Hi I’m Ian. I have been working as CEO at Derbyshire LGBT+ since April 2015, and my background is working within various LGBT projects, and running Nottingham Pride.

I am extremely passionate about improving the rights and services for LGBT+ people. There is still a huge amount of work to do before LGBT + people have true equality, and I hope my time here will allow us to work towards that aim.

Hello! My name is Ryan, I am the Manager of Derbyshire LGBT+, I have been working at DLGBT+ since August 2015 and prior to this, I trained in counselling skills in Southampton.

I am passionate about working with the LGBT+ community and being part of the amazing work that DLGBT+ does across the county. Much has changed in the last 50 years, however there is still lots of work to be done in ensuring the safety and rights of LGBT+ people, and here at Derbyshire LGBT+ we are here to help make sure that happens.

I’m often out and about in Derbyshire, training or doing outreach, meeting with partner agencies, so feel free to say hello.

I was born in Manchester then moved to London and stayed there for 32 years. I taught in primary schools for 28 years. I was a Deputy Headteacher in a fantastic small primary school in East London for 10 years. My husband and I adopted two children in 2014 and decided to move up to Derbyshire to give our children a better quality of life. We love it here and cherish the move we made.

Like many LGBT+ people, my experience at school was horrendous. I became a teacher to improve the experiences of any child who felt different to others whether they identified as LGBT+ or not. That continues to drive me now in my work at D+: I want to make a difference. I want to give hope and comfort to that frightened kid (or adult), too scared to be themselves and too worried about what others might think of them. If I can give even a glimmer of hope to someone simply by standing in front of a group of people whether in schools or businesses/organisations and saying, “I’m John and I’m gay”, then I will do that with pride.

I love the team at D+. We’re friends as well as colleagues. I really value the people I work with and am happier here than I’ve ever been. I love the many different people we help and support. I also thrive on the variety of the work I do from supporting different service users to delivering training and providing support in schools.

My kids keep me busy but I also love playing the piano, singing and composing. You can join me for John’s Jingles on the Derbyshire LGBT+ Facebook page on a Monday evening. I love reading, cinema, theatre, cooking and watching TV. We have plans to rescue a dog and as we all love taking long country walks, having a dog with us would be perfect!

Born and raised in Manchester, my inquisitive mind has sent me all over the world. I worked in the entertainments industry for many years and then made the decision to move to Derby to gain my degree in Theatre Arts at Derby Theatre. Before joining the Derbyshire LGBT+ team, I ran and taught at summer camps in Italy, teaching English as a second language through drama & performance and have done freelance work for LGBT+ theatre companies and festivals.

Attending school during the final years of Section 28, I have witnessed is abolishment but also the shameful stain that it has left on society; a haunting presence that cost lives. Things are indeed changing but not quick enough and more can always be done. No one should ever feel alone, different or abnormal simply because of who they are. We need to ensure that children and young people feel safe and validated. This is what drives me each and every day.

Joining Derbyshire LGBT+ in 2021 has allowed me to combine my love for my community, my passion for working alongside the youth and my background in performance, into a role that is a dream for me. To be able to see the difference that we make in people’s lives is the greatest feeling in the world and I would not trade that for anything.

I have always had a love for reading and writing & have penned many of my own plays, but I am currently working on writing my first novel. I am a huge fan of horror in all its forms and co-host my own queer, horror podcast. Being cat obsessed, I spend a lot of time doting on my beautiful cat, Cilla.

Hi I’m Melvyn. My association with Derbyshire LGBT+ started back in 1992 when I joined the organisation, then Derbyshire Friend, as a Switchboard and Centre Support Volunteer. I still do these jobs in addition to my role as Administrator.

When I joined, the organisation was just starting their HIV prevention work, and in 1995 I joined their Sexual Health Project. I became Administrator in April of 1998.

There have been many changes at DLGBT+ over the years, but its main remit has remained the same: to help and support the health and well-being of the LGB&T communities in Derbyshire.

I became a volunteer for Derbyshire LGBT+ in 2013 and have been working with the charity ever since. More recently I have taken on the role of the Women’s Worker, running our LGBT+ Women’s Groups and supporting women with anything they’d like to talk about regarding sexuality and/or gender identity.

Working at Derbyshire LGBT+ is like no other job I’ve ever had before. It is an incredible team to be a part of as we all have a good laugh, we all care for each other deeply and we all care about the work each other is doing. Seeing the people we help support flourish and become more confident in themselves and their identity makes me incredibly proud and emotional. I am constantly inspired by our community.

My main passion in life is a desire to help people. Through sharing my experience as a queer person and through my experience of working with many LGBT+ people over the years, I hope that I fulfil this in part through my role at Derbyshire LGBT+. The most important thing in the world to me is kindness. I hope that by showing kindness, empathy and compassion to others I can help make the world that little bit brighter.

As well as working for Derbyshire LGBT+, I am also a qualified Person Centred Counsellor. I am horrified how disproportionately the LGBT+ community is affected by mental health issues. I want to be able to help change this – to both support people going through difficult times, but also to just be bold and proud and out there showing as many people as possible how wonderful it is to be part of the LGBT+ community.

Hi, I’m Sonia

I joined Derbyshire LGBT+ in January 2024.

I’m passionate about creating comfortable spaces for people of LGBTQIA+ and questioning identities to connect, gain support and build long-lasting relationships. Through the Families Worker role, I hope to create exactly that for Derbyshire families of any size and make up.

As well as working for Derbyshire LGBT+, I’m also a creative and facilitator of LGBTQIA+ craft events in Nottingham through Zesty’s Collective. Outside of this, I also sculpt critters, and skate in a roller derby team.

Hi, I’m Chloe! I moved to Derby in summer 2021 and in September, became a volunteer at Derbyshire LGBT+. I truly believe finding D+ is one of the best things that has happened in my life. I’ve never really had any queer friends before or felt a part of the community in any way but meeting the team at D+ has allowed me to make lifelong friends. Meeting other queer people has given me the confidence to live authentically and be who I really am and I’ve never felt as content as I do now. It’s amazing to see the same thing happen for service users and to learn about other peoples stories and to continue seeing and feeling a sense of community.

Alongside my role as housekeeper, I am also heavily involved in volunteering at some of the groups D+ run, particularly the women’s group and youth groups. I love chatting and learning about people, helping people has always been something I’ve enjoyed doing however that may be.

I’m particularly passionate about mental health and want and hope to create a safe space for others to be able to talk openly. Being able to help others in the community in some way means a lot to me and the services D+ provide are invaluable. I’m extremely proud to be part of the team.