Posted: 03/01/2021 by Hilary Cooke 3 Comments

Pride 2021

Now its here 2021, at Medway Pride we are working on Pride 2021. What is it going to look like on the glorious summer?

Well, we are working to develop on the success of Gravesham & Medway Virtual Pride 2020, which came together over 3 months after we had to cancel the parade and festival at Rochester Castle due to the COVID 19 Restrictions.

#G&MPride2020 was a successful event with everyone from both Medway & Gravesham Prides pulling together to create an 8-day virtual pride festival out of what would have been 2 separate pride events. Gravesham Pride & Medway Pride were both producing their 1^st Pride events and had put a large effort into planning their separate events.

Together we were only able to deliver the virtual event due the financial support from the event sponsors and fantastic artists who gave their creative endeavours, free of charge, to deliver video content, both produced, pre-recorded, or delivered as live events. We also had a small but fantastic team of organisers who worked to bring the sponsors, artists, and volunteers together and live stream the event over 8 days. You can still watch over 95% of the video streamed during the pride festival on this web site and appreciate the work the artists and contributors gave to the event.

Gravesham and Medway Prides are now looking to produce their 1^st live Pride events in 2021. Building on the legacy of #G&MVirtulPride2020 we are looking at producing both live pride events separated by a week in August where we wish to collaborate with other organisers to create an 8-day festival from 14^th to 21^st August 2021.

It is difficult at this time to be certain of where we will be regarding live public gatherings in August this year. We are developing contingency plans to adapt the pride festival for the conditions that may be in place in August. We are hopeful that the full real-world event can take place but Pride will happen and comply with whatever rules are in place later in the year.

We are therefor looking for help to produce Medway Pride 2021.

If you are a supporter, we would love to hear from you. We need to raise donations & sponsorship to cover the cost of producing and delivering Medway Pride Parade from Chatham High Street to Rochester Castle, and the cost of producing and delivering a Pride festival at Rochester Castle Grounds, plus the events with Gravesham Pride over the 8-day period.

If you are a sponsor, artist, event organiser, volunteer please contact us at he***@me*********.uk or use our contact form.

You can make a donation via our PayPal account buttons on this web site.

Last Updated: 17/01/2021 by Hilary Cooke 1 Comment

Pride 2020 – A creative expression from the community

2020 will be remembered for many reasons, some of them great like the support communities gave to each other during the restrictions on socialising during the year, some of them not great at all like the isolation and anxiety caused by those restrictions, separating families and individuals from their support networks. One of the consequences of the social restrictions has been the cancelation of events that bring communities together.

Across the world events have been affected, one of the casualties has been LGBTQIA+ Pride. 2020 was the year Medway Pride had planned to hold a parade and festival, which had to be cancelled in favour of a virtual event #GMVPride2020. Pride is not just a chance to party with your friends, it is also a means to demonstrate human diversity and promote equality for all. It is also an opportunity for LGBTQIA+ organisations to raise funds to allow them to carry on providing the support to those who need help throughout the year.

Medway Gender & Sexual Diversity Centre, a Rochester based LGBTQIA+ support organisation, had an idea to create a public mural to record the Medway Pride 2020 event and effects that COVID 19 placed on the community.

With the support of Ideas Test, a creative arts organisation working in Swale and Medway, who provided a small grant a Medway Pride Mural was created.

The mural was a collaboration, based on ideas formed during discussions with members of the MGSD Centre community and artist Renee Kathleen who designed and created the mural using acrylic on canvas as a half size artifact. This was then reproduced as the full-size mural utilising a local print shop onto an aluminium composite board and erected at the entrance to the MGSD Centre building 331 High Street Rochester.

This is not the end of the creative project though. MGSD Centre is working with Medway Pride & Nucleus Arts to host a gallery exhibition during LGBT History Month 4^th to 10 February 2021.

The Medway Pride Mural (Acrylic on Canvas) will form the centre piece of the exhibition which is based on the theme of Pride in Lockdown.

