The University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN), which is made up of both Northampton General and Kettering General Hospitals, are running a free online event to show what support is available for the LGBTQ+ armed forces community within Northamptonshire.
During the online event, on Thursday 5 March at 6pm, attendees will hear from LGBQT+ charity Fighting with Pride. The webinar will focus on the support available to those LGBTQ+ service personnel dismissed or forced from service prior to 2000, along with the support offered to veterans and reservists.
In 2025, the hospital group was awarded the gold accreditation from the Employer Recognition Scheme (ERS). This is to recognise their on-going commitment to support the armed forces community across Northamptonshire.
The webinar will be presented by Kevin Bazeley (Pride in Veterans Standard manager) from Fighting with Pride. “I have lived experience of serving with the Royal Air Force (RAF) and being barred from service due to my sexuality. As a charity it’s important to us to connect with those personnel who may feel left behind by the armed forces. Working with the NHS is an important way to share our messages, especially to those who might feel disconnected. That’s why I’m delighted to be taking part in this online event.”
The webinar will cover the work undertaken by the charity, including their work on reparations, signposting and befriending. UHN are working towards accreditation by the charity, for a ‘Pride in Veterans Standard’ (PiVS).
John Leivers, co-Chair of the UHN Pride staff network explained: “The members of the armed forces community are as diverse as the communities they defend. We want to demonstrate our continued commitment to the armed forces. By signing up to the PiVS, this is another way to ensure our local veterans and their families can feel confident when accessing our services, ensuring they’ll be treated with dignity, respect and understanding.”
The webinar is open for everyone in our community to attend – whether they have service in the armed forces or not. The online meeting has been arranged to highlight and celebrate the contributions made by LGBTQ+ personnel and to understand the lifelong impact this will have.
Join the event 6pm March 5 November (Meeting ID: 355 462 838 439 28 | Passcode: 7Q5K3j5k)
Useful information
Veterans’ support across University Hospitals of Northamptonshire
Fighting with Pride, and the PiVS scheme
The University Hospitals of Northamptonshire (UHN) is made up of Kettering General Hospital and Northampton General Hospital. They are proud to support those who serve or have served in the Armed Forces and their families. 
Kettering and Northampton General Hospitals are accredited Armed Forces Veteran Aware hospitals. These awards represent our commitment to ensure that all members of the Armed Forces, whether active, reserves, former or retired members are always treated appropriately, and with no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services.
