Regard Annual Report to Annual General Meeting of 8 September 2007

Co-Chairs’ Report

Ju Gosling, Karen Shook, Phil Reynolds and James Haskings write: Since our last Annual Report, we have continued to work to make Regard a secure organisation that is able to meet the needs of Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender (LGBT) disabled people. Many thanks for this must go to our Secretary, Phil Gosling, who has worked very hard on our behalf. You can see his report below.

You will notice that we are holding our Annual General Meeting (AGM) earlier than usual this year. It is less than a year since you received the last Annual Report. The reason we have done this is because people felt it was easier to travel in September than December. We hope this makes it possible for more people to attend our AGM in person, and look forward to seeing you there.

By the time that we hold the AGM, we should have exciting news to announce about our Patrons. We should also have a new logo.

Some of our areas of activity over the past nine months have been:

Social Care

Our Co Chair Ju Gosling and our Secretary Phil Gosling (they are not related) and they both have PhDs so are both called 'Dr Gosling' - have represented Regard at the Commission for Social Care Inspection (CSCI). CSCI regulates all social care providers, including social services departments, residential homes and care agencies.

Ju and Phil are members of the 'Equality and Diversity Experts by Experience group', representing users of social care. LGBT issues are being taken more seriously by CSCI - if you have any experiences that you would like to share, or points that you would like Phil and Ju to make, please get in touch (our contact details are at the end of this report).

Media

Regard is still working with the media to raise awareness of issues affecting disabled LGBT people. As part of this, Co Chair Karen Shook was featured in Diva magazine earlier this year, talking about relationship issues for disabled women. Co Chair Ju Gosling and another Regard member were also quoted in the same article.

NB: We are often contacted by magazines, newspapers etc wanting to speak to disabled LGBT people. If you are happy to talk to the media about your experience of being L/G/B/T and disabled, then let us know.

London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival

We were disappointed that there was still very little access for disabled people at this year's festival at the National Film Theatre (NFT). Even though we wrote to the festival organisers last year. The festival is a chance for visitors from throughout the UK, to get together as well as showing the best selection of LGBT films available. We are fed up with not being able to get tickets because we are wheelchair users, or not being able to access the films because we are BSL users, or need audio description where none exists, and/or need to be able to book seats near the front in order to see or hear and none have been reserved for us.

Because of this, we wrote to all of the Trustees of the British Film Institute (BFI), who run the NFT, demanding better access. We have now had one very positive meeting with them about improving access to next year's festival, and more are planned. If you would like to be part of the group meeting with the BFI, or would like to know more about our work to improve access at the festival, then please let us know (our contact details are at the end of this report).

Pride

We have been working to create a 'Pride access template' for regional Pride organisers. This is because based we have lots of experience while we have been working with London Pride over the past 15 years. You will be able to get this from our website soon. If you are involved with a regional Pride, let us know and we will send you a copy.

Unfortunately, Pride London has become more and more uncooperative over the past few years. Access issues have become less and less important. Our 'needs' have been based on the Medical Model of Disability and that we need 'looking after' (St John's Ambulance were asked to provide the access stewards this year!)

Over the past few years a big 'festival' for Pride has become too expensive to put on. Many of the people previously involved with Pride Festival have become involved with the march instead. Before this, the march was under the direct control of the community.

We are now putting together a report about the access problems at London Pride, which seem to be getting worse. Regard will be presenting this to their funders and sponsors to ask for their support in improving access again. If you have any experiences of London Prides 2006 and 2007 to report, good or bad, then please let us know as soon as possible (our contact details are at the end of this report).

Government policy

You may already know that the Government is drawing up plans to create a single Equality Act at the moment. This would be a wonderful opportunity to increase our rights, but the 'Green Paper' (for people to make comments) that has just been produced, is a great disappointment, as nothing seems to have changed. Over the summer, we will be responding to the Government about this and asking for improvements to be made.

Representation

We continue to represent Regard at a variety of committees, meetings and organisations, including the UK Disabled People's Council (formerly known as the British Council of Disabled People, or BCODP). We also speak at meetings and conferences on issues affecting disabled LGBT people.

Minibus

In the past few months, we have affiliated to Brent Community Transport so that we have access to a minibus. Previously we had affiliated to a different company, but this had lapsed. We chose the new company because they are able to provide us with a fully accessible minibus that has an automatic gearbox. Having access to a minibus will mean that we will be able to pick up and drop off members attending our Executive Committee and general meetings from the main London station. We will also be able to use the minibus for social occasions, for example visiting Brighton Pride.

However, now we need drivers. Karen Shook has already taken and passed the minibus test, but will shortly have surgery on her hand so will be unable to drive for a few months. If you are over 25 with a full clean driving licence, are based in or near London and would like to drive the minibus for Regard, please get in touch (our contact details are at the end of this report).

Please also let us know if you are a Regard member from outside of London and the South East who would like to affiliate to a local community transport organisation on behalf of Regard.

Regard Groups

We encourage Regard members to organise informal or formal groups in your local area. For example, an informal group might meet for a drink or meal once a month in a local LGBT venue for a social get-together. A formal group might meet in a disabled people's organisation and have meetings with an agenda, minutes etc and represent the interests of LGBT disabled people within the local area. Either way, we can help you to contact other Regard members in your area and advertise groups to them.

