Family Champions

Make a difference for LGBT+ families in Derbyshire - become an LGBT+ Family Champion.

If interested, email Families Worker Sonia on soniat@derbyshirelgbt.org.uk or call on 01332 207 704.

What is a Family Champion?

Although here at D+ we create LGBT+ Family specific spaces, we know that so many important conversations happen at dinner tables, school gates, playgrounds and in passing.. we want to support as many people as possible to be able to confidently represent and advocate for the LGBT+ community in these scenarios.

To support this, we’re creating a network of Parent Champions across Derbyshire. A Parent Champion is an expert through lived experience (of being LGBT+ or caring for someone who is LGBT+) who understands the needs and issues of our community and wishes to have a positive impact on lives of other local LGBT+ families.

LGBT+ families come in all shapes and sizes, and you might be:

  • a person who is/was planning a family through adoption, fostering or IVF

  • a person who has had children (even if they are now adults), including those adopting or fostering

  • a person who is a close support network of an LGBT+ family

What does a Family Champion do?

Having a positive impact on lives of other local LGBT+ families means a lot of different things.

In your own life, this might look like:

  • lending a listening ear for a LGBT+ questioning young person

  • educating children on the LGBT+ community through play and activities

  • holding conversations with a parent about being LGBT+

Within the community, this might look like:

  • Supporting with planning or running events at Derbyshire LGBT+ such as our monthly LGBT+ Family Group

  • Helping develop new events, programs and spaces relevant to your own experience

  • Joining a steering group and contributing thoughts and ideas to improve LGBT+ representation and the local offer for LGBT+ families in the community e.g. in Family Hubs

  • Feeding back on processes or policies impacting LGBT+ families such as the recent CASS report or Government Guidance on gender questioning children

We don’t need you to have all the answers to become a Parent Champion - we’ll provide you with training and support - but we would ask for an open mind and reliability. To us, this looks like:

  • Open mind : The way we view LGBT+ - the community, key issues, language - will vary based on our own lived experiences, and so we would ask Parent Champions to stay curious when language or experience you have not heard about before is mentioned.

  • Reliability : We know that life is busy and so we’re happy for Parent Champions to contribute based on their capacity, but would ask to honor any plans and arrangements, keeping communication lines open.

How are Family Champions supported?

  • We’ll connect you with other LGBT+ individuals, groups and organisations.

  • We’ll host an online group space for you to connect with other Parent Champions.

  • We’ll facilitate regular meets for Parent Champions to connect, share learnings and experiences

  • We’ll provide training on topics such as LGBT+ language, history, difficult conversations.

  • We’ll cover any travel, food and material expenses.

  • We’ll provide you with a DBS check.

  • We’ll support the Parent Champions network to create their own “consortium” and aim.

  • We’ll support you to run your own groups, events or programmes supporting local LGBT+ families.

Interested in joining us?

Email Families Worker Sonia on soniat@derbyshirelgbt.org.uk or call on 01332 207 704.