We've been given a brilliant opportunity to host an event at The Aspinal of London store in Brook Street, Mayfair.

Drinks and nibbles will be provided, as well as a 20% discount on goods purchased during the night. 

Free personalisation will also be available on the evening (normally at a cost of £15).

Schedule:

18:30 - 20:30: Aspinal of London

20:30 onwards:  Ball's Brothers, Mayfair Exchange

We have decided to make the ever-popular August networking, hosted by Kennedys Law, our Summer Party and use the opportunity to raise more funds for the LGBT support and counselling charity London Friend.

Note: This replaces the normal "First Tuesday" networking

Tickets

Tickets are priced at just £15, with all proceeds going to London Friend. You also have the opportunity to make an additional donation during the booking process should you so wish.

What is included?

Kennedys will provide refreshments and a buffet supper.

If you have any dietary, access or other considerations that you would like Link and Kennedys to be aware of, you will be able to provide information during the booking process or alternatively contact us at enquiries@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk and we will do our best to support you.

Those of you who have attended in prior years will remember their lovely terrace, so keep your fingers crossed for good weather.

Link Up North are very happy to be walking in Leeds Pride again for 2018, we would love to open out some spaces to some of our members to come along and join in the fun.

The spaces will be on a first come first served basis, if all the tickets have been reserved please contact upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk and we will let you know if any spare places become available.

Once signed up you will receive an email with further information and timings.

Link Up North's 2018 pride entry is proudly sponsored by Eversheds Sutherland, Pinsent Masons, Zurich Insurance, PWC and Aon.

14:00 Parade Starts
15:00 Party starts on Lower Briggate

Link Up North's monthly networking drinks are on the first Thursday of every month.  Join us at Fibre in Leeds for drinks, networking and a good catch-up from 17:30 onwards.

We can usually be found upstairs, if you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk.

Join Isle of Wight pride in only its second year.  Isle of Wight Pride has also been named UK Pride 2018.  The parade is followed by a celebration on a sandy beach!

Although this is a FREE event, the organisers ask everyone to register for a ticket.

Pinsent Mason's and  Leeds LGBT+ Business Alliance are delighted to invite you to join their talk with Chair of the Equality and Human Rights Commission, David Isaac CBE, speaking on promoting diverse and inclusive cultures in the workplace.  This will be followed by informal networking and refreshments.

Europe’s largest not-for-profit event for African, Asian, Arab, and Caribbean-heritage lesbian, gay, bisexual and trans people – has announced its thirteenth annual music festival will take place on Sunday 8 July 2018 in Vauxhall Pleasure Gardens. The event is an integral part of the Pride in London week of celebrations.

This is a free music festival, and an excellent way to chill after the rigours of the Pride parade the previous day as well as supporting the community.

For more info check out the website: http://ukblackpride.org.uk

Join Link's walking group in the 2018 Pride Parade  

Join Link and other insurance groups at Pride in London, a great day of celebration for the LGBT+ community.  This year he theme is "A matter of Pride" - encouraging each group to explore why Pride matters to them.  In their own research words such as "Freedom", "Individuality", "Pride", "Protest" and "Celebration" were most frequently associated. What are yours?

In response to the demand to allow more community groups to attend the Parade, the wristbands being made available to companies has been limited.  Link therefore only as 45 wristbands to distribute. If you are unable to secure a ticket please put your name on the waiting list - we will notify you if any of the other insurance groups are able to release wristbands to Link.

We have decided to charge a fee of £15 per wristband, this is in response to a high number of last minute drop-outs and no-shows.  The funds collected will be used towards refreshments and parade goodies.

Schedule

11:30   Meetup Paddington Street Gardens South (W1U 5QY)
12:30   Arrive at Parade Form-Up Entry Point  (Portland Place x Park Crescent)
14:00   (approx) Parade starts
16:30   Parade finishes

See custom Google map showing key locations.

In more fantastic news: In 2018 there are more insurance firms than ever before with their own entry:

• Allianz
• Aon
• Aviva
• AXA
• Direct Line Group
• Legal & General
• Marsh
• RPC Law
• Willis Towers Watson
• Zurich

It's great to see so many firms taking part.

