Hello Everyone!

On Sunday 5 October, the Board kindly elected me as Chair of the Gay Outdoor Club. I’m deeply honoured to take on the role, and I’ll do my best to serve our community with care, clarity, and a touch of Cornish grit.
A little about me: I’m a 68-year-old retired trans woman, now happily based in Truro, Cornwall. My working life was spent in IT as a programmer, so I come equipped with a love of systems, a knack for troubleshooting, and a healthy respect for the quirks of social media. I first joined the Berkshire and Mid Thames group, and I owe a heartfelt ‘Thank you!’ to Simon Scaddan and the members there for their warmth and welcome. That spirit of inclusion is what drew me into the GOC, and it’s what I hope to nurture as Chair.
Since stepping into the role, I’ve been immersed in the less glamorous side of governance: protocols, processes, and the occasional rabbit hole of committee lore. But there’s been one exciting development, I’ve been invited to appear on Out with Kathy, a syndicated local radio show in the South East that celebrates LGBTQ+ voices. It’s a lovely opportunity to share who we are and what we stand for.
As the first woman, and the first trans woman, to chair the GOC, I believe visibility matters. Every bit of publicity is a chance to show that we are a diverse, welcoming, and proudly inclusive community. That message isn’t just symbolic, it’s strategic.

At our recent Committee meeting in Warwick, we set our sights on three key goals:
• Improving member retention
• Broadening our membership base
• Encouraging more activity leaders

Public outreach, like the radio show, fits beautifully into that vision. If we want to grow, we must be seen, and seen as a place where everyone belongs.
I’ll keep you posted on how things unfold in the next Notes from the Chair. In the meantime, thank you for being part of this remarkable community.
Warm wishes,

Anne