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
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.
Visit our Women’s Rugby World Cup Fan Zone
We’re thrilled to be part of one of the official Fan Zones in Piccadilly Gardens, bringing people together to celebrate across two exciting match weekends.