RAINBOW Coffs Harbour (RCH) LGBTIQA+ social group is having a picnic “to get the word out there”, one of the group’s founding members, Robyn Dever, told News Of The Area.

“Our event will be a sausage sizzle/picnic on Saturday 11 March 2023 down at the Jetty Foreshores.

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“We aim to organise and promote LGBTQIA+ inclusive events, safe places and resources for the rainbow community, their friends, families and allies,” said Robyn.

Everyone is welcome.

“We are very serious about bringing people together in the community spirit that Australia is known for, whilst fostering a safe environment and helping us all connect and meet like-minded people.”

As such, RCH will be doing several activities to raise money to support things such as officially setting up the group, a web page, registering its name and printing flyers.

“We’ve launched a raffle to raise the money for this,” she said.

See Rainbow Coffs Harbour’s Facebook page for more details on buying tickets.

“We have been donated some awesome prizes and have been blown away by the sponsors and supporters thus far.

“Please tell your friends and family to like our page on Facebook to keep up to date with the raffle, the picnic and further events.”

Robyn says the Coffs business community can support RCH in several ways.

“We already have had some donations, each for $100-plus, as raffle prizes from our sponsors, such as Matilda’s Hut, Silvio’s, Jetty Beach House, Coffs Harbour Golf Club, Pacific Bay Resort, the National Cartoon Gallery, as well as our community partner ACON Northern NSW.”

“For businesses, a corporate sponsorship for products would be most welcome.”

RCH will show its appreciation of sponsors’ generosity, with a “thank you for your support” letter, promotion of the business through its website on the featured ‘Supporters’ list, through social media shout-outs, as well as with its active Facebook group page, along with the greater LGBTIQA+ community.

Rainbow Coffs Harbour was founded in 2015 by four people – one lesbian couple and one gay couple – who were new to the area.

“After doing some research of rainbow groups and clubs in the Coffs Harbour area, we found that nothing like we had envisaged existed – at least not anymore,” said Robyn.

“We named it Rainbow Coffs Harbour as that is a broad umbrella term that covers a diversity of sexual orientations, as well as gender and sexual identities.”

Due to people leaving the area, RCH found itself left with one founder in 2020, that being Robyn.

During Covid the group had a couple of events, but they were pretty lean times, according to Robyn.

“In 2022, I was then approached by a guy, Victor, who came from Sydney and wanted to get something started up here.

“He asked if I was interested in merging, as RCH already had more than 450 members.

“The rest, as they say, is history,” said Robyn.

“We tweaked the group, envisaged far and wide, and are both extremely passionate to see the Rainbow Coffs Harbour group come back and thrive.”

Rainbow Coffs Harbour Group is a LGBTIQA+ social group that meets for drinks, dinners, picnics, ten-pin bowling, barefoot bowls, and other social functions as requested by its members.

Facebook page: Rainbow Coffs Harbour
Instagram page: Rainbow Coffs Harbour
Email: rainbowcoffsharbour@yahoo.com.

By Andrea FERRARI