potential volunteers and trustees. It is hoped that this meeting can offer a better understanding of what we do, and allow a greater number of people that are interested to come forward and get involved. Anyone with a positive interest is welcome, and we note that the board of Trustees is currently lacking in representation of Lesbian, Bisexual and Transgender people. More representation would be welcomed.

If you cannot attend the meeting, but wish to forward a strategic proposal to us, please send this by Thursday 5pm to Peter Kingham, our Chair of Trustees, via e-mail: peter {at} qalliance.org(.)uk

All the best,

Q:alliance – Lesbian, Gay, Bi & Trans in Milton Keynes

For those who couldn’t make it, minutes of the meeting are available on request from: communications {at} qalliance.org(.)uk .

David. x

It’ll be a nice occasion where you can meet other people in the LGBT community. Nibbles will be provided.

Another reminder: The deadline for submissions to become a Q:alliance Trustee is at 1pm on Thursday the 2nd of June 2011.

If you’d like more of a say in what LGBT support exists in Milton Keynes, please send a short biography of your experience and knowledge of such tasks to David Ennis. E-mail it to: communications {at} qalliance.org(.)uk

Our AGM is coming up on the 3^rd of June 2011, and we would like to invite you to consider becoming a member of our management team. This is more commonly known as a ‘trustee’ position.

In addition to the seven trustees who will be seeking re-election at the AGM, there is room for at least one more Ordinary Member to join the management team.

The team meets on average once a month, but meetings may be more frequent if, for example, Q:alliance was developing a new project.

If you want to become more involved in the actions of Q:alliance through joining the team, please submit a short biography of your experience and knowledge of such a management to David Ennis (that’s me). E-mail it to: communications {at} qalliance.org(.)uk

The deadline for submissions will be 1pm on Thursday the 2^nd of June 2011.

In terms of what would benefit us most at the present time, it would be good for us to have a Lesbian representative on the management team. If you have a desire to develop Lesbian interests in Milton Keynes, please do put your name forward.

If you would like more information about trustee positions before you submit an entry, please feel free to e-mail me.

Kind Regards,

David Ennis
Community Engagement Officer
Q:alliance – Lesbian, Gay, Bi & Trans in Milton Keynes

(you may need flash installed on your PC or Mac to view the following video)

We’d love for you to take a look at the strategic plan and let us know any comments you have about it. If you think it’s good, bad, missing something important, or just think a little bit needs adjusting or tweaking let us know by emailing info {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.

If you’d like to get more involved strategically, operationally or doing stuff on the ground with LGBT people in Milton Keynes and the surrounding areas email volunteer {at} qalliance.org(.)uk.

Also feel free to print off our Services Leaflet and display in appropriate places. To see either document click on the images below.

(PDF file, 115KB)

(PDF file, 106KB)

Do you have 4 hours a month to spare?

Q:alliance is looking for a representative for the LGBT community on the MK Anti-Hate Crime Policy Group…

Role: MK Anti Hate Crime Policy Group LGBT Rep.

The job: Attend the 6 weekly hate-crime policy group in MK, canvas the views of LGBT people in MK on Hate Crime Policy, contribute on the LGBT/homophobia/transphobia perspective at the meetings and then report back to LGBT communities in MK via Q:alliance’s website, Facebook, etc.

Time commitment: 4 hours a month.

Skills needed: Awareness of and ability to take a collaborative approach to tackling racist, homophobic, disablist and transphobic incidents. Confident, good communicator. Strategic thinker.

Other info: Representatives from police, community safety, housing, probation and MK Equalities Council commenting on policy and ways to increase reports of hate-crime. Daytime meetings – usually 2 – 4pm in Acorn House, Midsummer Blvd CMK. Q:alliance can provide background and training.

For  further details: email Gwil Roberts (a Q:alliance Trustee) at gwilym.roberts {at} relatemk(.)org  or visit SaferMK.

I attended a conference on 1st Dec to look at what’s out there for people living with HIV in Milton Keynes. We had an interesting presentation by a HIV support organisation from Leicester which showed us what a good service looks like and spent time looking at what our needs were to live happily with HIV in MK.

Over half the people at the event were living with HIV, there was only one local gay positive man – most of the others were African people and there were a small number of white heterosexual women too.

It felt exciting to be in a safe space where people could talk honestly about their HIV status – their lives and the way they (often) need to keep it secret to avoid social stigma.

It was clear that there were vastly different needs for the different groups (gay men will often need different messages and services to African women) and also different needs at different stages – a newly diagnosed person will need very different things to someone who’s been on therapy for 10 years.

I was struck by the lack of communication at strategic level between people interested in HIV prevention and those interested in care services. This needs changing.

I was also struck by the importance of communications and advertising – most positive people in MK are unaware of the services available to them – we all need to get better at telling people about whet we do.

I was pleased to learn that MK has some specialist services – but I really don’t blame the (many) gay men I know who choose to access stuff in London – they just have more experience and resources there.

So, where’s it all going? If you are living with HIV and would like to tell us what you think of current services in MK, please get in touch (we will not share your details with anyone) – Q:alliance can let you know who’s out there to help or even talk directly to commissioners on your behalf if you prefer.

In the meantime, watch this space for news of NEW outreach in MK’s popular cruising areas next year and regular visits to Pink Punters.

Current HIV services in MK include:

• STaSS – HIV support organiastion
• H4 – Counselling for people living with HIV
• HIV Quick Testing – Free and confidential testing

Rainbow, the biggest gayest bus in the world outside the British Museum for the LGBT History Month pre-launch

In this posting are some highlights of what our volunteers have been up to in the past week and things that have caught our attention. You can follow our Facebook and Twitter accounts to get the latest from Q:alliance and can check out our Events Calendar to keep up to date with LGBT-focused or related activity in MK.

We went to the LGBT History Month pre-launch on Thursday and learnt lots about some fabulous projects that took place across the country for the last LGBT History Month, as well as hearing some great news about what’ll be happening next February. There’s *lots* of exciting and/or interesting things that’ll be happening in MK -from Q:alliance and others – and we’ll make sure to tell you more about them when things are firmed up. We’ll also link to the presentations we went to when LGBT History Month make them available.

Ask Jo is coming back! Our website advice column for LGBT, or questioning, people in MK is back after far too long an absence. If you have a problem or dilemma that you want advice on send an email to jo {at} qalliance.org(.)uk – In the past Jo has helped people with coming out, relationship issues, coping with bullies, how to date well, sex advice and a whole range of other issues. We’re also looking for more of your coming out stories.

One of our volunteers popped along to CMK Library to see their Out & Proud section, and we asked people for book suggestions we could send the library to make it even better. If you have any suggestions, do email us at info {at} qalliance.org(.)uk or, even better, tell the library service yourself.

Our counsellors have some appointments available. If you want to talk to someone in confidence, or find out more, see our Counselling page.

Today is International Transgender Day of Remembrance. The 20th of November is set aside to memorialise those who are killed due to anti-transgender hatred or prejudice. This year 117 trans people worldwide are known to have been murdered out of hate and ignorance. Many hundreds, if not thousands, more have taken or attempted to take their own lives. In the past two months, two transsexual women have been murdered in the UK – Andrea Waddell from Brighton and Destiny Lauren who was killed in Kentish Town, London…