Pride Month 2024: Celebrating Fellows in the LGBTQ+ community

Cas Bradbeer

Curator and heritage project officer

Cas Bradbeer is a curator who has conducted research projects on queer art history at the V&A, the Royal College of Art, and the Courtauld Institute of Art.

They currently work part-time as the Heritage Project Officer at Humanists UK, where they are working towards an exhibition and fair of LGBT Humanist heritage and contemporary art at Conway Hall that will occur this Pride season in central London — all information on Conway Hall’s website under the events ‘Picturing Nonconformity’ and ‘Lead Me Into Temptation, Please’.

They are also the Curatorial Assistant at Strawberry Hill House & Garden (the former home of queer collector Horace Walpole) alongside volunteering as an LGBTQIA+ tour guide for the V&A and a Community Curator for the Museum of Transology.

Chris Barlow

Co-chair of Westminster LGBT Forum

Chris Barlow is the Co-chair of the Westminster LGBT Forum (WLGBTF) and founder of The Curious Club.

As Co-chair (Policy & Events), he is working with Co-chair Professor Pippa Catterall, an admin and communications officer, their talented committee, and several associates to increase the reach and influence of WLGBTF. Despite the progress they have made as a community these are troubling times and they are planning, through our busy events programme, to reach out to as many people and organisations as possible.

Apart from the WLGBTF, Chris also supports the work of MOSAIC LGBT Youth Trust. Age UK Westminster is also one of his regular monthly slots as he develops a 'walks and talks' programme. So hearing stories of a wide range of people is vital in his understanding of how best to reach out to the members, allies and supporters who help to bring people together.

Chris and his colleagues from WLGBTF have recently taken part in Westminster City Council’s 'Human Library' programme, which is launching soon.

Nzube Ufodike

Founder and CEO at Amoo Advisors

Nzube, once a computer scientist, now thrives in a dynamic portfolio career. He is a co-founder of Amoo Angels, a UK-based angel network. A former investment manager, he now actively supports the growth of early and emerging businesses through board positions, advisory roles, and his work as a fundraising coach and entrepreneur-in-residence.

He has raised over 50M USD for various early-stage and scale-up ventures. Some companies in his personal portfolio include the Academy of Robotics, Audiomob, MOONHUB, Ofixu, and Renewables in Africa, to name a few.

He is devoted to building better communities through volunteering work in various underrepresented groups (incl. Black, women, LGBTQIA+, and youth), Thus he volunteers as a trustee, board chair, and board member at The Africa Centre, The British Computer Society Foundation, and Queen Mary University of London respectively. He also chairs the IoD England Emerging NEDs specialist group.

Sophie Cook

LGBT and mental health campaigner, and photographer

In a landmark moment for LGBTQ+ representation in sports, Dr Sophie Cook became the first transgender woman to work in the Premier League as the official photographer for AFC Bournemouth after her transition in 2015.

Sophie is a standup comedian, actor and an in-demand public speaker, delivering keynote talks internationally including a TEDx Talk on change, fear, vulnerability, diversity, mental health and LGBT issues.

Leveraging her extensive experience working with organisations of all sizes, Sophie champions open communication as Speak Out Champion at the Crown Prosecution Service. She is instrumental in building confidence among employees to voice their experiences, driving the organisation's cultural transformation towards embedding EDI principles across all management levels.

Sophie’s published books include her autobiography ‘Not Today: How I Chose Life’ which charts her personal journey from despair to redemption and acts as a self-help book for anyone struggling with their mental health and identity, she is currently working on her first screenplay along with a collection of short stories.

Layla McCay

Director of Policy at the NHS Confederation

Layla McCay is Director of Policy at the NHS Confederation and Executive Lead of the UK's Health and Care LGBTQ+ Leaders Network. A psychiatrist and founder of the Centre for Urban Design and Mental Health, she co-authored 'Restorative Cities', a finalist for the Great Places Book Award. Her latest book 'Breaking the Rainbow Ceiling: How LGBTQ+ people can thrive and succeed at work' was published by Bloomsbury in May 2024.

Championing LGBTQ+ inclusion in business, Layla earned a spot on the 2023 Outstanding 100 LGBTQ+ Executives Role Model List. A frequent voice in the media, she shares her insights on platforms like the Financial Times and BBC Question Time.

Register for Layla McCay's public talk 'Breaking The Rainbows Ceiling' at RSA House on 6 June 2024 below.

Are you a Fellow and consider yourself a member of the LGBTQ+ community? Our LGBT Fellowship Network is always looking for new collaborators to help drive cultural change around diverse and inclusive LGBT+ issues.

It does this through a series of lectures, creative interventions and networking events designed to reduce stigma and stereotyping of LGBT+ people.