MGSD Centre with support from the Test Bed Fund are starting three new befriending & support services for the LGBP Community. These services will initially be virtual support groups but will eventually if the members wish develop into meeting both virtually and face to face for those who wish to.
Please email us if you are intrested in joining any of the groups below
A Lesbian Befrending support group
A Bisexual & Panseuxal Befrending and support group
A Gay Men befrending and support group
If you are intrested in any of these new groups please contact us at
The South East Gender Initiative was formed in October 2011 by members of the LGBTQI+ community who formed the management committee. SEGI is a Constituted Not For Profit Community Group who manage the Medway Gender & Sexual Divesity Centre (MGSDC) which is based in Rochester, Medway, Kent. The members of our management committee come from a diverse background and have direct experience being part of, and/or working with, lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, asexual, trans/non-binary, gender diverse, gender non-conforming people and people with gender incongruance, people who have or are undergoing gender reassignment, people who are questioning their gender or sexual identity.
We work with partners providing health promotion programs for LGBT people, deliver trans awareness training to organisations i.e. Kent Police, NHS Trusts, Social Care Providers, Counsellors and other health professionals and providers of health and wellbeing services.
MGSD Centre Services
The South East Gender Initiative (SEGI) project Medway Gender & Sexual Diversity Centre (MGSDC) provides a place where LGBTQI+ people their families and friends can meet in a safe environment to enable them to receive peer support, education, training, advice, and information, signposting opportunities for service users to access services with partnership organisations and other service providers.
SEGI / MGSDC also provides a resource to other organisations, public bodies and private companies to enable them to understand the needs of the Transgender / Non-binary & Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual community in Medway, Kent and the South East of England.
Kent Equality Cohesion Council (KECC) evolved out of the North West Kent Racial Equality Council and came into being in April 2010.
We work in partnership across Kent with both the voluntary and statutory sector to promote community cohesion and to eliminate discrimination. We currently have partnership arrangements with Kent County Council, Gravesham Borough Council, Dartford Borough Council, Gravesham Citizens Advice North & West Kent, Kent Fire & Rescue Service and Kent Police.
Cohesion + St Georges Day
We provide free advice and support around a range of diversity issues relating to Race, Faith, Disability, Sexual Orientation, Gender and Age. Our service is fully confidential. We are also specialists in community development, community outreach and community cohesion work across the County of Kent and provide training and policy development as and when required across both the voluntary and statutory sector.
SHOWCASE – Providing affordable space to exhibit in Chatham & Rochester
SUPPORT – Promoting access to the Arts for over 15 years throughout Medway & Kent
Nucleus Arts is the Award Winning flagship arts organisation founded by the Halpern Charitable Foundation. The Foundation was the brainchild of the late Hilary Halpern and it was his dream to promote the Arts in Medway and Kent. Nucleus Arts has become the cultural and creative heart of Kent & Medway over the past 15 years (founded in 2002) and focuses on affordability, accessibility and excellence in the Arts.
Featuring a wide variety of works by local artists, Nucleus Arts aims to prove that beautiful, original and unique works of art can be both attainable and affordable, whilst at the same time providing low-cost studio space to artists in order to enable them to be able to practice their Art.
Now in our 15th year, Nucleus Arts has sites in Chatham where artists can create and display their work. Open to the public (and free to enter), constantly updated, the Nucleus showrooms are a haven for local art lovers and a wonderful retreat for those who want a little something different from their shopping trip.
Remnants HC is still the only openly gay women’s hockey club in London – maybe in the UK! Remnants HC is a friendly club which welcomes gay, bi and straight women alike.
We welcome all hockey abilities from, “I’ve never even held a stick,” to, “I used to play at school,” and even “I’m world-class and looking for a fun new club.” We don’t discriminate!
Many of our club members are also here for our social scene, meeting new friends whilst getting fitter. Our members mostly come from south-east London and Kent so we can usually organise transport for those who need it. So get in touch and we look forward to welcoming you to our club.
The season runs from September to April. In the summer months we often play Rush Hockey and this year, we also took part in the first London Pride cup organised by London Royals HC in June 2018. Many of our members also take part in other sports events, like Pride 10K, Park run, London Marathon…
Off the hockey pitch, we also have a number of social events like escape room nights, swingers golf club, cocktail nights, London pride, country walks… In the summer, we also run Rush Hockey sessions every two weeks. Keep an eye on the calendar for events during the new season.
We play our games in the Kent league on Saturdays from September to March. When we play at home, our games take place at Colfe’s School at 12:00 or 10:30. We play teams all over Kent, from Dartford, Sevenoaks, Marden, Blackheath or Faversham. Feel free to come and along and cheer.