Call for Creative Exhibits

We are calling on creatives to produce artifact using their preferred medium to represent how they celebrated pride during the social restrictions during 2020. We are also looking for work that represents all aspects of the support or isolation that individuals encountered during the lockdown periods.

We are looking at all creative forms including but not limited to, Paintings, Craftwork, Photography, Videography, Written Word, Performance.

Written work can include comments, statements, poetry, essays which we will include in book form for the exhibition.

We are looking to use some of the written work to be included as part of the public mural.

If you wish to contribute to the Medway Pride History Month Exhibition please contact MGSD Centre by the end of December 2020 via in**@mg*********.org

Last Updated: 04/09/2020 by Hilary Cooke Leave a Comment

Medway Pride Mural

LGBTQI+ Pride 2020 during Covid 19

Call for Art, photography & Written Word

Last Updated: 20/06/2022 by Hilary Cooke Leave a Comment

Creatabot

Creatabot is proud to be a partner in Medway Pride. Due to Covid-19, Medway Pride 2020 will be presented online from 15th to 21st August 2020. We are very excited to announce that we are collaborating with Gravesham Pride to bring a bigger better virtual event for that week.

ABOUT CREATABOT

Creatabot was founded in November 2010 by Natasha Steer and is run from Dragon Coworking in Chatham, Kent.

Originally a website that promoted creativity in Medway, Creatabot has grown to become an organisation that is regularly commissioned for community engaged creative, heritage, health and arts activities. Delivering these commissions often includes involving other creatives and partners.

Commissioners include Medway Council, AMAT UK, Langley House Trust, The Forward Trust, Ideas Test, the Huguenot Museum and Medway Teaching Alliance.

For more information

https://creatabot.co.uk/

https://www.facebook.com/creatabotworkshops/

Last Updated: 18/08/2020 by Hilary Cooke Leave a Comment

Kent Fire and Rescue Service

Our customer Promise

We’re here to help keep you safe whether at work, home or as you move around Kent and Medway. We deliver services for everyone working and living in our changing community. We aim to give people advice and support in order to reduce the risk of fire and other emergencies as they go about their daily lives. Of course, accidents still happen and we aim to provide an excellent emergency response when it is needed, meeting the needs of every individual involved.

Respect, fairness, compassion

We recognise without bias the rights, needs and dignity of others in all our contact with you and will work to see things from our customers’ perspective and treat everyone with compassion, fairness and respect
We will ensure all people, but particularly those with a disability; lesbian, gay, bi-sexual and transgender people (LGBT); ethnic minority people; older people; and people from minority faiths, are aware of our services, feel confident to access them and understand how they can be adapted to meet individual needs.

Your safety

We offer a wide range of safety advice and services to help keep you safe. All of our services and advice are provided free of charge. You can find out more from our website If you would like to talk to us about a Safe and Well visit or have any fire safety worries about your home, please call our Safe and Well team on 0800 923 7000 (Monday to Friday 9am to 5pm, voicemail outside these hours) and we will be happy to get in touch.

Work for us

Kent Fire and Rescue Service is a great place to work. We have good conditions and will provide training to help you deliver the best possible service to the public. We pride ourselves on having well-trained professional staff, and an open culture which values diversity and equality of opportunity in employment.

Though we’re best known for rescuing people from burning buildings, firefighters aren’t the only heroes we employ. Behind the scenes, there are many professionals working hard in essential roles the public doesn’t see, including our fire and rescue control team, information systems technicians, finance, HR, Customer Safety and more. Though some of them may not be frontline staff, they all play a vital part in keeping the people of Kent and Medway safe. Any vacancies are advertised on our website and on our Facebook page and Twitter.

You can also sign up to receive any new job alerts.

Last Updated: 17/08/2020 by Hilary Cooke 18 Comments

Turning Point

Medway Active Recovery Service
423 High Street Chatham
Kent ME4 4NU
Phone: 0300 123 1560

At Medway Active Recovery Service, we know that successful treatment starts with being there. Drugs or alcohol can affect many aspects of an individual’s life. We get to know the person, to understand exactly what they need to make positive changes. We work together with a number of local organisations to make sure we deliver an holistic service for our service users. We also work with significant others, those individuals who are supporting someone with substance misuse issues; this is our 5 Steps Carers Group. Group work: Individuals can choose specific interventions according to their needs and where they are within the change process. We offer brief motivational courses, such as Introduction to Change which is designed to provide people with a chance to think about what of change they would like to make, as well as more structured workshops exploring lifestyle changes, problems people might be facing and how they can manage their thoughts, feelings and behaviours in a different way.