RPC would like to invite you to its first pre-Pride drinks to celebrate London Pride and LGBT+ inclusion and diversity in the workplace. 
 
RPC is involved with a number of LGBT+ initiatives, including our internal network, RPC RAIN, based across London and Bristol. We have also partnered with a number of  external networks, including Link, the LGBT+ Insurance Network (RPC was a founder sponsor and has continued to sponsor for the past five years) and the London Bisexual Network. 
 
RPC would love for you to join them for a drink at their London office from 6-7:30pm on Thursday 5 July 2018. Spaces are limited so we would recommend registering your attendance early. For anyone who wants to keep the evening going, we will head out to a local bar afterwards.

Please RSVP by clicking the below button.

Leeds Law Society in conjunction with Weightmans LLP are pleased to announce that on Thursday 5th July 2018 it will be hosting its first ever LGBT+ Networking Event. 

This will be an opportunity to meet the Society’s new LGBT+ Officer who will be talking about the future plans of Leeds Law Society as well as holding an open-floor discussion with delegates. 
 
This event is open to Law Society members and non-members. Join other Link Up North members in supporting this new LGBT initiative in Leeds.

If you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk. 

Allies play a critical role in creating inclusive workplaces and are key in ensuring LGBT+ colleagues are included and can bring their authentic self to work.

DWF and RSA are delighted to host this engaging event which will provide practical ways to empower allies so they feel confident to get involved and help to create a more inclusive workplace culture within the insurance sector.
 
You will hear from LGBT allies and Role Models who will share insights and practical advice to help influence your next steps. There will also be a chance to pose questions to the panel and take part in the discussion.
 
Panel members will include:

• Simon Hodgkinson, CIO Digital Security, BP
• Suli Hampson, Strategic Programmes, Lloyds Banking Group
• David Walton, Partner, DWF
• Anjalee Sewpaul, Founder at Déjà Vu

Panel Facilitator: Paul Trivett, RSA Building Pride Sponsor

AIG and WTW invite you to join us for a talk from world renowned rugby referee Nigel Owens.

Nigel is one of the world’s leading rugby referees. He will be familiar to rugby audiences as the man who refereed the last World Cup final, as well as countless other international and top flight matches. Regarded as one of the world’s best referees, Nigel is famous for his humorous quips on the pitch and his TV appearances back home in Wales. 

Nigel has also spoken candidly about his struggles with his sexuality and mental health and the challenges of growing up gay in a small, rugby-obsessed community in West Wales. 

Nigel will be sharing the story of the journey that led to him becoming one of the most prominent gay men in professional sport.

Register using the below button to book your seat.

We are mixing it up a little for the July networking, and exploring a new bar with some outdoor space, a good range of wine and Aperol spritz.  Join us at the Vintry.  If the weather lets us down, the bar is large and airy.

If it’s your first time to one of our events please approach one of our committee members, who will be more than happy to introduce you to a few other people (they will be wearing badges so you can recognise them).

Please also remember Link events are aimed at LGBT+ (re)insurance professionals and their allies, so please feel free to bring a colleague or two with you.

We choose to use a bar as a venue for some of our networking events.  This is intended to allow you to flex attendance according to your working day: come early or late, you do not need to register.

We are excited to be hosting our fifth quiz, which will take place on Thursday, 7 June 2018. Once again, we are very pleased to announce that XL Catlin will host the event at their offices on Gracechurch Street and that we will be raising money in aid of LGBT+ Health and Wellbeing charity, London Friend.

Tickets

Tickets are priced at just £15 per person with all proceeds going to London Friend. You also have the opportunity to make an additional donation during the booking process should you so wish.

What's Included

XL Catlin will very kindly be providing complimentary food and drink for the evening. There will also be prizes for the winning team and the team with the best name.

Raffle

We will be selling raffle tickets at the door and during the evening with all money raised going to London Friend. Winning tickets will be drawn at the end of the evening.

Teams

Maximum of six people per team.

Solo? or just want to network on with new people? No problem! There will be Link tables for anyone who wants to join us individually or in smaller groups.

