Events

No Barriers Here often deliver and support community events in the Dudley Borough and surrounding areas. If you are organising a community event and would like No Barriers Here to attend, please complete the community events form.

Upcoming community events

‘It’s more than rainbows in receptions’

No Barriers Here LGBTQ+ community workshops

This phase of No Barriers Here, funded by Marie Curie, focuses on the LGBTQ+ community.

LGBTQ+ people are less likely to access healthcare for many reasons, including fear of discrimination. This can lead to members of our community missing out on the opportunity to discuss their future care wishes, including how they would want to be cared for if they had a serious illness (Advance Care Planning). It is vital that healthcare professionals know how to offer safe and competent care, beyond displaying rainbows in receptions.

What is No Barriers Here?

No Barriers Here is an arts-based approach to Advance Care Planning (care that we need as we age, become unwell and towards the end of life). It has been developed in co-production to explore and understand the needs of people often marginalised in healthcare.

What does taking part involve?

You will have the opportunity to explore your own wants and wishes for your future care – this is important regardless of age or health. Three workshops, facilitated by LGBTQ+ facilitators, will be held in which different topics and themes will be explored.

What are the benefits of taking part?

You will have the chance to think about your future care preferences and advance care planning priorities in a small group using art materials – you don’t have to be good at art! The themes which arise will be used to inform education resources for healthcare professionals and will be shared with Marie Curie to support the development of future care services.

Interested in taking part?

  • Are you part of the LGBTQ+ community?
  • Are you over 18 years old?
  • Do you live in Dudley, Birmingham or the Black Country?
  • You are available to attend three consecutive workshops. Each workshop is approximately 1.5-2 hours and is free to attend.

You will receive a free box of quality art resources to use during each workshop that you can keep afterwards. Reasonable travel expenses will be reimbursed – please ask for further information.

Join us

Join us at the Midlands Art Centre (MAC) on Wednesday 28th June, Wednesday 5th July and Wednesday 12th July to participate in No Barriers Here workshops. Each workshop will start at 18:30 and last for approximately 1.5-2 hours.

BOOKING IS ESSENTIAL. To register your place, please contact: gemma.allen@marystevenshospice.co.uk

Please do share this event with friends, family and colleagues. A poster is available to download.

Venue

Midlands Arts Centre, Cannon Hill Park, Birmingham, B12 9QH.

Accessibility:

  • Assistance Dogs Welcome
  • Accessible access and unisex toilets (including Changing Places facility)
  • Disabled parking nearby
  • Quiet room
  • For further information about access at Mac, please visit: https://macbirmingham.co.uk/visit/access

Funded by Marie Curie.

Upcoming speaking and presentation events

Members of the No Barriers Here team frequently speak about our work and equitable palliative and end of life care at meetings, conferences, and webinars. Please complete the form for speaker/ conference invitations at the earliest opportunity for consideration for a presentation, panel discussion or experiential No Barriers Here workshop.

Hospice UK National Conference 2023: Thinking Differently
Invited speakers: Gemma Allen and Dr Jed Jerwood Addressing inequity through community outreach

For further information and to register, please visit: https://www.hospiceuk.org/innovation-hub/courses-conferences/national-conference#content-menu-7127

Association of Palliative Care Social Workers National Conference: Innovative Practice within Palliative Care

Keynote speaker: Gemma Allen No Barriers Here

For further information, please visit: https://www.apcsw.org.uk/