Board of trustees
The board is responsible for the governance and strategy development of the organisation. Trustees have delegated management of the Consortium to the chief executive who reports on the performance against the strategic and operational plans approved by the trustees.
Board members
Jack Holroyde – Acting chair
Jack Holroyde, of the Queer Youth Network, is well known in the sector for his controversial techniques in campaigning for the rights of young LGBT people. He has over 10 years experience from a large number of youth projects, and tries his best to bring an informal, friendly attitude to the board, with a hands on approach to troubleshooting.
Kirsten Hearn – Vice chair
Kirsten is an Independent member of the Metropolitan Police Authority and is the chair of its Equality and Diversity sub-committee. She is a non executive member of the Office for Disability Issues Disability Delivery board and is a member of Equality 2025, the UK Advisory Network on Disability Equality, which provides disability equality advice at the heart of government. She is the chair of Inclusion London, the Deaf and Disabled People’s organisations community interest company. She is a trustee of the consortium of LGBT Community and Voluntary organisations and the chair of its Human Resources sub-committee. She is also a member of the Arts Council England Independent Disability Equality Advisory Group.
For eight years, Kirsten was a member of the Transport for London Board where she championed social inclusion. For sixteen years, she was an Equality specialist and senior manager in local government before escaping the day job to create and run Whole World Design, a successful empowerment coaching and training consultancy, specialising in evolutionary change with a smile.
Kirsten has two fine art degrees, is a Neuro-Linguistic Programming Master Practitioner and NLP coach. She is also a stand-up comic, singer, musician, writer, sculptor, broadcaster, tree-lover and bird-fancier.
Kirsten is a blind lesbian and campaigner for peace, human rights and justice and is a supporter of non-violent direct action. Her mission in life is to celebrate the lives of and promote the rights of disadvantaged people at every opportunity.
Ross Burgess
Ross Burgess is a graduate of Oxford and the Open University and a Fellow of the British Computer Society. He worked in the IT industry for many years, as programmer, systems analyst, project manager and consultant. Now semi-retired, he teaches basic IT skills part-time with Digital Unite and also as a volunteer with Age Concern Croydon.
He’s been involved in LGBT organisations since founding the Tunbridge Wells CHE Group in 1972. Currently he’s Secretary of Croydon Area Gay Society, Treasurer of Aurora (Croydon’s LGBT Police Consultation Group) and Webmaster for several organisations, including Crocus (Croydon’s LGBT Network), SLAGO (Surrey and London Association of Gay Organisations), GLAM (Gay, Lesbian and Mensan), and CHE (Campaign for Homosexual Equality), Age Concern Croydon, and UNACC (Upper Norwood Association for Community Care). He created the LGBT Croydon and LGBT London social networks, and most recently set up Silver Rainbow, a lunch club for older gay people in Croydon. He lives with his civil partner Roger in Purley.
Robert Cookson
Rob has over ten years of experience of working within the voluntary sector, including at chief executive level for two Council for Voluntary Services. His main passion concerns the fight for true equality and reducing the social isolation and stigma faced by isolated communities.
Currently Rob is the director of operations for the Lesbian & Gay Foundation, providing leadership around service delivery and development. As lead director for measuring outcomes he also has a passion for demonstrating the impact voluntary organisations make on peoples lives. He is currently studying for a Masters in Community Practice. Rob lives in Manchester with his partner Richard.
David Henry
David Henry has been working with disadvantaged communities for nearly ten years and. He has worked for the Black Health Agency, Brook and City Centre Project delivering sexual health education projects with young people. He is passionate about civil rights and first began campaigning with OutRage! when he was 15. David is also a co-founder of the Queer Youth Network and editor of Queer News. Oh and his favourite colour is Pink!
David Graham
David has been a board member since 2002 and was previously chair from 2005 to 2007 and again from May 2008 to Jan 2010.
David has worked in the voluntary sector for 15 years principally in the areas of sexual health and gay men’s work. He was previously Director of Development at George House Trust, the leading HIV support organisation in the North West, and chief executive of Leicester LGB Centre. David is currently an assistant director with the Big Life Company, a group of charities which includes the Big Issue in the north, developing innovative solutions to support communities to help themselves. David manages 8 healthy living centres in the north west and is responsible for delivering a program of community engagement.
David lives in Manchester where he is a keen supported of the local red football team and has developed an unusual fondness for reading trashy thrillers.