What is Out and About?
Out and About LGBTQ is a new and exciting site for connecting the LGBTQIA community through shared experiences. Our research told us you were tired of dating and friendship sites and wanted to meet like-minded others through mutual interests.
Our focus is on providing quality and inclusive events in safe and supportive environments across the UK. Our events are focused initially on LGBTQIA women and those who are non-binary, but we will be looking to move into having some mixed events in the future.
Out and About create and curate quality day, evening and extended weekend events and experiences across the UK. Our experiences will include day/evening and long weekend trips. We are planning events around: walking and hiking, wellness, sports, creative pursuits, family activities and of course evening socials.
Out and About’s own events will always be clearly labelled. We will also promote events from other approved event providers. For these we will not take payments, but will reserve your space and then pass your details (followig GDPR guidelines) to the third party who will process payment and manage all events correspondence going forward. See our Terms and Conditions for more details
If you have an idea for a great event, get in touch, we would love to hear from you! If you are an event provider please fill in the form on the Join Us pages.
We will be launching a membership programme shortly, but for now you can join us by subscribing to receive our monthly email and information about upcoming experiences. Please note you will need to subscribe if you want to register for any events we promote.
We are a limited company, run by two Co-Founders and supported by consultants, contract staff and regional volunteer leads.
Welcoming, Supportive and Safe
Out and About events will always be welcoming, supportive and safe spaces. We know this is especially key to those that are coming on their own to events. Our event leads are there to ensure you are welcomed, and we have a free to join Facebook Group where you can connect with other LGBTQIA women.
We are also building a community of Regional Leads who will host local meet ups and support events across the UK.
Inclusive
We are focused on creating welcoming, safe and supportive spaces for all LGBTQIA women and those who identify as non-binary. This means our events are designed to be open to lesbians, those who identify as bisexual, transgender, queer and/or questioning, transgender, intersex and asexual/aromantic/agenda and non-binary.
We will work with third parties to also ensure we host events that are supportive to different ethnicities and faiths.
We will work to ensure as many of our events as possible are also open to those with disabilities. We will also be clear to point out any accessibility issues, and work with partners to address these in the future.
Some events, with third parties will be aimed at families. We will work with third parties to ensure they have the relevant DBS and other checks in place to deliver these.
Some events will be adult only, these will be specified and we will retain the right to ask for proof ID from attendees.
There may also be events that are run by partners that are specifically aimed at key sections of the LGBTQIA community. These will always be specified in the event text.
All third parties who work with Out and About will be required to complete a Code of Conduct which commits to be providing a safe and supportive for all LGBTQIA women. Where required Out and About will provide training and support to employees.
Out and About will work a group of community advisers as well as organisations like About Us | Attitude is Everything to support the inclusivity of our events and those of third parties that we promote.
Giving Back to the community
Out and About will support LGBTQIA charities, by providing free opportunities to promote their events.
We are also keen to help the many small LGBTQIA events businesses that are out there and will be launching a small business membership, where as well as providing a platform to promote events and relevant content, we will run quarterly online networking meet ups.
Out and About will also be working with a team of inclusive expert consultants and advisers, including those that will represent the bisexual, transgender and non-binary community as well as different ethnicities and key interest areas (such as Family and Sport).
Who are Out and About
Polly Shute | Co-Founder of Out and About. | She/Her
Polly has spent the last 10 years working on LGBTQI events, including being on the Board of Pride in London up until 2018 and a consultant for DIVA Media Group.
A former Marketing and Fundraising Director, working within the commercial and not for profit sector, Polly is a Partnership and Inclusion Consultant working with clients such as Women in Sport, Brentford FC and is part of the EW Group – Full-Service Diversity and Inclusion Consultancy (theewgroup.com)
Polly is a Chartered Institute of Fundraising award winner and was recognised as a leader in Profit for Purpose at the 2019 UK Sponsorship Awards. As part of her D&I focus, Polly was recognised in top 20 LGBT+ leaders list by Outstanding and The FT in 2018 and was on the Pride Power List in association with the Guardian in 2019 and 2020. Polly sits on a number of inclusion committees and is a Director of Trans in the City.
Outside work Polly loves running, hiking, walking her dog and cooking up a storm in the kitchen.
Becky French | Co-Founder of Out and About. | She/Her
Becky is a veteran of the Royal Air Force, serving abroad on numerous occasions. Upon leaving the service she transitioned into the private security sector where she specialised in operational and event security.
Becky’s work involved planning the security architecture for teams in international high-risk countries as well as planning the security for internationally recognised sporting events.
Becky is a keen sports woman, having played golf for both the Royal Air Force and Combined Services teams. She also played a lot of squash and rugby during her time in the RAF.
In her spare time, you will find Becky, walking her two dogs, playing golf or whistling down a hill, albeit ungracefully, on a pair of skis.