who we are

David Robson

My name is David Robson and I am the current Chair of the Wandsworth LGBT Forum. I have been involved with forum for several years now, since my student days at Roehampton University, and after being Vice-Chair in 2009 I took this year as my opportunity to step up.

Having been the Vice President of Welfare and Campaigns for two years at Roehampton Students Union (2007/09) I began to gain a wider understanding of wider social and political issues. As well as my time at the union I became heavily involved with the National Union of Students becoming the London regional observer and frequent grass roots campaigner.

It was through these avenues that I began to become a representative for the student voice and developed strongly into a pro active campaigner/activist. I liaised with a number of organisations on diverse subjects and led the union on effective strong campaigns such as the 'Donation not discrimination' campaign (A campaign that seeks to see the blood ban over turned on Gay men), Black and LGBT History Month, Students and housing issues and various sexual health campaigns to name but a few.

It is these experiences of campaigning and achieving results that I wish to see implemented into the forum. I wish us to become a strong voice for the Wandsworth LGBT community that is representative and delivers action and results.

Chris Gurney

My name is Chris Gurney and I work and socialise in the Wandsworth area, and have previously lived here also. I became involved with the forum when I was the LGBT representive for Roehampton University, and after a brief stint abroad, I returned to the area and asked to get involved again. I genuinely feel there is a need for forums such as this one - not just on a social level, but also to ensure various moral, legal, and political issues are being represented and the local LGBT community have somewhere where they can turn to for advice and guidance. My main area of interest is promoting LGBT education and awareness amongst young people, something which I hope the forum can continue to support.

Graham Harris

Graham has been the Secretary of the Forum since 2007. He gets involved in all aspects of the Forum's activities and thoroughly enjoys it. However, he is anxious to form an Older LGBT Community social group in Wandsworth; concentrating on trips out to theatres, cinema, art galleries, museums, etc for those who have time on their hands during the day. Graham does a lot of voluntary work in the local community and enjoys reading, listening to classical music, rambling and visiting places of interest, especially if there is a rail journey involved. Graham is the oldest member of the Committee and takes his role as Secretary very seriously. But after all the serious stuff he shows that he is 'young at heart' and enjoys a good laugh with friends.

Tom Knight

Hi, my name is Tom Knight, and I'm the Treasurer for the Forum. I live and socialise in the Wandsworth Borough. In the past I have been chair of a similar group down in Sussex. Also I've worked with the Terrence Higgins Trust, Glyson, The One Stop Shop and others along the way. I was also the LGBT Rep at Hastings College. I like to think I've learnt a lot along the way, and hope to bring this to the Forum.

I have a good amount of experience in public and private funding from working for East Sussex County Council as a Funding Officer, and also for Hastings Borough Council. I hope this experience will benefit the forum, as I will do my best to gain funding so we can continue to help the Wandsworth Borough. I think the Forum is a valuable asset for Wandsworth, and to be able to help make more people aware of services around, and support, is priceless. I think that the presence of the Wandsworth LGBT Forum is getting stronger and I'm glad to be a part of that.

I also want to bring a bit of fun into the Forum. I think some interesting fundraising methods are on the cards!

Andrew Smith

Andrew Smith has working with the Voluntary and Community Sector for nearly fifteen years in Wandsworth and previously Greenwich. Andrew currently provides volunteering best practice support to local organisations and is the manager for the local Council for Voluntary Service which supports other local charities. Before Wandsworth, Andrew was actively involved in promoting volunteering in Greenwich and has also volunteered at The Metro Centre as an outreach volunteer and then trustee.

Andrew brings to the forum understanding of the voluntary and community sector, fundraising experience and a passion to support the Wandsworth LGBT Forum in becoming a central hub in the local community by providing useful advice and services but also celebrating the diversity of local life.

Colin Smith

Colin is the Patient and Public Involvement Manager for NHS Wandsworth and is responsible for supporting and maintaining a strategic framework across the Primary Care Trust (PCT) to ensure delivery of key targets for patient and public involvement. Within this role he is there to encourage, inspire and support PCT staff to involve patients and the public in meaningful, appropriate and effective ways; and encourage, enable and support patients and Wandsworth residents to become involved in the work of the PCT. Although he has spent many years working in the NHS, he has also worked in the Voluntary / Charity Sector on homelessness and has over 20 years experience empowering people to take control over their health. He set up a large HIV charity in the 1980’s, which today is providing services across a large number of PCTs and local authorities in east London. He has been involved with the LGBT forum since its early days and is keen to ensure that the LGBT communities in Wandsworth play an active and vocal role in the local health agenda.

Tessa Willy

Tessa is a senior lecturer in Initial Teacher Education at Roehampton University, involved in working with student teachers at Undergraduate and Postgraduate level at the University and in schools. She has a wide experience of working with adults and children in a range of different primary and secondary schools and colleges and has been involved in education for the past 20 years, working on many LGBT issues. She also works closely with the Roehampton University Student Union and was recently asked to be the temporary Chair of the Council with the hope of this becoming permanent in the formal election in the new academic year.