Your Regional Veteran Community Worker and Operations Manager – Dougie Morgan

(He/Him/His)

Dougie Morgan is the LGBT+ Operation’s Manager/ Veterans Community Worker for Scotland and Northern Ireland.

He has over 38 years’ experience in the British Army, serving from 1979 – 2016 including 26 years in the Black Watch. During his regular and reserve service, he was the deputy chair for the British Army LGBT Forum for over 2 years, and he was the lead for all LGBT matters in Scotland.

Dougie was a Mental Health First Aid Instructor whilst serving and has continued to ensure everyone is treated fairly and equally in all his posts after service. After completing his military service, he worked at Edinburgh Airport as a Security Officer and a member of the Additional Needs Team and was responsible for ensuring anyone with hidden disabilities and additional needs were supported through the airport which could be very challenging. He is MHFA and ASIST trained.

During the Covid lockdown, he worked at Sainsbury’s as a delivery driver and Gleneagles 5 * Hotel as a guest planner.

In 2015 Dougie received a Proud of Scotland ‘Uniformed Icon of the Year’ award for services to the LGBT+ community and in 2020 received the Proud of Scotland Outstanding Contribution to LGBTQI+ Life and then in 2023 Dougie was awarded the Scottish Veterans award of Inspiration of the Year and Overall, Champion of the year for his continued support to LGBT+ Veterans in Scotland.

Dougie got married to Graeme in 2016 and have been together since 2010, and they live in Alloa.

Regional Drop-in Session(s) and Community Online Cafe

Glasgow and the West Coast of Scotland

Calling all LGBT+ Veterans and serving personnel in Glasgow and the West of Scotland who were affected by the military ban on homosexuality and who can get to Glasgow.

What: Fighting With Pride’s Drop Ins aim is to connect veterans regionally, help reduce social isolation, make friendships, form peer support and buddy systems, and gain an understanding of what Veterans would like to see happening in their regions. It is an opportunity for you to share ideas and how together we can grow and develop community in the respective localities.

Why: It’s hard to find an inclusive gathering that fits all our needs in one place but is also understanding and accepting of our experiences, so having a meet-up will do just that.

Where: Community Veterans Support Quiet Room, The Pearce Institute 840-860 Govan Road, Glasgow, G51 3UU.

When: tbc

So, if you are interested, please come along. We know that people are spread far and wide, but we need to try to cover a large geographical area. Glasgow was the best option, and eventually, we hope to replicate this in other places.

CONTACT:    Dougie Morgan

[email protected] to register your attendance or to ask for more details.

 

Edinburgh, West Lothian, Scottish Borders and Fife

Calling all LGBT+ Veterans and their families and serving personnel in Edinburgh, West Lothian, Scottish Borders and Fife who were affected by the military ban on homosexuality and who can travel to Veterans First point Gilmerton.

What: Fighting With Pride’s Drop Ins aim is to connect veterans regionally, help reduce social isolation, make friendships, form peer support and buddy systems, and gain an understanding of what Veterans would like to see happening in their regions. It is an opportunity for you to share ideas and how together we can grow and develop community in the respective localities.

Why: It’s hard to find an inclusive gathering that fits all our needs in one place but is also understanding and accepting of our experiences, so having a meet-up will do just that.

Where: Fighting With Pride Drip-In Session,, Veterans First Point Lothian, 468 Gilmerton Road, First Floor, Rothsay Wing, Edinburgh EH17 7SA, 1300 – 1400hrs.

When: TBC

So, if you are interested, please come along. We know that people are spread far and wide, but we need to try to cover a large geographical area. Glasgow was the best option, and eventually, we hope to replicate this in other places.

CONTACT:    Dougie Morgan

[email protected] to register your attendance or to ask for more details.

 

Online Regional Cafe

Our next online Regional Café will be held on Tuesday, December 17th, from 1830 hrs to 2000 hrs. It will include a Christmas Quiz, so please look out for further information, which will appear on our Regional Section of FWPs webpage. Please join us as it is a chance to get to know other veterans who were affected by the ban and may be isolated.

You can sign up to join the cafe HERE

 

 

Our Drop-ins aim is to connect veterans regionally, help reduce social isolation, make friendships, form peer support and buddy systems, and gain an understanding of what Veterans would like to see happening in their regions. It is an opportunity for you to share ideas and how together we can grow and develop community in the respective localities.

Key Aims

·         To reduce social isolation

·         To gain a better understanding of support needs in the region

·         To share ideas and knowledge

·         To cascade any new information and updates from FWP

·         To develop a peer support group and/or buddy-up system

·         To explore how we can work together to grow and develop FWP within respective localities

·         To develop and grow regional events suited to the needs and interests of Veterans

What it isn’t

·         It isn’t a campaigning space. FWP has Operation Crescendo in place to take campaigns forward. The organisation will address any future campaigns as a whole.

·         It isn’t a membership group. FWP does not have members; we are a connected community with supporters and allies.

·         It isn’t a forum to complain about the organisation/partner organisations/veterans/staff. There are official channels on our website for individuals to raise concerns or complaints.

·         It isn’t compulsory to be involved; we leave that choice entirely up to you.

 

We ask all involved in out Drop-ins to:

Be Kind –. Please remember, you might not know what the person ‘sitting next to you’ is going through or difficulties they may have, and this may be their first venture into this kind of group. Please, first and foremost, be mindful, respectful and kind.

Be Considerate Negative comments can put people off getting involved, and this will have the opposite effect on what they are designed to do. We do not wish to bar anyone from any of the forums, but we must manage the impact on individual wellbeing. If disrespectful and negative comments are being made, any caution or, if necessary, decision to remove that individual from the group, will be made in the best interests of others and the group’s success.

Please contact [email protected] if you are intending to attend.

 

Regional Pride Events

Pride events for the region have finished for this year. We will try and get involved in as many local 2025 prides as we possibly can and it would be great if you could come along and support us. We will let you know the details as we get information and post them here and in our Newsletter.

 

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