Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard

25/08/2026

We're delighted to introduce two new members of the BOLD team at Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard.

Lucy Daish (she/her) joins us as BOLD Team Leader.

Michael Evans (he/him) joins us as BOLD Activities Coordinator.

As the BOLD service continues to grow, Lucy and Michael will help us expand our activities, strengthen support for older LGBTQ+ people, and create even more opportunities for connection, friendship and community.

Ben Howard, our Operations, BOLD and Gambling Harms Manager, said:

"Welcoming Lucy and Michael to the team is an exciting step for BOLD. Their warmth, experience and enthusiasm will help us build on everything we've achieved so far, while developing new activities and opportunities for our community. We already have some exciting developments in the pipeline, and we're looking forward to sharing them with everyone over the coming months."

We're excited about what's ahead and look forward to sharing more with you soon.

19/08/2026

⏰ 24 HOURS TO GO

Tomorrow we're bringing together research, lived experience and practical expertise for our next FREE Lunch & Learn: Supporting Affected Others.

When someone experiences gambling harm, the impact doesn't stop with them. Partners, chosen family, friends and others around them can experience lasting emotional, financial and relationship harms - and LGBTQ+ affected others can face additional barriers when trying to find support that recognises their lives and relationships.

Tomorrow we'll explore the intersection between gambling harm and domestic abuse through an LGBTQ+ lens, hear directly from people with lived experience, and look at practical ways we can create safer, more responsive and identity-affirming support.

Joining us:

Dr Liz Riley - Betknowmore UK
Benjamin Howard - Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard
Anthony Brannen - Lived Experience
Claire Bennett - Reframe Coaching
Steph Shilton - Shiltons Silverlining
Nicola Jaques MBE - Beacon Counselling Trust

📅 TOMORROW - Thursday 20 August
🕛 12pm-1pm
💻 Online
🎟️ FREE

There's still time to join us. Book your free place:

https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/switchboard-training-supporting-affected-others-tickets-1997454155148

18/08/2026

How can organisations better recognise and support LGBTQ+ people affected by someone else's gambling?

Join Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard for our free Lunch & Learn, "Supporting Affected Others", exploring how gambling harm and domestic abuse intersect within LGBTQ+ lives, and what more we can do to ensure affected others feel recognised, affirmed and able to access support.

📅 Thursday 20 August
🕛 12pm-1pm
💻 Online and free to attend

Bringing together research, lived experience and practical approaches, we'll hear from:

Dr Liz Riley - Betknowmore UK
Benjamin Howard - Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard
Anthony Brannen - Lived Experience
Claire Bennett - Reframe Coaching
Steph Shilton - Shiltons Silverlining
Nicola Jaques MBE - Beacon Counselling Trust

We'll explore research into the links between gambling harm and domestic abuse, the particular barriers LGBTQ+ affected others can face, the impact of legacy harms, and practical, trauma-informed approaches organisations can use to strengthen their response.

At the heart of the session will be lived experience. We'll hear directly about what helped, what harmed, and what needs to change to create safer, more responsive and identity-affirming support.

Whether you work in gambling harms, domestic abuse, LGBTQ+ services, health, social care or the wider voluntary and community sector, we'd love you to join us.

Book your free place:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/switchboard-training-supporting-affected-others-tickets-1997454155148

14/08/2026

As Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard continues to grow and welcome new members of staff, it's important that everyone across our team has the knowledge and confidence to recognise and respond to gambling-related harm.

That's why we recently welcomed Breakeven to deliver specialist training for our newer team members, helping build their understanding of gambling-related harm, its impact, and how to have effective conversations with people who may need support.

The training formed part of a Level 2 Award in Tackling Gambling-related Harm, giving staff practical knowledge to recognise gambling-related harm and confidently signpost people to the right support.

Breakeven works to reduce the impact of gambling-related harm through treatment, education and training, making them the perfect partner to help strengthen the knowledge and skills of our team.