If you already know the name of your team or team captain, please use the field on the order form. Else please send an email to admin@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk when you have your team sorted and we will reserve a table for you. [Note this is for admin purposes only and need not be the team name you compete with.]

Link Up North's monthly networking drinks are on the first Thursday of every month.  Join us at Fibre in Leeds for drinks, networking and a good catch-up from 17:30 onwards.

We can usually be found upstairs, if you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk.

The first Tuesday of every month is a permanent fixture on the Link networking event calendar and is a great opportunity to interact with other LGBT members of the Insurance Industry.

Come along to catch up with colleagues and meet new friends at our regular monthly networking event.  It's always great to hear your views on recent events and discuss possible topics for future presentations.
 
If it’s your first time to one of our events please approach one of our committee members, who will be more than happy to introduce you to a few other people (they will be wearing badges so you can recognise them).  Of course this is not strictly an LGBT event and we welcome anyone within the insurance industry who is interested in coming along so please do feel free to bring along your straight colleagues!

Come and join us for fizz and cake because Link Up North turns three next month! Our first Thursday drinks will be replaced by a celebration of Link, our members and the progress that's been made in the LGBT+ space over the past few years.

We'll hear from Pinsent Masons as one of our key Up North supporters (and a Stonewall top 5 company to boot!), as well as one of our Co-Chairs, as we look at how things have changed, what's still to change and most of all have a good old catch up with everyone!

See you there.

The first Tuesday of every month is a permanent fixture on the Link networking event calendar and is a great opportunity to interact with other LGBT members of the Insurance Industry.

This month XL Catlin's Plus network have invited us to join them after their network meeting at their favourite chill-out spot - Note the change of venue.

Come along to catch up with colleagues and meet new friends at our regular monthly networking event.  It's always great to hear your views on recent events and discuss possible topics for future presentations.
 
If it’s your first time to one of our events please approach one of our committee members, who will be more than happy to introduce you to a few other people (they will be wearing badges so you can recognise them).  Of course this is not strictly an LGBT event and we welcome anyone within the insurance industry who is interested in coming along so please do feel free to bring along your straight colleagues!

Emma Freeman, the leader of Swiss Re mental health group, Pathways, has kindly offered to run an introductory mental health awareness session for members of Link.

We will cover:

• How to spot the early signs of a mental health problem
• Feel confident in helping someone experiencing a problem
• Help prevent someone from hurting themselves or others
• Help stop mental ill health from getting worse
• Help someone recover faster
• Guide someone towards the right support
• Reduce the stigma of mental health problems

Schedule

12:00 Arrival
12:30 Session Starts
14:00 Session Ends

Bring your own lunch. Tea, Coffee and water will be provided.

Note: There are only 15 spaces: first come, first served. If it's successful and there is enough demand, we will try and run another later in the year - so don't hold back from adding your name to the waitlist if you don't get in this session.

Link celebrated its official launch on 26th March 2013. We had a fantastic panel focusing on the business case for Diversity and Inclusion (D&I). On 12th April 2018, to celebrate our 5th birthday we return to the Great Hall at Aldermanbury, once again guests of Insurance Institute of London.

Read the event brochure.

The Link committee and our excellent volunteer team are excited to invite you to join us as we reflect on the last five years and look at current trends and how they may impact our industry.

First we will get a retrospective of the progress made in our industry over the last 5 years, exploring the impact from an LGBT+ perspective and hearing from people at different stages of their career.

We then welcome one of our keynote speakers, Mx Pips Bunce, who will introduce the topic of Gender Identity and Expression.

We shall then look to the near horizon and speculate on how current trends in the LGBT+ community may impact our industry and future workplaces.

Confirmed Speakers:

• Paul Jardine, XL Catlin
• Karen Graves, SCOR
• Pips Bunce, Credit Suisse

More to be announced soon.

By the end of this event you will:

• Understand the progress in D&I made by the insurance industry over the last 5 years.
• Hear personal accounts of how this progress has impacted insurance professionals in various stages of their careers.
• Understand the concepts of Gender Identity and Expression and how to support friends and colleagues.
• Discuss the next steps for the LGBT community and any challenges for the insurance industry.

