Timeline of LGBT+ History for Stoke-on-Trent and Staffordshire
1997 – The Gay Mens Health Alliance Project
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Introduction
Logo of the Gay Mens Health Alliance Project (G-Mhap)
The Gay Mens Health Alliance Project (G-Mhap) was launched in 1997 as part an NHS funded initiative to address HIV prevention and sexual health promotion in North Staffordshire. The project later occupied premises in Piccadilly, Hanley and became know as “The Piccadilly Project” with a wider remit for LGBT+ health promotion.
While G-Mhap was originally established as a pioneering NHS health promotion initiative funded by ring-fenced HIV prevention monies to work with gay and bisexual men, it was built on a holistic philosophy from the outset. The project’s leaders argued that sexual health could not exist in isolation and that preventing HIV required addressing the broader “determinants” of health – such as mental wellbeing, isolation, self-esteem, and safety. G-Mhap operated on the core belief that “to be a healthy gay man, we need a healthy gay community”. and so the project became a focus for activities that included men, women and the wider LGBT+ community.
G-Mhap also launched a community forum to give our local community a collective voice to challenge prejudice and promote equality and respect. This combination of LGBT+ Health promotion projects, community forum and physical meeting space helped us become a visible, valued, and politically engaged part of North Staffordshire life.
The Piccadilly Project
Piccadilly Project featured in Pink Lobby newsletter, Spring 2001
click here for full two page spread
G-Mmhap established The Piccadilly Project at 57-59 Piccadilly in Hanley as a city-centre base for its health promotion work. Known for its iconic “Blue Door,” the Piccadilly Project started life as an empty room with a “dodgy carpet” but was soon transformed into a a vibrant gay community centre. The name Piccadilly Project was adopted as the primary project identity, intended to be inclusive of the whole LGBT+ community.
The centre provided a new home for the North Staffordshire Lesbian and Gay Switchboard and the Women’s Group and it also hosted “The Rainbow Practice”, the UK’s first dedicated GP service for gay and bisexual men. There was a free LGB Counselling Service and a whole range of groups and activities including the Gay Mens Drop Inn, Galaxy Youth (for those 18 and under), Sorted (for young adults aged 18–25), Smarties (a support group for transsexual people), a Married Men’s Group, and a Support group for the Parents of LGB Children.
The project offered access to various wellbeing classes and fitness activities included football, badminton, Yoga and Tai Chi sessions. Centre facilities included the region’s first dedicated LGB Internet Café, providing free web access and e-mail facilities and a resource library filled with donated books and videos of gay interest. Wellbeing classes and fitness activities included football, badminton, Yoga and Tai Chi sessions to help members manage stress.
The Forum
Logo of the Forum, as featured in early editions of the Pink Lobby Newsletter
The group was originally launched as the North Staffordshire Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Community Forum to provide a collective voice and challenge local prejudice. In July 1999, the group shortened its name to simply “The Forum”, as the original title was considered too long. By October 2000, it underwent a further change to become the Rainbow Forum, a title it maintained through later years.
In 1998 the forum attempted to organise a gay festival that might have been Stoke’s first Pride if it had gone ahead. It had another go at organising a Pride event in 2003 which was abandoned in the face of local hostility.
Under the excellent leadership of Mike Wolfe as chair the group consistently challenged negative attitudes to build more widespread respect and acceptance. The Forum achieved significant milestones in civil rights and community safety through landmark partnerships such as the Hate Crime Initiative in partnership with Staffordshire Police and the Rainbow Charter which promoted best practice in local organisations that wished to support LGBT+ rights.
In 2002 Mike Wolfe was elected as Stoke-on-Trent’s first directly elected mayor. Many had said before the election that an openly gay man could not hope to be elected but the the voting public gladly proved them wrong. It was tangible proof of how far the change in attitudes had travelled.
Detailed List of Events, Activities and Achievements by Year
1997: Laying the Foundations
The Advertiser, 25th Sept 1997
An intensive consultation that engaged 300 gay men about their health and safety needs led to the launch of G-Mhap, establishing The Piccadilly Project and creating a community forum. The news clipping from “The Advertiser” (above) states that more than 40 members of Stoke’s lesbian and gay community attended the launch.
- July: The Piccadilly Project opens at 57–59 Piccadilly, Hanley.
- 10 September: Official launch of G-Mhap as a coordinated effort for gay men’s mental, physical, and sexual health.
- September: Launch of the Gay Men’s Drop Inn, the region’s first non-alcoholic gay venue.
- Late September / Early October 1997: Forty members of the community meet to discuss promoting health and agree that Mike Wolfe lead the development of a community forum
- October: First newsletter published, simply titled Lesbian Gay and Bisexual Newsletter
- 19 November: First public meeting of the LGB Community Forum held at Piccadilly.
