Saved LGBT group set to rebrand and expand

AN LGBT support group is shutting its doors '“ to reopen with a new team at the helm.
This year's Portsmouth Pride marchThis year's Portsmouth Pride march
This year's Portsmouth Pride march

Chatterbox LGBT suffered from a lack of committee members but after recruiting eight people over the summer is set to rebrand.

The group, which mostly ran social coffee meetings, will shut on September 30.

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All of its funds are being transferred to the new group, called Kroma.

Tom Armstrong-Collett, from the group, said: ‘It’s a group that’s replaced Chatterbox and is more defined in what it’s going to do.

‘It’s partly going to focus on helping and making sure people can be who they are in any society.

‘It’s making sure that if they do have problems coming out then we can support them in any way and also trying to get them back in work if they’re unemployed.

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‘Chatterbox was primarily about being a social support group but obviously this one is a little bit more defined.’

Tom added the group is set to work with Portsmouth Hospitals NHS Trust, which runs QA Hospital.

The group is urging patients to mention if they are gay, lesbian, bisexual or trans in the patient feedback forms so that any problems can be addressed.

In an email to members of Chatterbox, Tom said: ‘All assets are to be transferred to Kroma, an empowering and informing organisation for those within the gender and sexual identities (LGBT+) community.’

The weekly coffee groups are still running.

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They run each Saturday between 11am and 1pm at Browns Coffee House, West Street, Fareham and Costa Coffee, Isambard Brunel Road, Portsmouth.

A trans group runs each Tuesday between 2pm and 4pm at Browns Coffee House.

A new trans group is set to run in Southsea in Highlands Road between 7pm and 9pm each Tuesday.

Tom is also appealing for anyone in Waterlooville who may be interested in running a group as there has been demand for a regular coffee meeting.

For more information see facebook.com/KromaLGBTQ