WorkPride Panel: LGBTQ+ support - What is out there and how can you access it?

Speakers:

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  Aritha Wickramasinghe

  Lawyer, policy expert, human rights activist.
  iProbono

  I am an international banking and real estate finance solicitor with substantial experience in providing premium advice and assistance on some of the largest international transactions in the market. I have always been a champion of diversity and equality in the workplace and lead and support a number of diversity and social mobility initiatives in the UK and Globally. I believe that people perform their best when they are free to be themselves. In order to encourage personal development and productivity growth, we need to create environments at work and elsewhere which encourages individuality and discourages prejudice. I believe in giving back to the community. I have initiated and contribute towards a variety of pro bono work across the world. I am a founding director of iProbono's Justice Programme, an organisation that connects civil society with pro bono legal help across the world and I am a founding trustee of THINK EQUAL - a new UN Human Rights Office endorsed education initiative that is working with countries to introduce a new subject into schools teaching children social and emotional intelligence. Over the next several years, I wish to continue my legal development. I want to develop a sound and niche knowledge of financial transactions with a projects and real estate focus while seeking exposure to emerging and frontier markets. Pro bono and diversity will remain a passion and I intend on continuing the development of my pro bono and diversity portfolio. Specialties: Finance, Real Estate Finance, Diversity networks, Pro bono iniatives, Human Rights and Public Policy

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  Chloë Davies

  Head of Social Impact
  Lucky Generals

  Chloe Davies is a proud bisexual woman, mother of two, a creative, global inclusion & belonging consultant, chef and entrepreneur. Her work sees her campaigning for inclusion and equality in social spaces, corporate organisations and the wider community. She spent over 15 years working in retail, artist management and PR before starting her own catering company in 2015. In September 2021 she took on the role of Head of Social Impact for Lucky Generals – the creative company for people on a mission. Where she will be responsible, in conjunction with management, for setting the company’s social impact goals and ensuring that they are met in the most effective and creative ways possible. The role will be focused on building a sustainable, diverse and inclusive company culture and output. Before this Chloe spent over two years working for Mygwork - The global recruitment and networking hub for LGBT+ students, graduates, professionals and organisations who believe in true workplace equality. As Head of Training & Engagement (Public & Community) she oversaw necessary internal and external conversations surrounding LGBT+ inclusion, training and external consultation. Chloe volunteers with UK Black Pride (UKBP) as the Head of Finance & Governance, working closely with the Executive Director and the Board of Trustees to help shape the future of UK Black Pride. She is the Head of Relations for the London Queer Fashion Show - An annual showcase of fashion, identity, and expression, a Trustee for the London LGBTQ+ Community Centre and an Ambassador for Mental Health First Aid England. She describes herself as a mental health survivor, openly discussing her own journey with depression and mental health and advocates on usualising these conversations both in and outside of the workplace and starred alongside Denise Welch in ‘Depression & Me’ – a short film produced by Mental Health First England which shines a light on lived experience of depression and recovery. In all of her work, which takes Chloe around the globe, she aims to further connect those within the community while educating allies to continue disrupting and push for increased visibility, understanding and appreciation of the communities she works to serve. In July 2021, Chloe was shortlisted out of 52,000 nominees as a finalist for The National Diversity Awards – Positive Role Model of the Year – LGBT..

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  Bawonga Richard

  Executive Director
  Pride For Youth Initiative

  Bawonga Richard is a highly adaptive, motivated, and results-oriented professional with hands-on experience in the NGOs sector and management interests. Bawonga Richard is a Transgender female sex worker, passionate feminist, and human rights champion for Trans Youth sex workers, Adolescent Girls, and Young Women at high risks and currently the Executive Director of Pride For Youth Initiative (PFYI). PFYI is a grassroots Trans Youth sex workers (TSWs) led organization. The organization was established to promote meaningful involvement and collective organizing of rural and peri-urban based Trans Youth sex workers, sex workers using drugs, their groups, and AGYW at high risk living in high burden areas such as slums, landing sites, transit routes, and border areas to strengthen a unified, vibrant, national, and sustainable TSW led movement in Uganda to strengthen a unified, vibrant, national, and sustainable TSW led the movement in Uganda. Bawonga’s focus is on challenging Trans Youth sex work criminalization of all forms, stigma and discrimination, integration of HIV & Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights in Trans Youth sex workers public health programming, including GBV, preventive biomedical innovations, post-abortion care services in Uganda. Before PFYI, Bawonga was a founding member of the Kuchu Shiners Uganda (KSU) and is also an award winner in recognition of her remarkable contribution in the founding and grounding of the Human Rights Awareness & Promotion Forum 20018-2020. Am I a leader pushing for the mainstreaming of sex work issues, with over 4 years of experience working on human rights with Trans women and female sex workers & other marginalized populations in Uganda?