- Late 1997: The LGB Police Liaison Committee is formed to address safety and harassment.
- December: The Red Ribbon Riot fundraising event at the Club in Hanley raises over £2000 for local HIV and AIDS services.
1998: Visibility and Community Safety
1998 featured the launch of services that aimed to reduce the isolation of young people and the landmark “Action on Hate Crime” campaign was launched with the police to bring homophobic violence “out in the open”. Wing and a Prayer productions led by Bob Lishman organised a Summer Show Spectacular at the Club.
- January: Launch of the region’s first dedicated LGB youth group (later named Galaxy Youth).
- February: The Birth of the “Pink Lobby”: The community newsletter underwent a significant rebrand, changing its name from the Pink Potter to Pink Lobby (lobby being a traditional Potteries stew)
- February: “Action on Hate Crime” launches at Police HQ with a pioneering self-reporting form.
- February: Formation of “Queer Stuff,” an arts and drama group.
- March: social spaces expand – the Gay Men’s “Drop Inn” adds a Wednesday evening slot and a monthly LGB Film Night is launched
- April: The first match of the Women’s Football Team (later the Piccadilly Panthers); they defeat Chester 11–3.
- May: The Summer Show Spectacular: Building on the success of the previous year’s “Red Ribbon Riot,” a major cabaret fundraiser was held at The Club
- August: Launch of GayStoke.org, the community’s first major internet presence.
- December: The year ended with G-Mhap becoming the first gay men’s project in the UK to win a Gold NHS Equality Award. The project received £5,000 in prize money, which the team pledged to invest back into both men’s and women’s health initiatives.
1999: Recognition and the Rainbow Charter
Launch of the Charter Pink Lobby, September 1999
1999 was a year of national recognition and landmark achievements for the North Staffordshire community. “The Forum” established a powerful political blueprint with the launch of the region’s first Rainbow Charter. The inaugural “Rainbow Experience” festival further increased visibility, moving the community from private meetings into the city’s cultural spotlight.
- NHS Gold Equality Award Investment: the £5,000 prize money was received is used to provide £400 grants to local groups, including the Piccadilly Panthers and the Women’s Group, and to fund research into lesbian health needs.
- January: The House of Commons gives overwhelming backing to an equal age of consent (16), though it is later blocked by the House of Lords.
- April: The local community stands in solidarity following the tragic Admiral Duncan bombing in Soho.
- May: Launch of the Parents of Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Children support group at the Piccadilly Project.
- May: G-Mhap successfully secures seven years of funding for a dedicated LGB Youth Issues Worker allowing the project to begin work on the “Respect” campaign to challenge homophobic bullying in schools.
- June: “Smarties,” a new support and social group for transsexual people, begins meeting at the Piccadilly Project.
- July: The LGB Community Forum rebrands as “The Forum” and launches its iconic “Giving a Voice” logo.
- August: The Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Switchboard moves into the Piccadilly Project.
- 17 September: The Rainbow Charter is officially launched at the City Museum with formal support from the Chief Constable of Staffordshire Police and the City Council.
- October: G-Mhap celebrates its second birthday and launches the “Hairy Fairies” campaign to tackle growing complacency regarding HIV.
- 16–22 October: The first “Rainbow Experience” week-long festival, featuring a “Diva” women’s night, historical “Queerwalks,” and a theatre trip to La Cage Aux Folles.
G-Mhap in The Guardian Newspaper, 1999
The clipping below from National Newspaper The Guardian in 1999 mentions G-Mhap and other similar initiatives around the UK. The article reports that gay men are disproportionately affected by a range of health problems such as smoking, drugs, alcohol, stress and mental health issues. These health inequalities still exist today.
The Guardian Newspaper 8th Nov 1999. Read the article online here:
https://www.theguardian.com/society/1999/aug/11/gayrights.guardiansocietysupplement
2000: Evolution to SHEP and Digital Connection
Welcome to SHEP, Pink Lobby Special, Sep 2000
2000 was a year of significant evolution and modernisation. To better reflect its inclusive, holistic mission for the entire LGB community, G-Mhap was renamed SHEP (Sexuality and Health Equalities Projects). The Piccadilly Project was transformed into a high-tech hub with the launch of the city’s first dedicated LGB Internet Café, while the movement for community safety reached local schools through the award-winning “Respect” campaign.
- January: A candlelight vigil for the repeal of Section 28 is held at Stoke’s Civic Centre, attended by nearly 100 people.
- February: Jon Dunn is appointed as the North Staffordshire Health Action Zone LGB young persons worker to focus on school bullying.