On Tuesday nights we train at Colfe’s school from 7pm and there are also a number of indoor rush hockey session during the winter.
Coop Store SO 04 06. 4 Wainscott Road, Wainscott, Rochester, ME2 4L,
Happy Pride to Gravesham & Medway Virtual Pride today. Having to celebrate with online events as their main event was cancelled due to Covid19. #ItsWhatWeDo #Beingcoop
Local causes Fourth Reserve In 2019 we delivered £17m to over 4,000 local causes, thanks to our members.
When Co-op members shop with us, 1% of what they spend on selected Co-op branded products and services goes to support local causes through our Local Community Fund. Members can choose a local cause that they want their 1% to support.
Are you good with people and passionate about helping others? Could you be #MoreThanTheBadge?
The role of a police constable can be demanding but it’s that variety which makes it one of the most rewarding jobs around. Every day presents a new challenge and you’ll deal with different situations to make sure public order is maintained, at all times.
You’ll be responsible for protection of life and property as well as prevention and detection of crime. Working as part of a close team, you’ll help to serve and protect the diverse communities and businesses of Kent.
Join #TeamKent as a police officer and you’ll receive a starting salary of £25,582, rising to £42,128 within your first 7 years.
Note: these figures include a yearly £2,500 South East allowance. As of April 1 2020, the allowance has increased to £2,500 and the starting salary is £25,582.
Join Gravesham & Medway Pride 2020 wherever you are during August 2020 via any internet enabled device. You will be able to access the event via our web sites,
The year 2020 will be remembered as the year normal life stopped for most people, due to the measures put in place to try and control the COVID-19 Pandemic.
2020 will also be remembered by the LGBTQIA+ community as the year that Pride like so many other things had to go virtual. The street parades and parties may have been cancelled or postponed but the community has been as creative as ever in replacing the physical events with virtual pride events.
Pride is not just about a party though. It is through pride events that we can reach out to individuals who may feel isolated, to let them know it is ok to be who they are and to love who they love. Pride is a mechanism to break down the barriers of fear and mistrust, by raising awareness, developing understanding, and reducing fear. It is an opportunity to celebrate everyone who is different and raise them up to fight for the equality and human rights we all seek and deserve.
Medway Pride is working in collaboration with others who see the importance in delivering #VMPride2020 for the community. It will not be the same as the original planed event, but it will still bring the community together through You Tube, Facebook, Zoom, Watch Parties and other social media, we can still celebrate and support each other.
Medway Pride is also a means to raise funds to support the development of services for the LGBTQIA+ community of Medway. Services that are not available or have barriers in place that prevent access to those services. It is for these reasons that we are holding #VMPride2020 as a fundraiser, not only fund the cost of producing the pride event for this year and 2021 but also to create a fund to support service development in Medway for the LGBTQIA+ community.
We began Medway Pride 2020 in February with an Art exhibition during LGBT History Month and we are continuing now as we begin Pride Month June 2020 by promoting Pride events running up to Virtual Medway Pride 2020 in August.
So please keep an eye out for upcoming events on our web pages, support us by contributing to the Medway Pride Fund and most importantly ‘BE YOU’, keep safe and take care of yourself and others around you.
Pride events began as a demonstration to demand equality rights for LGBTQ+ communities. Over the past 50yrs they have been part of a movement that successfully challenged laws that discriminated against them. Today LGBTQ+ Pride events have become community coheision events, encouraging all communities to come together and celebrate equality with the LGBTQ+ community as Allies . A lot has been achieved but there are still sections of the community, (especially the Trans and Non-binary gender community) , who have many challenges to overcome.
A great deal as changed since the first London Pride 1972, but change in society has been mixed and slow. Section 28 exacerbated the equality rights of LGBTQ+ people and caused delay in reducing stigma in society. In part this stigma and rules against promoting equality for LGBTQ+ communities gave rise to a wariness of engaging with government bodies and local authorities including the Police.
Today things have changed for the better in the UK, the repeal of section 28 in 2003, plus new anti-discrimination laws (2010 Equality Act), provided protection of equality rights for disadvantaged groups. The Public Sector Equality Duty placed a duty on public bodies to harmonise the previous race, disability and gender equality duties and to extend protection to the new protected characteristics listed in the Act.
As a result of these changes Kent Police have been determined to engage with all of Kent & Medway’s diverse communities, encouraging them to join and work with a progressive police force.