Email groups

We operate two email groups for Regard members: Regard Online, and Regard Chat. Regard Online operates very much like an official newsletter: we send you emails about LGBT or Regard news or items of interest. Regard Chat is a social group; you are welcome to discuss Big Brother and/or raise more serious issues for discussion. To join either or both groups, email secretary@regard.org.uk 

Secretary's Report

Phil Gosling writes: The Secretary's job is to make sure that Regard operates legally, efficiently and effectively. This involves preparing the Agenda and writing-up the Minutes of Executive Committee (EC) meetings and general meetings; acting as the first contact for correspondence from members and outside organisations; and making sure that all the "legal paperwork" is in order.

Background - Our Structure

Regard operates through a legal structure known as an unincorporated association, which is registered as a charity with the number 1056873. This is the Regard that you know and are a member of. However, for business convenience we also operate through a company called Regard (GB) Limited, which is entirely separate. Regard (GB) Limited was set up in 1999 as a condition of our grant funding when we ran our three-year Community Fund-financed development programme.

To make this structure work, the members of the Executive Committee (EC) double up as the members and directors of Regard (GB) Limited. Charitable status was granted to the company in August 2004, under register number 1105458. You can see the entries for both organizations on the Charity Commission website at www.charity-commission.gov.uk. We will still use this structure for now, but will also continue to watch out for an opportunity to 'streamline' the way we operate in the future.

Your Executive Committee

The Regard EC has met twice this year, in March and June. We will meet again at the AGM and in November, thus meeting quarterly. Sign language interpreters (SLIs) have supported these meetings. EC members have been able to keep in touch day-to-day through email and an online discussion group. In the coming year, we hope to be able to use the Internet for telephone conferencing too.

There are not enough Committee members to do all the things we want to do, so if you have the time, please consider standing for election at the Annual General Meeting (we can vote for you in your absence if necessary). If you have any questions, please do contact us about it (details at the end). NB: We can make alternative arrangements for EC members who find email hard to access.

The current members of the EC and their responsibilities are:

o Female Co Chair: Ju Gosling/Karen Shook
o Male Co Chair: Phil Reynolds/James Haskings
o Secretary: Phil Gosling
o Membership Secretary: VACANT
o Treasurer: Julie Newman
o Policies and Procedures: Karen Shook (acting only)
o Electronic Friendship Co-ordinator: VACANT
o Newsletter and Communications Co-ordinator: Karen Shook (acting only)
o Website Editor: Ju Gosling (acting only)
o Archive and Photo Publicity Co-ordinator: Chris Killick
o Database Manager: Phil Reynolds/David Tyler
o Fundraising and Sponsorship Co-ordinator: VACANT
o Liaison with Disability Groups and Individuals: Julie Newman
o Liaison with LGBT Groups and Individuals: Kirsten Hearn (co-opted)
o Liaison with HIV Groups and Individuals: Haroon Anwar
o Liaison with Learning Disabilities Groups and Individuals: Mathew Emile (co-opted)
o Liaison with Deaf Groups and Individuals: Haroon Anwar
o Liaison with Older People's Groups and Individuals: Lindsay River
o Liaison with Youth Groups and Individuals: VACANT
o Liaison with Black and Minority Ethnic Groups and Individuals: VACANT
o Liaison with Transgender Groups and Individuals: VACANT
Sorting out the Legal Paperwork

Organisations like Regard operate within a strict regulatory environment. Each year, a certain amount of "legal paperwork" needs to be filed with the Charity Commission, Companies House and sometimes the Inland Revenue as well. I can report that all the legal paperwork for the past year has been filed on time.

Bank Accounts

For several years now, Regard has been having problems getting access to its bank account with Nat West Bank. This has inevitably slowed down our ability to fundraise, as well as making bookkeeping more difficult. I have been working with Julie Newman (Treasurer) to sort this out with only partial success despite the long time we have been attempting to do so. We have now lodged a formal complaint with the bank.

As a result, we have opened a new account with the Unity Trust Bank. When all the problems with Nat West are resolved we will close our account with them and use the Unity Trust Bank instead. Unity Trust is the bank that all trade unions use. They are particularly accessible because they allow us to nominate any high street branch of any bank to use for day-to-day banking, and to change this when necessary. We hope this will mark the end of all the time we have had to waste with Nat West.

Correspondence

A large part of the Secretary's role is acting as first point of contact for correspondence from individuals and organisations to Regard. This comes through our BM postal box, our website and the Secretary's email address. Details of all these ways of getting in touch are given at the end of this report. Where necessary, correspondence is forwarded to the relevant EC member(s) to deal with directly.

Improving the way Regard works

I have continued to work with other EC members to develop a sound framework for the internal workings of Regard. However, because of the time taken up dealing with other things - principally Nat West - little progress has been made. Further progress must and will be a priority.

Treasurer's Report

Julie Newman writes: This has been a year of consolidation. As Treasurer, I have worked closely with the Company Secretary to organise the bank account and the company accounts. Regard continues to be viable as a company and the accounts are presented later in this report.
In light of this, it is now time to plan for the year ahead. In consultation with the other officers, we will be putting together a list of priorities and linking them to a financial strategy and a business plan. It is important for the continued growth of the organisation that this process will be the main target for the Treasurer in the coming year, as the business plan will include fundraising activities.

Over the last few years, the Trustees have talked about a range of projects for future development. The results of many of these discussions will be included in the proposed strategy for the growth of Regard. However, if any Members or Officers have ideas for project proposals that they wish to be included in the preliminary draft stages, there is still space on the agenda to discuss it. Please find contact details at the end of the report.

Ways of contacting us

By post: BM REGARD, London WC1N 3XX

On the Web: www.regard.org.uk

By email: secretary@regard.org.uk 

NB: We hope to have a telephone contact number soon.

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