- March: Galaxy Youth celebrates its second anniversary.
- 31 March: Launch of “Sorted,” a new social and support group specifically for young adults aged 18–25.
- April: The first “Auntie Ruby” health promotion leaflets are launched, using a fictional Agony Aunt to tackle HIV myths and safer sex in a fun, local way.
- June: G-Mhap receives official approval and funding to continue its work for another three years.
- July: The new Trendz Bar is officially opened at The Club by Marguerita Pracatan.
- August: “The Forum” undergoes a final name change to the Rainbow Forum to better represent its diverse community voice.
- September: The “Respect” campaign is launched in schools, featuring posters and leaflets designed by young people to challenge homophobic bullying.
- October: SHEP is officially launched as the new umbrella name for the project’s various health and equality initiatives.
- October: The region’s first dedicated LGB Internet Café opens at the Piccadilly Project, offering free web access and IT lessons.
- November: The “Bubble Butts” campaign is launched on the scene to recruit “local stars” for HIV awareness posters.
- December: The Red Ball at The Club raises £8,500 for HIV support services at Ward 70 and Staffordshire Buddies.
2001: Innovation in Health and National Equality
Launch of Rainbow Practice, Pink Lobby, Spring 2001
2001 was defined by pioneering healthcare and landmark local expansion. The year began with a major victory for national equality as the age of consent for gay men was reduced to 16, matching that of heterosexual couples. Locally, the movement led the way in medical innovation with the launch of the Rainbow Practice, the UK’s first dedicated gay GP surgery, based at the Piccadilly Project. The project also expanded its reach beyond Hanley, establishing a regular social presence for the first time in Leek and the Moorlands.
- January: The age of consent for gay men is officially reduced to 16, a move that SHEP workers noted would help young men access health support without fear of prosecution.
- January: In an effort to reach more members, the Women’s Group moves its meetings to the Queen & Crumpet and switches to a monthly social format.
- March: Galaxy Youth celebrates its third anniversary, and its “Respect” campaign wins “Best Campaign” at the inaugural Youth Up Front Awards.
- April: Launch of the Rainbow Practice at the Piccadilly Project. Dr Simon Smith provides a confidential service specifically for gay and bisexual men, offering HIV testing, vaccinations, and general health advice.
- April: A new Sign Language Social group begins meeting at the Three Tuns to help the community learn to communicate in noisy environments.
- June: Members of the North Staffordshire community travel to Manchester to attend the unveiling of the bronze memorial statue of Alan Turing in Sackville Park.
- July: The Leek Social officially launches at Penny Bank House, providing the first regular support group for LGB people living in the Moorlands.
- August: SHEP appoints its first dedicated Positive Action worker, Neil Pepper, to manage initiatives led by people living with HIV and to encourage earlier HIV testing.
- October: The annual Rainbow Experience Week features the “Weakest Link” competition and a community dinner at Pastiche.
- Late 2001: The Rainbow Forum receives a significant financial boost from Robbie Williams’ “Give it Sum” fund to support its ongoing community and political work.
2002: Political Visibility and Digital Innovation
Mike Wolfe is elected Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent
2002 was a landmark year for political visibility and technological expansion. The community’s growing influence was solidified on 18 October when its former chair, Mike Wolfe, was elected the first openly gay Mayor in the UK. Meanwhile, the Piccadilly Project was modernised with a high-tech Media Lab, and the project celebrated five years of rapid growth from an empty room with a “dodgy carpet” into a national model of community development.
- January: Launch of Bona Varda, the new dedicated newsletter for the Rainbow Forum.
- April: Launch of a new Lesbian and Bisexual Women’s Drop In at the Piccadilly Project to provide a safe social space for women.
- June: Opening of the state-of-the-art Media Lab at Piccadilly, providing high-speed internet and free I.T. “taster” classes in partnership with Stoke College.
- June: The Media Inclusion Project (MIP) launches a series of six radio adverts on Signal 1 to promote local services and challenge homophobic attitudes.
- 22 June: North Staffordshire LGB Switchboard celebrates its 25th anniversary with a “Pink turns Silver” gala.
- August: Galaxy Youth wins “Best Campaign” at the Youth Up Front awards for its peer-led “Respect” anti-bullying materials.
- 28 September: anniversary celebrations… a major community party at The Club, reflecting on five years of achievement since the launch of G-Mhap.
- 18 October: Mike Wolfe is elected Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, a historic moment where the local electorate demonstrated that “sexuality was not a voting issue”.
- 19–27 October: Rainbow Experience 2002, featuring a “Secret Rainbow History Walk” and the Forum’s Annual General Meeting.