A big thank you to the Breakeven team for such an engaging and valuable session, and to our staff for their commitment to learning and helping us provide the best possible support for LGBTQ+ communities.

14/08/2026

🏳️‍🌈 We're proud to announce a new partnership with Gordon Moody.

Everyone deserves the right support at every stage of their recovery journey. That's why Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard and Gordon Moody have formalised a new referral pathway to help ensure LGBTQ+ people leaving residential gambling harm treatment can continue their recovery with specialist, LGBTQ+ affirming support.

Through this new partnership, LGBTQ+ people completing Gordon Moody's residential treatment programmes can now be referred directly to Switchboard's Recover with Pride service for ongoing recovery support, helping ensure there is no gap between treatment and the next stage of their recovery.

The partnership also creates a clear referral pathway in the other direction, enabling people accessing Recover with Pride who would benefit from more intensive or residential treatment to be supported into Gordon Moody's specialist services.

Ben Howard, Gambling Harm Service Manager at Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard, said:

"Recovery doesn't end when structured treatment finishes. This partnership between Gordon Moody and Switchboard's Recover with Pride service means LGBTQ+ people can continue their recovery journey with support that understands their identity and lived experience."

By strengthening the connection between our services, we're helping ensure people don't fall through the gaps and can access compassionate, trauma-informed, identity-affirming support throughout their recovery.

This partnership reflects our shared commitment to improving outcomes for LGBTQ+ people experiencing gambling harm and making specialist support more accessible.

Find out more about Recover with Pride:
https://www.switchboard.org.uk/recover-with-pride/

Learn more about Gordon Moody:
https://www.gordonmoody.org.uk/

11/08/2026

Healthy communities deserve a say in the places where they live.

The UK Government has announced plans to give councils stronger powers over new betting shops and adult gaming centres, including removing the long-standing "aim to permit" rule that has often limited councils' ability to refuse new gambling premises.

At Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard, we know that gambling harm can have a devastating impact on people's lives, relationships, finances and mental health. Through our Recover with Pride service, we support LGBTQ+ people affected by gambling harm while working to reduce stigma and raise awareness across our communities.

Prevention matters just as much as treatment. Supporting people affected by gambling harm is vital, but helping to reduce harm before it starts is equally important. We hope these proposals are another positive step in that direction.

You can read more about the proposals in the BBC News article:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvg90el9236o

If gambling is affecting you or someone you know, our Recover with Pride service is here to help.

Find out more:
https://www.switchboard.org.uk/recover-with-pride/

07/08/2026

Last week, we came together to mark an incredible milestone - 50 years of Brighton & Hove LGBT Switchboard.

It was wonderful to see former volunteers alongside current staff, trustees, partners, supporters and people who have used our services, all in one room to celebrate five decades of standing alongside LGBTQ+ people across Brighton & Hove, Sussex and beyond.

The evening gave us the chance to look back at where Switchboard began, recognise the people making a difference through our Community Awards, and celebrate the organisation we are today. From supporting older LGBTQ+ people experiencing bereavement, dementia and loneliness through BOLD, to delivering life-changing social prescribing, providing specialist domestic abuse services, and growing our gambling harms recovery service, our work continues to evolve alongside the communities we serve.

A huge thank you to everyone who joined us, our award winners and nominees, our speakers, and everyone who helped make the evening such a success. We were especially delighted to be joined by Amanda Collier, one of our newest and biggest supporters, Ophelia Payne, who brought so much energy and fun to the evening, and Lunch Positive for providing delicious, freshly made food.
Our 50th anniversary celebrations don't end here. We'll continue marking this milestone over the coming months, and we look forward to sharing more with you.

Over the coming days, we'll be sharing videos, speeches and memorable moments from the evening, so keep an eye on our social channels.

In the meantime, you can relive the evening through this photo album, beautifully captured by Skye Kilgannon: https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?vanity=LGBTswitchboard&set=a.1513959744108716

Thank you for being part of our story.

07/08/2026