We offer the following group work:
1. Introduction to Change
2. Mindfulness based Relapse Prevention                                                        3. Reclaim
4. Recovery Skills
5. Resilience
6. Resolution and Alcohol & Wellbeing

Online Support: We also offer guided self-help, online support and a programme to support concerned family members and friends. Our treatment programmes allow us to work effectively with clients who are ready to make changes as well as those who remain ambivalent or lack the confidence about taking the next steps

Harm Reduction Services: We provide to help reduce harm and they include Blood Borne Virus screening, immunisation and support; tailor made needle exchanges, safer injecting paraphernalia; safer injecting information and support; foil to smoke instead of injecting and needle bins. We also facilitate onward referrals to Intuitive Recovery, a group based programme aimed at supporting service users to maintain and develop enhanced coping strategies and relapse prevention tools.

How you can get in touch You can use our online contact and screening form at any time of day here

http://wellbeing.turning-point.co.uk/medway/hubs/chatham-hub/

and we will begin planning the next steps of your journey. If you have a quick question or need to change an appointment you can use our “Live Chat” button at the bottom of the screen when we’re freeIf you need to speak with a member of our team please call us on 0300 123 1560. We’re available 9am to 5pm on week days.If you need out of hours emergency support, you can call us on 0300 123 1560Drop-in: you can drop in to our hub anytime during office hours Monday to Friday 9am to 5pmRefer to us via email: me*************@tu***********.net

Use our referral form

Posted: 17/08/2020 by Hilary Cooke Leave a Comment

Medway Africarribean Association

Our non-profit organisation in Medway is dedicated to charity work. The associations exists to: promote an awareness of African and Caribbean Culture, through arts, educational and social programmes, primarily for the benefit of it’s members but also accessible by the wider community. It also acts as a means of support to members on issues to do with racial harassment, undertaking prison visits, as well as many other functions. The following pages present detailed information about our work and those we help.GET INVOLVED

About us

We promote an awareness of African and Caribbean Culture, through arts, educational and social programmes. We also support members on issues to do with racial harassment, undertaking prison visits, as well as many other functions.

Contact us

Promoting an awareness of African and Caribbean culture, through arts, educational and social programmes.GET INVOLVED

Our address

MACA
c/o The Sunlight Centre
105 Richmond Road
Gillingham, Kent
ME7 1LX

Last Updated: 17/08/2020 by Hilary Cooke 1 Comment

Medway Voluntary Action

A catalyst for social change

Celebrating 30 years of service in 2019, MVA works towards a Medway where communities are active, empowered and connected. We support local not-for-profit organisations, groups and community members to develop skills, build resources and amplify their voice.

About Us

Established in 1989, and now embedded within Medways communities for over 30 years, Medway Voluntary Action (MVA) has a strong history of supporting and representing Voluntary, Community and Social Enterprise (VCSE) organisations in Medway

There is a lot of information about how MVA helps the local community in the video above.

Contact Us

To contact us please click here.

Last Updated: 04/09/2020 by Hilary Cooke Leave a Comment

METRO Charity

We promote health and wellbeing and celebrate difference

Our vision

METRO’s vision is for a world where diversity is celebrated, difference respected and valued, and where optimum health and wellbeing for all is a collective goal.

Our mission

Working collaboratively with our staff, volunteers, users, partners and supporters to make a difference to people’s lives, we champion equality, nurture aspiration, embrace difference and challenge others to do so.

We promote health and wellbeing through our transformative services to anyone experiencing issues relating to sexuality, gender, equality, diversity and identity, and use our unique insight from these transformative services and our diverse heritage to influence decision makers and to effect positive change.

