Double bill of speakers at FTL meeting
Henry Hudson, the Founder of People Change Minds, came to give us a talk. This was the second time Henry has come to FTL and after his initial talk we knew that we needed another opportunity to hear him speak. The meeting was very well attended and Henry created an interactive meeting which was great fun as we all participated in exercises which opened up lots of questions for the Q and A session. Below is a synopsis of what Henry seeks to achieve, in his own words.
"I'm Henry Hudson and I run the People Change Minds project which works with businesses and schools to create proactively inclusive environments for LGBTQ+ people. I've been lucky enough to come in and run two sessions with Families Together London now around the work I do - one around supporting LGBTQ+ children and young people through schools, and the second on supporting parents and carers of LGBTQ+ children and young people through businesses. I'm always looking to work with more businesses and schools, so please do get in touch for more info.
In a time when the rights of LGBTQ+ people feel increasingly fragile and up for debate, it is so inspiring and reassuring to see the great work of FTL - bringing parents and carers together to create a kinder, more supportive world for LGBTQ+ children and young people. Thank you for having me and I look forward to visiting again!”
Attending the same meeting was the clinic psychologist Emma Fitzgerald.
Emma Fitzgerald had heard of FTL through her co-worker Talia Jay and asked whether she could sit in on a meeting. The date that worked for her was the same date that Henry Hudson came to speak to us. It’s really gratifying that organisations such as hers have heard of FTL and want to dip into our organisation and how we operate. Again, her words are set out below.
“Hello everyone, my name is Emma Fitzgerald. I am a Clinical Psychologist with the NHS working at City and Hackney CAMHS. Thank you so much again for welcoming me into your safe space and inviting me to attend the parent support group this past Saturday in Battersea. It was an absolute privilege to see the community you have created with such care. Hearing about your experiences as parents, seeing the way you all supported each other, and getting a sense of how the group operates will be invaluable in terms of setting up our own group in Hackney. I can see why FTL is so successful and longstanding!
We are in the process of creating our own support group for parents of trans/gender questioning young people, with plans to extend our offer to the LGBTQIA+ community more generally soon. We are so grateful to learn from FTL and your incredible work. Thank you for sharing your experience and for the amazing work you do. I hope to see you again soon as we continue to work together!”
The unexpected bonus of this meeting was that both Henry and Emma have now made a connection and these two organisations hope that in the future they can work together on improving the lives of LGBT+ people and their families and friends.