2003: High Hopes and Hard Realities
Stoke pride plans abandoned – Bona Varda, April 2003
2003 was a year of “mixed emotions” and a significant “wake-up call” for the community.. While North Staffordshire celebrated a high-profile political presence with an openly gay Mayor and received a massive financial boost from Robbie Williams’ “Give it Sum” fund, the community also faced intense public scrutiny. The difficult decision to postpone the city’s first Pride march following a surge of media hostility and safety concerns highlighted that, despite legal progress in areas like adoption rights, the struggle for local acceptance and “equality of respect” continued.
- January: New legislation grants lesbian and gay couples the same adoption rights as heterosexual couples, a landmark victory on the road to full legal equality.
- January: The Rainbow Forum hosts “I am One too,” an awareness-raising and social night specifically for disabled members of the LGBT community who had previously felt excluded from the scene.
- February: Plans are officially announced for Stoke-on-Trent’s first Gay Pride to be held on May 10, envisioned as a parade leaving from the Town Hall followed by a street festival in the cultural quarter.
- March: Niall McGrogan, the founding Programme Leader of G-Mhap/SHEP, leaves the project after six years; a new leadership team consisting of Sarah, Aaron, and David arrives to head the sexual health and youth programmes.
- March: Galaxy Youth celebrates its 5th anniversary, having supported approximately 400 young people since its launch in 1998.
- April: The Rainbow Forum Steering Group makes the difficult decision to postpone the Pride parade. This follows deep concerns from community members about personal safety and a “whopping” 46 letters of condemnation in the local press.
- May: NSLGB Switchboard is awarded a £15,000 grant from Robbie Williams’ “Give it Sum” fund (administered by Comic Relief). The money is used to launch a new website and the region’s first dedicated LGBT email support service.
- Summer: The Media Inclusion Project launches two vital safety campaigns: one raising awareness of “drug rape” (Rohypnol) in social settings and another titled “Cruise Control,” providing safety advice for those using the internet to meet partners.
- Late 2003: SHEP and Staffordshire University collaborate on “The Greying of Pink,” a research project investigating the specific life experiences and health needs of older gay men and lesbians
The Story Continues..
The Piccadilly Project, Pink Lobby, July 2000
Following Niall McGrogan’s departure in March 2003, the new leadership team at the Piccadilly Project oversaw a period of significant growth and adaptation that lasted two more decades. The project’s health services were rebranded as GayLife North Staffordshire, and by 2011 were still continuing to offer the core “Drop-Inn” services for men and women, the Sorted and Galaxy youth groups, and the Rainbow Practice with Dr Simon Smith. The project’s mission also expanded to address the needs of more vulnerable groups through the REACH project, which provided sexual and mental health promotion for LGBT asylum seekers and refugees in the city.
The Rainbow Forum similarly evolved, adopting a new constitution in 2005 to become the LGBT Network, a unified voice for the community that worked closely with local councils and the police. In 2010, the Network became a registered charity and established the Polari Lounge, a dedicated gay and lesbian coffee shop and drop-in centre in Hanley. This era also saw the final realisation of the project’s early dreams for a city-wide celebration; following the 2003 cancellation, community activists successfully launched what became Stoke Pride with the “Big Pink Car Park” event in 2006. However, the LGBT Network charity officially closed its doors in January 2013.
The North Staffordshire Lesbian, Gay and Bisexual Switchboard ceased in 2007 after a truly remarkable thirty years of operating a volunteer led helpline. While financial pressures were likely a key factor in the decision to cease operations, closure may also have been influenced by wider changes in how people access information and support. The growing popularity of the internet and social media had progressively reduced demand for a single centralised helpline service though for some community members the support of Switchboard is undoubtedly missed.
The health services at the Piccadilly Project continued to operate throughout the 2010s, adopting the umbrella title LGBT Stoke around 2010. By late 2019, the project was still hosting the GayLife Men’s Group and the Galaxy Youth Group, providing a safe social space where members could “be themselves and make new friends”. During the Covid-19 lockdowns, these groups moved online to maintain community connections. However, following the end of the lockdowns, in-person services at the Piccadilly Project did not resume, marking the end of its long history as a landmark venue behind the iconic “Blue Door”.
Some of the groups and services that still exist today can trace their roots to the events described in this history. If you have anything to add please contact us
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Copyright Notice
News clippings in this post were compiled by Andrew Colclough from various archives as part of his personal research into local LGBT+ history and are shared here for educational purposes on the basis of fair personal/non commercial use. Copyright, where applicable, remains with the original publishers. Photographs are believed to be in the public domain and sources are credited where possible – please contact us if any further permissions or acknowledgments are required. All original text is © Andrew Colclough. Thank you!
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