As an organisation Touchstone champions the values of inclusion and diversity, co-production, and quality and continuous improvement. As a team, the Business Development team are always looking for ways to discover and support the ideas of all the people we work with, and build relationships and partnerships that lead to better services for communities across Yorkshire that inspire and transform lives. As an individual I am always looking to learn,
Bi Visibility Day started was first marked in 1999 and is now celebrated yearly on 23 September. It is a chance for the bi+ community and allies to come together and celebrate as well as helping to raise awareness and correct misconceptions. Bi+ people are often under-represented in the media and when discussing LGBT+ issues; Bi Visibility Day is our chance to make our voices louder. This year marks the
For Mental Health Awareness Week on 8th to 14th May, John Halsall from the Community Development Service has written the third in a series of data blogs. This one looks at the findings from a national survey of mental health. Do take a few minutes to find out what the survey uncovered. In September 2016, NHS Digital published a national survey of mental health problems and treatment, the Adult Psychiatric
Business Development can seem like a slippery concept, with many people interpreting what it means in many different ways. Not only this, but it’s a term that refers to quite different things, depending on the context and sector in which it’s being used .At Touchstone it refers to a wide ranging of activities, conversations and thoughts ranging from strategic to the practical. One of the things the Business Development team
To celebrate LGBT History Month, Touchstone will be holding a special Leadership Masterclass on Tuesday 28th February with a panel of LGBT BME speakers. 28th February: 12 noon – 2 pm (lunch included) Hillside, Beeston Road, Leeds, West Yorkshire, LS11 8ND Guest speaker panel Khakan Qureshi (founder of Birmingham South Asians LGBT – Finding A Voice) Marvina Newton (founder of Angel of Youths) Aaron Chady (community development worker at Yorkshire MESMAC)
In the run up to World Religion Day (15th January), Arfan Hanif (operations director) explains why Touchstone is introducing training on Islamophobia and Mental Health. As an organisation diversity and inclusiveness is in Touchstone's DNA - we do what we do because it needs doing and we can’t rely on or expect others to do so. With the rise in reported hate incidents in all its nasty manifestations whether it be anti-Semitism,
Sufyan Gulam Ismail is an award-winning Serial Entrepreneur and Philanthropist and was recently ranked amongst the 500 most influential Muslims in the World. He graduated from the University of Manchester and then started his career training with Deloitte. Sufyan has built numerous businesses over the years specialising in financial services, private equity and real estate. His businesses have won numerous awards including ‘UK’s fastest growing company', NW entrepreneur of the year and have been listed in the Sunday Times Top 100 Fast Track corporate listings. His
Touchstone is more than proud to be featured in "Starting Out" a career guide published by Stonewall for LGBT+ job seekers and graduates. For many people entering the job market, it's hard to know how open to be about their sexual orientation. However, research from Stonewall shows that workers who are comfortable to be out at work also tend to be more satisfied with their job, the support from their manager and their
Josh Willacy is an Account Manager at Stonewall, the lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans equality charity. He manages the housing sector and looks after the Yorkshire and Humber region, advising organisations on policy-making decisions and helping them to ensure their workplaces are as inclusive for LGBT staff as possible. Growing up mixed race and gay can be amazing in many ways, but also quite confusing and often isolating at times.
Earlier this year, Stop Hate UK launched a new hate crimereporting app for West Yorkshire. The app can be used on Android or Apple phones and tablets and helps witnesses and those targeted because of their identity, throughout West Yorkshire, to report incidents of hate crime. Users can also access information and advice about local Hate Crime services. Here are some of the features of the app: Allows picture, video or audio recording to