Lewisham LGBT Forum

This has been doing the rounds – we first saw it shared by a friend in the Lewisham BME Network group

1. Keep a ‘quarantine’ diary / blog

2. Write a ‘bucket list’ of 50 things you want to do when you are out of self-isolation

3. Join an online book club

4. Use private outdoor space to have access to fresh air

5. Use online videos to enjoy home workouts / keep fit / yoga or other exercise classes

6. Learn a new dance, using YouTube or just get moving to music

7. Get your cookbooks out and bake a cake or some cookies

8. Register for an online training course

9. Watch some films or TV box sets, or get recommendations from friends on what they are watching on Netflix

10. Spring clean your cupboards

11. Write a letter to a loved one or someone you care about

12. Choose 5 people you haven’t heard from for a while and send them a text message or Whatsapp message

13. Arrange group video chat sessions with your friends, get them booked in the diary

14. Read a book or download an audio book

15. Go through your wardrobe and list 3 items you don’t want anymore on Facebook Marketplace / Ebay or other online sites

16. Download some online games, and encourage your friends to download them too, and take part in online challenges together

17. Learn how to knit or crochet

18. Make or review your finances, budgets and savings plans

19. Use Comparethemarket or other similar websites to review bills and household goings

20. Go through your food cupboards and check expiry dates and reorganise using the oldest food first

21. Listen to Podcasts

22. Do a crossword or Soduku to challenge the mind

23. Learn a new language

24. Play board games

25. Play a musical instrument, or learn a new piece of music

26. Complete a puzzle

27. Have a Spa afternoon, have a bath, use a face mask, give yourself a manicure

28. Learn calligraphy

29. Use YouTube to learn a new skill or technique

30. Play board games

31. Colouring

32. Take time to reflect – what have you achieved over the last year, what are your future goals

33. Write a short story or start writing a novel

34. Spend some time on household maintenance, all those jobs we put off as we don’t have time!

35. Organise all of your photos on your phone or make a Photobook

36. Rearrange all your furniture, make your home feel like a different space

37. Write a list of all your friends and family and the gifts you want to buy them for Christmas this year

38. Play on a games console (e.g. Nintendo, Playstation or Xbox)

39. Create a ‘Mind Map’ (to capture the thinking going on in your head)

40. Clean up your emails

41. Make and install a bird feeder

42. Play with your pets

43. Do some work in your garden / private outside space

44. Upcycle something in your house

45. Learn how to draw / paint

46. Learn how to make soap or scented candles

47. Make greeting cards

48. Trace your ancestry, spend time talking to family and go through photo albums

49. Do the housework

50. Sleep…get lots of it, time to rest and recharge

It is with extreme sadness that we have to announce that we recently heard that one of our Lewisham LGBT Forum members, Paul Quigley, has died from Coronavirus COVID19

Paul was also a much loved volunteer with 17-24-30 National Hate Crime Week and Rainbow Boroughs

Sending out Love & Light 💔

❤️🧡💛💚💙💜

Photo copyright (c) Mark Healey

During this difficult period we will be sharing and updating information across various social media channels so please do follow us on:

Twitter: ‪@LGBTLewisham‬

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/1619959918290050/

WordPress: www.LewishamLGBTForum.wordpress.com

NB for the avoidance of doubt, if it don’t have our logo on it, then it ain’t us!

You can find up to date resources, links, and info about the latest Coronavirus COVID19 situation plus free films, books, and conferencing apps etc on our dedicated page https://lewishamlgbtforum.wordpress.com/coronavirus/

We have uploaded a new page of Coronavirus COVID19 info, links and resources

‪‬It contains links to the latest info about the virus from NHS and Public Health England and WHO (World Health Organisation) plus key Twitter accounts to follow. We’ve included links for local Mutual Aid support groups via Lewisham Local, and national Mutual Aid support via CovidAid19.

We’ve included a listing of free conferencing apps which make it easier for groups of friends to stay in touch with each other.

We’ve also included links for free online books including children’s books, and free LGBT films via the Leeds Queer Film Festival, plus links for free 3 months of movies via MUBI.

If anyone has additional resources they would like us to include, please contact us

Stay safe ❤️

Sending out a HUGE thankyou to all those who responded to our call for recommendations for our Trans Recommended Books/Authors List.

A special thanks to Juno Roche, Mzz Kimberley aka Kim Tatum, Ramses Underhill-Smith, and Fox Fisher for giving us their personal book recommendations and allowing us to use their photos in the booklet/posters. An additional big thankyou to cliniQ, and Lily Bowden at publishers JKP for helping us with additional materials for posters for the display version.

There was a total of some 40 or so recommendations.

