30 Jun 2026
Forward Trust is a place for everyone. In June, Forward marked Pride month 2026 by upskilling staff on Chemsex and exploring the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities and neurodivergence. Forward have also attended several Pride events in June and will be present at further events in the coming weeks.
To kick off Pride month, we hosted a Chemsex Awareness webinar to upskill our staff on what Chemsex is and how we can best support individuals in our services. One attendee stated "I knew very little coming in, but feel a lot more confident being able to offer support and I have a greater understanding of Chemsex now"
We also used this opportunity to launch a new Chemsex intervention: a nine session workshop series designed to provide structured, harm reduction-based support. The intervention supports individuals engaging in chemsex to reflect, build awareness, and make informed, safer choices about their drug use, sexual health, and wellbeing. Drawing on Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) and Motivational Interviewing (MI), the series combines psychoeducation, reflection, and practical skills to help participants manage triggers, improve self-care, and strengthen their relationship with themselves and others. Delivered by trained Chemsex Support Workers or Drug and Alcohol Practitioners, the workshops offer a safe and confidential space for men who have sex with men (MSM) to explore their relationship with chems, sex, intimacy, and connection.
Staff fed back that "It was a fantastic and engaging session, and I learned a lot about the specific drugs used, the risks involved and the routes for support". Also, that "I wasn't aware about PrEP - so it was very helpful to know about treatments and support available for some of the associated risks around chemsex, above and beyond the use of the chemicals themselves."
Proud, Forward's LGBTQ+ Employee Resource Group (ERG), celebrated Pride month by looking at the intersection between LGBTQ+ identities and neurodivergence (Autistic Pride Day being 18th June).
Proud hosted a "very thoughtful, relatable, and insightful" webinar with guest speaker Michael (they/them), who is non-binary and autistic. Michael shared an insightful account of their experiences growing up "feeling different" and the challenges that came with typical LGBTQ+ spaces being associated with nightclubs, which can isolate people who are also neurodivergent.
Michael emphasised that good practice for supporting people at the intersection of LGBTQ+ identities and neurodivergence comes down to asking "what do you need?". Michael also shared the importance of accepting self-diagnosis, and shared resources and tools to help our staff better support one another and their clients - "useful in practical work and support settings!"
One staff member shared that their main takeaway was "that it's okay to not know and to be constantly learning and coming home to your identity. That you don't have to give away your power to people who don't or can't understand you. It was also fantastic to see a lot of myself in the experiences shared. I genuinely was glued to the screen for this session, it was so insightful and affirming."
Ted Burr, Co-Chair of the Proud ERG, was approached by the You Are Loved charity to take part in a discussion panel as part of a play on tour across the country when it reached Hull.
Ted writes:
I was honoured to be asked, and considering a lot of my job with Forward Trust is public speaking, I was a little out of my depth having to then speak about something that had just unfolded in front of me. SMOKE is a play that explores themes of isolation, substance use, death, and mental health for a gay man in London, and the whirlwind 60-minute performance takes you across a chaotic timeline of the experience.
Being sat on the panel alongside other members of the LGBTQIA+ people from the city, all with different experiences, was great to discuss things in the moment. We discussed the work happening locally, from mental health services trying to move from dismissing substance induced psychosis from a treatment pathway until abstinent, the support for the trans community locally and the challenges they face locally even in the LGTBQIA+ bars, as well as discussing the support for substance use, the isolation we create as a community because of tribes, and all the ways in which we can overcome those troubles together.
Although SMOKE has finished it's current UK run, I would encourage you to keep an eye out for it coming back around and take the time to attend.
At Forward, support for the LGBTQ+ community doesn't end after June. We run monthly online peer support groups for LGBTQ+ and transgender people, and the new Chemsex intervention is now embedded into our service offer. For staff, the Proud ERG run events all year and provide a regular space for LGBTQ+ colleagues to connect and support one another.
We're committed to making our services safe, welcoming and accessible for everyone. Find out more about how we support LGBTQ+ people through specialist training, dedicated peer support, inclusive programmes and tailored approaches that help ensure everyone can access the support they need.