Link Up North's monthly networking drinks are on the first Thursday of every month.  Join us at Fibre in Leeds for drinks, networking and a good catch-up from 17:30 onwards.

We can usually be found upstairs, if you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk.

The first Tuesday of every month is a permanent fixture on the Link networking event calendar and is a great opportunity to interact with other LGBT members of the Insurance Industry.

Come along to catch up with colleagues and meet new friends at our regular monthly networking event.  It's always great to hear your views on recent events and discuss possible topics for future presentations.
 
If it’s your first time to one of our events please approach one of our committee members, who will be more than happy to introduce you to a few other people (they will be wearing badges so you can recognise them).  Of course this is not strictly an LGBT event and we welcome anyone within the insurance industry who is interested in coming along so please do feel free to bring along your straight colleagues!

The first Tuesday of every month is a permanent fixture on the Link networking event calendar and is a great opportunity to interact with other LGBT members of the Insurance Industry.  This month we welcome members from the London Bisexual Network (LBN).

Come along to catch up with colleagues and meet new friends at our regular monthly networking event.  It's always great to hear your views on recent events and discuss possible topics for future presentations.
 
If it’s your first time to one of our events please approach one of our committee members, who will be more than happy to introduce you to a few other people (they will be wearing badges so you can recognise them).  Of course this is not strictly an LGBT event and we welcome anyone within the insurance industry who is interested in coming along so please do feel free to bring along your straight colleagues!

Link Up North's monthly networking drinks are on the first Thursday of every month.  Join us at Fibre in Leeds for drinks, networking and a good catch-up from 17:30 onwards.

We can usually be found upstairs, if you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk.

The first Tuesday of every month is a permanent fixture on the Link networking event calendar and is a great opportunity to interact with other LGBT members of the Insurance Industry.

Come along to catch up with colleagues and meet new friends at our regular monthly networking event.  It's always great to hear your views on recent events and discuss possible topics for future presentations.
 
If it’s your first time to one of our events please approach one of our committee members, who will be more than happy to introduce you to a few other people (they will be wearing badges so you can recognise them).  Of course this is not strictly an LGBT event and we welcome anyone within the insurance industry who is interested in coming along so please do feel free to bring along your straight colleagues!

Link Up North's monthly networking drinks are on the first Thursday of every month.  Join us at Fibre in Leeds for drinks, networking and a good catch-up from 17:30 onwards.

We can usually be found upstairs, if you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk.

Something a little different for our January networking.

Recognising that many use January as month to rest their liver from the abuses of Christmas, we have chosen this bar specifically because it has a good range of non-alcoholic offerings from Softails to juices and smoothies.  

Catch up with old friends and meet new ones whilst feeling virtuous!

Alternatively ... the standard array of alcoholic beverages are available (of course)

Note: This replaces the normal "First Tuesday" in London

Link Up North's monthly networking drinks are on the first Thursday of every month.  Join us at Fibre in Leeds for drinks, networking and a good catch-up from 17:30 onwards.

We can usually be found upstairs, if you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk.

As we approach December, it's time to celebrate another successful year for Link as an LGBT professional network and we'd love you to celebrate with us! 

We are excited that Aviva and the fantastic Aviva Pride will be hosting our 2017 Christmas Party and fundraising event, which will take place on Tuesday 5th December 2017. Complimentary drinks and nibbles will be provided.

1st December is World Aids Day so we will be raising funds for the sexual health charity Terrence Higgins Trust (THT) as well as raising some funds for Link.

Tickets

Tickets are priced at £15 each, with 50% of the proceeds going to THT and 50% going to Link.

Due to the busy Xmas period, our first Thursday drinks will be pushed forward a week so that you can all still enjoy your festivities throughout December.

Come and join us on Thursday 30th November. See you there!  
Join us at Fibre in Leeds for drinks, networking and a good catch-up from 17:30 onwards.

Note: This replaces the normal first Thursday in December.  

We can usually be found upstairs, if you’ve not been before but would like to join us, do come and say hello and find out about our plans for Leeds Pride and the rest of the year.  Feel free to get in touch in advance at upnorth@lgbtinsurancenetwork.co.uk.