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  Dane Buckley

  Support Services Manager
  Rainbow Migration

  I am the Support Service Manager for Rainbow Migration (formerly UKLGIG). I lead on growing, developing and delivering services offering practical and emotional support to LGBTQI+ people seeking asylum. Our service includes emotional support, support groups, advocacy, legal referrals, support with housing, access to health and help navigating the asylum system. I previously worked for the Leaving Care Team at Medway Social Services and before that was the Wellbeing Service Manager for the London Irish Centre, overseeing a service for 200+ vulnerable adults. I have also freelanced for Local Authorities, contributing to parenting capacity assessments on behalf of L.A.C Teams and Child Protection Teams. I am from Harrow and am of Irish and Anglo-Indian heritage.

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  Shaan Knan

  Project Manager
  Freelance

  Shaan Knan is a Diversity Consultant, LGBTQI+ Heritage Manager, Campaigner and Public Speaker based in London (UK). He is the author of 'A Roadmap to Inclusion: Supporting Trans People of Faith'. Download freely: https://www.gires.org.uk/a-road-map-to-inclusion-supporting-trans-people-of-faith/

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  Jaime de Blas

  Associate Director, Project Delivery
  Thermo Fisher Scientific

  A nurse by background, I have spent the first 15 years of my career working in clinical research first based in different hospital settings in Spain and the United Kingdom and later in clinical research within clinical operations in China and the United Kingdom and more recently in project delivery. I currently lead a global study managers team within Functional Services Partnerships therapeutic unit of a large Contract Research Organisation (CRO). In 2019 I supported the launch of PPD's LGBT employee resource group "PPD Pride" and continued to support and develop the different opportunities to support our colleagues.

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  Alex Sparrowhawk

  HIV Prevention England Programme Officer
  UK Community Advisory Board (HIV Treatment Advocates Network)

  Alex joined Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) in 2015, initially working in their Policy team before moving to work on the HIV Prevention England (HPE) national programme between May 2018 and March 2021. Alex leads on the programme’s sector learning and development workstream. Engaging with a variety of stakeholders including, commissioners, public health teams, clinicians, researchers and colleagues from community-based organisations, Alex ensures the HIV sector is kept updated with the latest HIV prevention news. Alex involves stakeholders in national campaigns, including the successful National HIV Testing Week annual event and produces resources for use in health promotion and sexual health outreach. Diagnosed with HIV in November 2009, Alex has always been passionate about people with HIV being meaningfully involved in their treatment and care, as well as the services they access within the HIV sector. In addition to working at THT, Alex Chairs the UK-CAB (HIV treatment advocates network), is a trustee for STOPAIDS, a UK-based a membership network of 70 organisations with a distinguished thirty year history of engagement on international development and HIV and AIDS. Alex is a member of the BASHH (British Association for Sexual Health and HIV) Public Panel, and has been involved in, and contributed to several research studies, writing groups and key conferences focusing on sexual health and HIV.

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  Maria Sjödin

  Acting Executive Director
  OutRight ACTION INTERNATIONAL

  Experienced non-profit executive and leader with a track record of growing organizations: financially, in staffing, and programmatically. I am passionate about human rights for all and have focused my career on LGBTIQ inclusion, internationally and in my home country of Sweden. I helped secure marriage equality, the removal of forced sterilization of trans people, and the inclusion of LGBTIQ rights in foreign policy. Through my career, I have demonstrated my ability to resource advocacy and movement building through fundraising - from governments, foundations, individuals, and corporations. Under my leadership, RFSL’s budget and staff almost tripled. At OutRight, I have diversified funding, launched a successful corporate program, and led a fundraising team that has tripled the revenue.

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  Ruth Burns

  Living Well Services Manager
  Terrence Higgins Trust

  Over 10 years at Terrence Higgins Trust running a variety of services supporting people living with HIV to live well.

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