CHE in the news
Book launch at CHE AGM
CHE's AGM on the 4th of July was the setting for the launch of Out of the Shadows, edited by Tony Walton, a history of the pioneering London gay groups and organisations, 1967–2000.
See the Out of the Shadows web page, which includes information about the book and its contributors and how to order it.
John Gallagher elected Deputy Mayor of Ealing
Congratulations to CHE Member, John Gallagher, who has been re-elected as Councillor for South Acton Ward, and subsequently elected as Deputy Mayor of Ealing for 2010–20011.
Alan Louis' funeral
CHE Executive members and friends were much in evidence at Alan Louis' funeral on the 29th of April at Golders Green Crematorium. We heard tributes from several people who had known Alan, plus a selection of his favourite music. Afterwards we went to the Tea Room for light refreshments.
CHE joins the Cutting Edge Consortium
CHE has become a corporate member of the Cutting Edge Consortium, a unique coalition of faith-based and non-religious social justice organisations, civic groups, trades unions and professional associations, opposed to religious exemptions from legislation on sexuality and gender identity. For more information about the Cutting Edge Consortium, e-mail cuttingedgeconsortium1@googlemail.com.
General Election 2010
Our campaign of writing to prospective parliamentary candidates has its own page on this website.
Second Derek Oyston Film Award
For the second year running, CHE has presented the Derek Oyston Film Award as part of the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival. This year it went to The Kuchus of Uganda, directed by Mathilda Piehl. See our Film Award page for more about this.
CAGS affiliates to CHE
Croydon Area Gay Society (CAGS) recently voted to affiliate to CHE, under CHE's new affiliation arrangements.
Death of Alan Louis
It's with great sadness that we report the death of Alan Louis, CHE's Community Liaison Officer and a long-term member of the Executive Committee.
Alan had been an active supporter of CHE for many years and took a particular interest in services for older LGBT people and the "murder music" campaign.
Alan died on the 4th of March at Bart's Hospital.
CHE at the Consortium Conference
At
least five CHE members (including three Executive members) attended the
Consortium Conference (that's the
Consortium of lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and
Transgendered Voluntary and Community Organisations) at an hotel in London on the 30th of
January 2010.
A lot of the delegates visited our stall and took copies of the leaflets and the Annual Report and Spring Newsletter.
We had some interesting discussions, and are hoping to pick up some new members as a result.
Robert Cook dies
We were very sad to hear of the death on 28th December 2009 of
Robert Cook, a very long-standing supporter of CHE. He died instantly of a
heart attack while waiting at a bus stop.
Bob set up the original lesbian and gay policing initiative about 20 years ago, and was one of the leading members of LMG (London Monday Group for Homosexual Equality) as well as Returning Officer for CHE's annual elections. He was always a good person to talk things over with, and will be much missed.
The funeral was held on Thursday 14th January, at St Mary Abbot's Church Kensington, where Bob acted as archivist.
Chris Smith becomes a Vice-President
CHE is delighted to announced that Lord Smith of Finsbury has agreed to become one of our Vice-Presidents. As Chris Smith he was Britain's first openly gay MP and he's currently Chairman of the Environment Agency.
Sue Sanders honoured
Sue Sanders, co-chair of Schools Out, has been announced as the first recipient of the CHE Derek Oyston Award, in conjunction with GALHA. More about this...
CHE moves offices
CHE has agreed to take up office space provided by the
Consortium of Lesbian,
Gay, Bisexual and Trans-gendered Voluntary and Community Organisations in Block J of the Tower Bridge Business Complex, Bermondsey.
The agreement, confirmed
at the CHE Executive Meeting on the 29th of May 2009, takes
effect from the 1st of June, and gives CHE much improved office
facilities plus the benefit of being co-located with other LGBT organisations.
Our new postal address is:
CHE, c/o LGBT Consortium
J111 Tower Bridge Business Complex
100 Clements Road
London SE16 4DG
Our new telephone number is:
020 7064 6510.
CHE launches film award
For the first time, this year CHE, in association with the London Lesbian & Gay Film Festival, presented The Derek Oyston CHE Film Award. The award, value £2,000, was for the film screened in the London Lesbian and Gay Film Festival which most reflected the aims and objectives of CHE.
The intention of the Award is that it will encourage filmmakers to make films which document the experience of campaigning and the continuing struggles for LGBT rights in the UK and around the world.
Old campaigners reunited
CHE held a very
successful reunion event on Sunday 15th February 2009
as part of LGBT History Month.
The event, at Friends Meeting House in Euston Road, was open to all
present and former members of CHE and their
friends.
We had an excellent turnout including members from different periods of CHE's 40-year history. Our Vice-president Ray Gosling cut the cake, and several of those present renewed their membership of CHE.
The CHE Executive have decided that the Reunion is to become an annual event.
CHE — past and future
CHE's Life President, Allan Horsfall, writing in the November 2008 issue of Out in the City magazine (page 91), talks about the origins of CHE and why it is still very much needed today.
CHE
leaders talk in Croydon
Allan Horsfall (CHE's Life President) and Ray Gosling (a CHE Vice-President) spoke at a meeting of Croydon Area Gay Society on the 2nd of December 2008.
See the CAGS press release for more details.