Our values

Innovation

We strive to deliver cutting edge, creative and entrepreneurial solutions to the individual, cultural, economic, historical and social problems we identify.

Insight

Our services and our change agenda are informed by our understanding of the power of human connection and relationships and our unique relationship with the people and communities we work with and for.

Integrity

We believe in the transformative power of inclusive services, products and experiences that are accessible to all.

Investment

We support the aspirations of all our members and users, and embrace these aspirations to ensure the sustainability of the charity through entrepreneurialism and social return on investment.

Our goal

We will to harness the power of difference and diversity to inspire and support people and communities to realise their assets and potentials and aspirations.

Our history

METRO was established 1984 in response to the development of the Greater London Council’s Lesbian & Gay Charter, Changing the World.

Originally operating under the name The Greenwich Lesbian and Gay Centre and providing telephone advice and support groups, the charity broadened its remit in 1994, working in partnership with statutory and voluntary organisations serving lesbians, gay men, bisexual and trans (LGBT) people and those questioning their sexuality.

Over the next decade and beyond, METRO has extended its services beyond Greenwich, and across South East London, until eventually it began working not only across the whole of London, but nationally and internationally.

In early 2008, the membership of METRO agreed to amend its Constitution to provide services to all people experiencing issues related to sexuality, identity, gender and diversity.

From its inception, METRO has taken a holistic approach to lesbian, gay bisexual and trans health and well-being and continues to acknowledge that our ability to create supportive environments for LGBT people depends not only on our strengths as an organisation, but also on our capacity to build alliances and partnerships that empower all people who confront discrimination because of their sexuality, gender, identity or HIV status.

In recent years we have developed a range of services and that support African people and communities affected by HIV consolidated and expanded since our merger with Harbour Trust in December 2010.

Where we work

Our services map

Metro Get It Serrvice

Pronoun Use

Last Updated: 13/08/2020 by Hilary Cooke 3 Comments

Welcome to Clover Street, the Medway sexual health hub

Our main sexual health hub is at Clover Street in Chatham.

We provide a complete range of sexual health services including contraception, STI testing and treatment, psychosexual therapy services and care for people living with HIV. You can also pick up free condoms from any of our clinics.

Under 25? We’ve got services that are just for you.

For advice and opening times call our Central Booking Team on 0300 123 1678 (please note this is not a clinic number).

Please vist our Facebook page for more videos

What can we help you with?

Discreet and convenient
Free chlamydia and gonorrhoea test
Play it safe and get tested
Chlamydia and gonorrhoea screening I need

There are lots of different ways to prevent an unwanted pregnancy, choose the one that’s right for you and your partner.
contraception I need some

You can get free condoms from any of our clinics, or if you’re aged 13-24 you can register for the ‘Get It’ scheme and pick up free condoms from a local pharmacy, or online.
condoms

Get It SchemeFree condoms and advice for young people
SH:24Condom advice from SH:24
NHS ChoicesGuidance and advice on condoms from the NHS

If you have had unprotected sex and are worried about unplanned pregnancy, act fast! You have 2 choices of emergency contraception.
I’ve had unprotected sex

If you think you have an STI, it’s important to been seen quickly by a qualified professional. Don’t be embarrassed or ashamed, we are here to help you, and we really have seen it all before!
I think I’ve got an infection

We provide treatment and support to people who are affected by HIV. Your GP or another health professional can refer you, or you can refer yourself if it’s easier for you. You can expect a completely confidential service from us.

If you are worried that you may have HIV then come to any clinic and talk to us about getting a test.
about HIV Services

Some of our clinics are especially for people under the age of 25.

for under 25s

The Apple Tree project is designed to make sure that reasonable adjustments are made when a person with learning disabilities needs an appointment at a sexual health clinic.

By asking for Apple Tree, the person taking the call immediately knows that the caller needs a double appointment.

Apple Tree

Learning Disability Service
0300 1234 195
ke************@nh*.net

Sexual Health Service
0300 123 1678
kc***********************@nh*.net

Watch our patient journey film

Pride 2021

Pride 2020 – A creative expression from the community

Call for Creative Exhibits