Gingerbeer.co.uk is the local area information guide for the lesbian and bisexual women’s community. Find special events and listings for bars, clubs, community groups, social groups and professional services. Originally created to cover the London, England area, coverage is now national. The site is primarily for lesbians and bi-sexual women but open to all those who have an affinity with the community. With FREE listings and free access, Gingerbeer.co.uk is a comprehensive guide for those providing resources, as well as those who want those resources. We are built mostly on the generous efforts of volunteers, a dedicated and spirited team of women who manage and update the site.
Gingerbeer has always been so much more than a website, indeed for some London lesbians it's practically a way of life. Originally developed from a need for an accessible online listing of bars, clubs and community groups, Gingerbeer was born after SuMay and her friends became tired of going to venues that had shut down. SuMay and Sonay launched the site on 1st January 2000 and quickly gathered a hard-working team of talented women to develop it further, including Lorna, Jackie, Helen, Ines and Bianca who all worked on aspects of the site, from its design, content and in building up its comprehensive listings section.
July 2001 saw the introduction of new and improved message boards, which have always been a key component of Gingerbeer, and have come to be known as one of the most popular and welcoming lesbian forums in the UK.
Towards the end of 2004 SuMay recruited some new volunteers to assist with a site redesign, editorial review and the development of a content management system (CMS). This would make it easier to upload and maintain content on the site, and enable new contributors and volunteers to join the team. The site's relaunch on 11th November 2005 also saw a radical new design by Fluffypinkmeringue.com to highlight the new editorial content.
The 2009 redesign just in time for Gingerbeer's 10th anniversary shows another striking result from the Design team at Fluffypinkmeringue.com. Also, a brand new content management system has been put in place by Core Media Design which allows individuals to comment on and give ratings to listings, as well as for promoters to edit and update their own content providing even more accurate information.
Overall, the continual running of the site relies on two things: the volunteers (staff and contributors) and the women who use the site (you). The growth and development of Gingerbeer is an interactive process between these two parties and relies on feedback to improve the online services. We strive to encourage input at any level and in any relevant capacity.
Gingerbeer seeks to respond to the needs of our community by encouraging direct input. We aim to be an active resource that offers women a voice and a creative outlet and a forum for social interaction. We strive to reflect the diversity of our community by offering diversity in our content. Gingerbeer's existence signifies a sincere commitment to the lesbian and bisexual women's community and we're proud to work with you to make it bigger and better.
Please Contact us with your ideas and likes/dislikes about Gingerbeer. Your feedback helps us evolve and improve the site to reflect the changing needs of our community.
Gingerbeer is fuelled by the energy of volunteers. Behind the scenes there's a buzzing network of creative, hardworking and enthusiastic women who all contribute at different levels to keep the site active and up-to-date. For more information about what you could get involved in, Contact us.
WE ARE A POSITIVE GENERATION OF WOMEN; WE ARE WHAT WE MAKE OURSELVES
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