John Bercow and LGF

John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons and Stonewall’s Politician of the Year, will visit the North West this week as part of an event aimed at helping lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans (LGB&T) voluntary groups and communities understand how Parliament works and how to engage with it.

Representatives of more than 40 such organisations will benefit from free training on how to influence Parliament at the Lesbian & Gay Foundation’s Community Resource Centre in Manchester, in an event jointly organised with Voluntary Sector North West (VSNW) and the Houses of Parliament’s Outreach Service on Thursday 7 April. 

The morning session will feature an introduction to what Parliament is and the role it plays in our lives, how to effectively engage with its processes and how LGB&T groups can influence their representative decision-makers, delivered by staff of VSNW and Parliament’s Outreach service. The afternoon will then be a talk followed by a question-and-answer session with Mr Speaker.

John Bercow was named Politician of the Year by Stonewall in 2010, in recognition of his support of equality issues for several years. Thanks to changes pursued by him, 2010 saw the first civil partnership ceremony take place in the Palace of Westminster, when Chris Bryant MP and his partner tied the knot in March.

Paul Martin, Chief Executive of the Lesbian & Gay Foundation said:“Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Trans (LGB&T) people contribute over 40 billion pounds to the cost of public services, so it is absolutely vital that we have our say. This event aims to build confidence and encourage those in the LGB&T community to use their voices, and influence Parliament in terms of services that meet their needs, improved resources and support and better monitoring across public sector organisations to highlight that we exist."

“At the moment LGB&T people are under-represented in UK Parliament and politics, and we sincerely hope that this event will inspire LGB&T people to take a more active role in politics. Of course, we are delighted to welcome John Bercow MP to Manchester, he brings with him a wealth of experience in both Parliament and politics.”

The Lesbian & Gay Foundation is a vibrant charity with a wide portfolio of well-established services and a rapidly developing range of new initiatives aimed at meeting the needs of lesbian, gay and bisexual people. It campaigns for a fair and equal society where all lesbian, gay and bisexual people can achieve their full potential, and its mission is: ‘Ending Homophobia, Empowering People.'

Voluntary Sector North West is the regional network for the voluntary and community sector in the North West of England. Its purpose is to support a connected and influential voluntary and community sector. This training is part of VSNW ‘s Improving Representation project, which aims to strengthen the influence of the sector in regional and national decision-making.

The Houses of Parliament’s Outreach Service spreads awareness of the work, processes and relevance of the institution of Parliament, encouraging greater engagement between the public and the House of Commons and House of Lords, working in partnership with a diverse range of organisations, from local community groups and businesses to national campaign networks and NGOs.

Published: 4-Apr-2011: (487)