SAND gains credibility and status through its work and through our Named Supporters – individuals of public profile who support our work. We have also asked them to send a few words about their involvement. They are:

Sandi Toksvig OBE: Comedian, writer, actor, presenter and producer on British radio and television, and political activist - and the first person to say about SAND's EMBRACE Campaign: "I’m IN"
Peter Tatchell - British human rights campaigner, known for his work with LGBT+ social movements and selected as the Labour Party's parliamentary candidate for Bermondsey in 1981 “Congratulations on the Lottery grant. I am proud to join SAND as a named supporter”
Bisi Alimi - Nigerian gay rights activist and HIV/LGBT+ advocate who was the first Nigerian to come out of the closet on television
Tom Robinson - songwriter, musician, radio presenter and long-time LGBT+ rights activist who hosts shows on BBC Radio 6 Music. “Ben Franklin said "nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes". It's equally certain that old age will catch up with all of us sooner or later - unless we die first - those are the choices. It makes sense to look out for those who are further along that road: our own turn will come soon enough”
Fred D’Aguiar - British-Guyanese poet, novelist and playwright, Professor of English at UCLA and a good friend of LGBT+ organising in Shropshire! “SAND’s report details so much good done over challenging times. I can't imagine life without it and wonder how people coped in the absence of such an obvious need”
Carol Ann Duffy – Poet, Playwright and Poet Laureate 2009-2019 “'Pleased to see your progress'”
Dr Jay Stewart MBE - CEO / Co-founder of Gendered Intelligence. "SAND’s role in creating more inclusive and welcoming spaces for older LGBT people is more important than ever. Feeling seen, included and supported is such an important part of how we experience life and I incredibly value SAND’s campaigning efforts to shift systems of inequalities and to create communities of care."
Caroline Paige - the first transgender officer to serve openly in the UK Armed Forces
Dr Jane Traies - writer, researcher and author of Lives of Older Lesbians. Sexuality, Identity & the Life Course and Now You See Me: lesbian life stories, as well as former resident of Shropshire. “SAND is doing such important work. The needs of older LGBTQ+ folk are still a long way down most people’s agendas, and SAND is helping to change priorities.”
Clare Summerskill – actor, comedian, musician and researcher who writes and produces verbatim theatre and presentations on critical LGBT+ issues. “SAND is doing such important work in supporting the rights of older LGBTQ people and improving their quality of life in Shropshire. I’m immensely proud to be a named supporter of this wonderful organisation. Please support them in any way you can!”
Sue Sanders - British LGBT+ rights activist, former teacher and co-founder of Schools Out, LGBT+ History Month and the National LGBT+ History Festival. “As an older LGBT+ person who has been working for more years than I care to remember to ‘usualise’ our issues and make LGBT+ people in all their diversity visible proud and safe, I am thrilled that SAND exists and hope that they inspire more organisations across the country to value the older LGBT generation”
Stu Maddux – American film-maker. Director of ‘Gen Silent’ (Generation Silent), the film which originally inspired people to come together as SAND "SAND is the example I hold up when people ask how to change LGBT aging in their community."