We would very much like to thank both L&Q and Metro for their generous support in helping us out with LGBT flags and printing of bookmarks and business cards which form part of the displays.

Our specially curated list and display forms part of our drive to raise Trans visibility in the borough of Lewisham generally, and specifically during LGBT History Month where previously there has been an almost total absence of Trans people.

Given recent attacks on the Trans community we feel it is important for us to support our Trans family, and reiterate the importance of LGBT solidarity and love, and emphasise #LGBTwithTheT.

Our Trans Recommended Books/Authors List is a companion piece to our previous Black/BAME LGBT Recommended Books/Authors List. The intention is to build the Recommended Books/Authors List to include a Lesbian List, a Gay List, a Bi/Pan List, a Disabled LGBT List, and a general LGBT+/Queer List.

Last year during Black History Month and LGBT History Month we used the pages/posters of our Black/BAME LGBT Recommended Books/Authors List as part of a poster display in Lewisham Library and others around the Borough of Lewisham.

Similarly, this year, Lewisham Library is hosting our Trans Recommended Books/Authors List in their window display space and also using some of the books in the list to form a display inside the libraries along with our Lewisham LGBT Forum rainbow bookmarks which were inserted in each book to let readers know where to reach us. We hope this will be farmed out to other Lewisham Libraries and venues.

You can open and download a copy of the Trans Recommended Books/Authors List in PDF format here: trans-books-list.pdf

You can open and download a copy of the Black/BAME LGBT Recommended Books/Authors List in PDF format here: bame-lgbt-author-books-list-xc.pdf

The PDF can be read as an electronic document and also forms a series of 14 A4/A3 posters (it will print well up to A3 size).

Please get in touch with us if you’re interested in hosting a display of the list.

We also have an expanded display pack version with ancillary posters of Trans related books.

We’ve got lots of exciting things up our sleeve for LGBT History Month! We’ll be releasing details shortly! Watch this space!

Lewisham Council have asked us to be involved in a follow up to the Democracy Review Focus Group we held with them last year to gather the views of local LGBT people.

Lead officer, Liz Bryan writes:

Thank you to those of you who contributed to the first phase of the review during last year.

There were many recommendations made and I have been working with the lead Councillors Cllr Juliet Campbell and Cllr Sakina Sheikh to take forward this recommendation:

‘develop and improve how the Council  actively engages with seldom heard groups and individuals to inform decision making that will impact on them’

Lewisham LGBT Forum has agreed to host this discussion which is in the Civic Suite in Catford on Tuesday 12th November from 7-9pm.

I would be grateful if you can come along and encourage people you know who might not usually attend to come and give their views.

Kind Regards

Liz Bryan

It would be great to see you there if you’re able to make it! 

Your support would be very much appreciated. Come down and make your voice heard! 

Refreshments will be provided!

Please do spread the word! 👍 

bame-lgbt-author-books-list-xc.pdf

Sending out a HUGE thankyou to all those who responded to our call for recommendations for our Black/BAME LGBT Recommended Authors & Books List during Black History Month 2017.

A special thanks to John Amaechi, Phyll Opoku-Gyimah aka Lady Phyll, Khakan Qureshi, Rob Berkeley, and Jazz Tehara for giving us their personal recommendations and allowing us to use their photos in the booklet/posters.

There was a total of some 40 or so general recommendations and around 30 or so personal, named recommendations.

Our specially curated list forms part of our drive to raise Black/BAME LGBT visibility in the borough of Lewisham generally, and specifically during Black History Month and LGBT History Month where previously there has been an almost total absence of Black/BAME LGBT.

As many people know, Black History Month is in October in the UK and February in the US. LGBT History Month is in February in the UK and October in the US. This gives us the perfect opportunity to raise Black/BAME LGBT visibility during both February and October.

Last year during Black History Month and this year in LGBT History Month we used the pages/posters of our Black/BAME LGBT Recommended Books/Authors List as part of a poster display in Lewisham Library and others around the Borough of Lewisham.

Lewisham Library made a display using some of the books in the list to form a display inside the libraries along with our Lewisham LGBT Forum rainbow bookmarks which were inserted in each book to let readers know where to reach us.

You can open and download a copy of the Black/BAME LGBT Recommended Books/Authors List in PDF format here: bame-lgbt-author-books-list-xc.pdf

The PDF can be read as an electronic document and also forms a series of 16 A4/A3 posters (it will print well up to A3 size).

Please get in touch with us if you’re interested in hosting a display of the list.

The Lewisham LGBT Forum would like to get your responses on our forum and what we could focus on next. We have set up a survey, so if you are interested or involved in the forum please fill it in once, it would be very much appreciated and help us evolve.

Here’s the link to the survey: https://www.surveymonkey.com/r/W6S2DTQ