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Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, The "plus" represents other sexual and gender identities

Our LGBT+ network aims to ensure that regardless of employee’s sexual orientation and gender identity, the opportunities are equal and that staff can feel comfortable raising issues and tackling discrimination.

This network will provide an open forum for our LGBT+ colleagues to share their experience of the workplace in a supportive and safe environment. The network will provide a ‘listening ear’ for our LGBT+ colleagues as well as seeking their views to help shape our inclusion agenda and enable us to focus our efforts on actions that will make the biggest and most positive difference.    

Since October 2019, when we launched the Rainbow Badge initiative, we have had 1132 pledges - an overwhelming response and fantastic reflection of the commitment to create an inclusive hospital.   

Learn more about the NHS Rainbow Badge and make your pledge here.

When is the next LGBT+ Staff Network session? 

The LGBT+ Network sessions take place on the third Wednesday of every month at 2pm.

The MS Teams invite will be sent out to the LGBT+ Network members each month. Complete the sign up form to join the LGBT+ network.

 

Network Chair

Martin Jared-Davis

 “Hello, I am Martin Jared-Davis and I work as a Senior Assistant Technical Officer in Histopathology. I joined the Trust back in 2016 and have always been committed to improving Equality, Diversity and inclusion within the Trust. I am delighted to be the Chair of our LGBT+ Network and that we, as a trust, have been able to move forward with all these networks, in spite of the Covid pandemic.

“The LGBT+ community is a large and complex group with many issues facing them and they can face discrimination from many areas in life. The Covid pandemic has helped highlight some of these.

“Working with the LGBT+ network I aim to help educate and inform our staff about these issues and what it is like to be an LGBT+ person. I hope to help make informed updates to policies and SOPs to allow our staff, and patients, to feel understood, respected and welcome.

“I would like to thank everyone for the opportunity to work with the LGBT+ network, and our other networks, to help make this trust a more open and understanding place for everyone.  My door is always open to anyone that needs it. Whether you just have some questions that need answering or you have an issue you need to raise, you are not alone.”

Network Champion

Stuart Windsor

I am really pleased and humbled to take over from Lenny Byrne as the Executive Champion for the LGBT+ network. The network provides an open forum for our LGBT+ colleagues to share their experience of our workplace in a supportive and safe environment, and provides a ‘listening ear’ for our LGBT+ colleagues.

Creating an environment in which we can all be our authentic selves is not only a vital part of our own inclusive workplace culture, but also for our wider community and our patients. Part of the contribution that we can make is missing if we cannot bring our whole selves into work.

I grew up in rural North Devon in the 1970s and headed towards London when I was 18. I would like to think that 30+ years later the world is a different place, but you only have to read recent stories, and hear members of our community speak about their experiences to know there is still a long way to go. I want to take this opportunity to say a huge thank you to Martin for his leadership of the Network, and I really look forward to working with him and the Network to support the continued delivery of positive change.

This photograph is from 2005 at my first Pride event in Reading – a lifetime ago. Bonus points if you can name the person I am photographed with, and the dog!