OTN Coordinator celebrates third fruitful year in full-time role
OTN Coordinator Kieran Bohan introducing the charity's 2022 Annual Report at our national gathering in June 2023.
OCTOBER 1st marks the third anniversary of the Coordinator of the Open Table Network taking on the role full-time.
Thanks to the success of our first major funding bid, Kieran Bohan began a six-month contract on this day in 2020. Further grants, plus one-off and regular donations, have enabled him to extend this until 2025.
During the last 12 months, we:
published our second annual report since OTN became a charity in March 2021.
supported TEN new communities to begin meeting, and THREE communities to relaunch following a change in leadership.
consulted with three other churches about whether they might host an Open Table community, and began working with 20 more churches.
expanded this website to offer more resources for our members and friends, including how to invite an Open Table speaker to preach in your church, the Meet our partners page highlighting 13 other organisations with whom OTN has working relationships, three new personal stories, plus regular news reports and blog posts reflecting the diversity of issues and experiences we face across and beyond our Network.
published 21 new videos on YouTube including a commemoration of Trans Day of Remembrance, and celebrations of LGBT+ History Month and Pride Month - subscribe to our channel for updates.
worked in partnerships with other LGBT+ organisations, including a conference exploring the intersection of faith, LGBTQIA+, and ethnicity, a response to the Church of England’s Living In Love & Faith process on identity, sexuality, relationships and marriage, a Big Queer Carols service, a letter to the Prime Minister to defend Gender Recognition reform, and a coalition calling on the UK government to ban conversion therapy.
gave interviews, including Metro, on Church of England bishops’ proposal to bless same-gender relationships, BBC Radio Merseyside’s Daybreak programme, and LCR Pride Foundation for the 15th birthday of the first Open Table community.
supported the production of an LGBTQ+ themed musical comedy which gave audience donations to OTN, and advised on the script, especially scenes portraying a survivor of ‘conversion therapy’.
co-hosted an LGBT+ Christian retreat.
adopted St Bridget and her female soul friend as patron saints in LGBT+ History Month.
hosted a national gathering on the theme More Than Equal.
organised an Open Table Communion service at the Church of England General Synod.
celebrated with Christians At Pride at the cathedrals in Liverpool and Manchester.
delivered a workshop for on embodiment, gender and sexuality for trainee spiritual directors in a CofE diocese.
delivered a training day on equality, diversity and inclusion with LGBT+ & faith focus for volunteer chaplains and other staff at a chaplaincy charity and a regional police force.
spoke to the LGBT+ staff network of an emergency food aid charity during Pride Month.
raised more than £3,000 thanks to the generosity of donors to our Advent and Christmas appeal, and secured a grant of £50,000 spread over three years from the United Reformed Church Legacy Fund.
OTN Coordinator Kieran Bohan said:
“It’s been an extraordinary year - on behalf of the trustees of the Open Table Network, we’re grateful to all our members, volunteers, supporters, donors and funders who have made all this - and more - possible. Thank you!”
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