Championing inclusion at Northern Rebound
To mark LGBT+ History Month, Martin Cooper from Northern Rebound talks candidly about how the club ignited his passion for squash and makes him feel like part of a team, and not an outsider.
Share
To mark LGBT+ History Month, Martin Cooper from Northern Rebound - one of Manchester's most recognisable LGBT+ sports groups - talks candidly about how the club ignited his passion for squash and makes him feel like part of a team, and not an outsider.
This month sees the annual celebration of LGBT+ history month, which to the vast majority of people won’t particularly mean anything (which is fine) but what it does mean to some is incredibly important and shouldn’t be underestimated.
I am a keen, amateur, not particularly good (however competitive I am) squash player from Manchester who took up the sport around 12 years ago, just casually playing with a friend. I’m proud to say that my game has improved somewhat since then, and I have since achieved certificates in Level One coaching and basic refereeing and marking, and developed a great relationship with my friends at England Squash who are luckily based at my ‘home ground’ - the National Squash Centre, which just happens to be a five minute walk from my apartment.
I’m also an openly gay man. Now, I don’t have to consider LGBT+ history to know how lucky I am in many respects. I live in a city which is internationally celebrated as a diverse and unified society, with people of all colour, creed, gender and sexual identity sharing a small space and living together in relative harmony.
Latest News
Kicking off movement at L&Q Trafford schemes
Ahead of Falls Prevention Week, L&Q share how their chair-based classes support residents' strength, balance and mobility, supporting them to live well.
Active Together: Football and Friendship in Leigh
Here's a strong example of GM Moving’s wider vision: creating positive movement experiences for everyone in Greater Manchester, rooted in community, equity, and joy.
Connecting Communities Through Movement: Reflections From a VCSE Catalyst
Between July and September, Sport England is spotlighting ‘connecting communities’ from its Uniting the Movement strategy, showing how place-based approaches get people active in new ways. This highlights GM Moving’s work and our partnership with 10GM supporting VCSE groups across Greater Manchester.