Since 1997, Brighton Gems has provided a safe and friendly environment for gay men over fifty to meet and make friends.
At a special EGM on Friday, May 31 at Dorset Gardens Methodist Church, the decision was taken to close the organisation down. Ian Scott, the treasurer, self nominated himself as chair in order to keep the organisation going, but no one came forward to fill the executive posts of secretary and treasurer.
Gary Pargeter, Service Manager at Lunch Positive and former chair of the Working to Connect LGBT+ Small Groups Network, the organisation that brings small LGBT+ community groups to work together attended the meeting as an advisor. Working to Connect has been supporting and continues to support GEMS throughout the process.
The members present voted that any funds left in the Brighton GEMS bank account would be shared equally between Older and Out, the Brighton based fully inclusive social group for local older LGBT+ people and Switchboard Older People’s Project.