Working with community representatives, for example ‘Kent Independent Police Advisory Group’, they have been able to hear the voice of diverse groups and make changes to help break down barriers, improve policing practices and policies for the whole community.
Part of this engagement includes supporting communities thought events like LGBTQ+ Pride, and recognising staff networks like the Kent Police LGBT+ Network
The Kent Police LGBT+ (lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender +) Network provides support for all levels of Kent Police so that all staff work in a fair and secure environment where they can be who they are. They also work with communities in Kent ensuring that LGBT+ people have appropriate access to the services offered by Kent Police and aim to dismantle barriers to LGBT+ people accessing police services.
Kent Police LGBT+ Network provide inputs to the volunteer police cadets around LGBT+ role models and how to support LGBT+ young people.
SuperintendentAmanda Tillotson Advised ‘As the Chair of the Kent police LGBT+ support group I am immensely proud of not only the support we give to our staff but also the strong links we have formed with our communities. We are avid supporters of the Pride events and I’m grateful for the opportunity this gives us to engage with the public and other partner agencies. We very much look forward to the 2021 events but during these unprecedented times it is important for us all to stay safe. Meanwhile why not follow us on KentPoliceLGBT+ @GpaKent‘
LGBTQ+ Community Support
Examples of Kent Police actions to support LGBTQ+ Community
Pride and Transgender Flags – Kent Police raised the Pride flag at Kent Police Headquarters, and the Transgender flag at Kent Police College on International Day Against Homophobia, Biphobia and Transphobia and February 1st to mark the first day of LGBT History month. This was also publicised on social network to show solidarity for the LGBT community.
Pride Cars – Three Kent Police cars with LGBT Pride police markings and the No Hate logo continue to be used on general patrol in the three divisions, sending out the message of valuing difference. The Pride cars are additional used at community diversity event. Pride Events Kent Police have attended Pride events in Kent at Canterbury, Folkestone, Tunbridge Wells and Margate utilising the Pride cars and having LGBT+ staff in attendance.
LGBT History Month
During LGBT History Month, a display was place in the Kent Police College foyer about LGBT historic figures. As well as internally promoting LGBT History Month, Kent Police attended Mid Kent College campus’ at Maidstone and Medway to provide a LGBT+ stand.
Metro Youth Event The LGBT+ Network along with the Medway CLO attended and had a stand at a Metro youth event for LGBTQ young people. Members of Kent Police promoted Kent Police as a career choice to the young people, as well as providing hate crime information.
LGBT+ Awareness Training
Specific LGBT+ terminology training is being undertaken with operational officers and PCSOs to keep them up to date with LGBT terminology and to equip staff to be more recognisable of gender identity. All new members of staff within the Force Control Room receive the training.
LGBT+ Hate Crime
Business cards have been produced by Kent Police, for distribution at community events with information on LGBT+ hate crime reporting.
Hate crime unfortunately affects many communities including the LGBTQI+ community. Kent Police have been proactive in their work to increase the reporting of hate crime, through engagement at pride events, 3rd party reporting hubs and working with independant organisations to increase reporting, raise awareness of and obtain feedback on hate crimes via the hatecrime.app tool. This app has links to enable report of hate crime to Kent Police and True Vision web sites, plus a survey on reporting experiances.
Beyond the badge
It is important for Kent Police to be representative of all the communities they police. They have a program of positive action to help individuals progress from application, through progression in the force, to achieve their desired goals. They are looking for new recruits now! so this is the perfect opportunity for people from LGBTQ+ and other diverse communities to join Kent Police and be part of that community representation.
Your Police Service and communities need you, so please get in touch with us if you are at all thinking about a career in policing as we would love to hear from you.
I would like to talk to the Positive Action Team about how I can help support Kent Police’s recruitment ambition to recruit a police service that better reflects our local communities. po*************@*********ce.uk
Medway Pride 2025 Fund Open
Medway Pride Lottery Fund
Support Medway Pride 2025 Fund Play the Medway Pride Lottery with a chance to win £25,000
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Last Updated: 07/08/2020 by Hilary Cooke Leave a Comment
Much Laughter
WHAT WE DO
Much Laughter specialises in Charity Comedy Nights, running monthly gigs to raise money for local charities and non-profit organisations.
With new talent cropping up all the time, we also run preview and work-in-progress shows.
Much Laughter are on hand to arrange Charity Comedy Nights in Medway and surrounding areas to suit all budgets.
In the future, we are planning to open a stand-up workshop to help vulnerable children and young adults grow in confidence.
For more information visit https://muchlaughter.co.uk/